Rancheria Falls

Beyond the footbridges across Wapama Falls, the trail begins its 1200ft ascent in earnest. Wapama Falls is your last contact with water for a while (over 2.5 miles to be exact). This stretch of trail goes in and out of some shade, but the elevation change makes this section of trail a real workout. Along the way, you can get direct views of Kolana Rock across the reservoir while looking back at Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls. Farther into the hike, you can even start to see the headwaters of the reservoir.

At about 2.5 miles from Wapama Falls, the trail descends down more switchbacks before it finally connects with Tilltill Creek. Beneath the steel footbridge above the creek is an impressive 40-50ft waterfall, but it is not Rancheria Falls (Fig 2).

After going past Tilltill Creek, the trail goes up additional switchbacks before finally flattening out. Not more than a half mile past Tilltill Creek, you’ll start to hear and see the lower cascades of Rancheria Falls. This first cascade drops in a few small plunges before sliding down a slanted granite sheet providing an apron-like characteristic. Further up the trail, you will reach a fork where the path on the right leads to the Rancheria Falls campground. On the shores of Rancheria Creek by the campground, you can see another slanting cascade showing mostly its profile before twisting and facing you in a pair of leaps falling side by side away from each other.

Turning left at the fork, the trail continues to go uphill passing by the Tilltill Valley Trail junction. Staying close to Rancheria Creek, you can see the tumbling creek moving down its slanted watercourse. Eventually, the trail reaches a wooden footbridge allowing you to look further up Rancheria Creek at more cascades as well as downstream as the creek makes its way to the Tuolumne River and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Beyond the bridge, the trail continues to Pleasant Valley deep in the Yosemite Wilderness, but those just interested in visiting the falls need not go any further than the bridge.

TRIP REPORTS

• April 24, 2004

GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCES

NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Wapama Falls
• Tueeulala Falls
• Carlon Falls

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