Snow Creek Falls

The way we did the hike involves doing the whole hike as a loop. We went up the shorter, but steeper Mist Trail and then down the longer John Muir Trail. The loop occurs between Happy Isles trailhead and the top of Nevada Falls. And this first 3.4-mile stretch is well-described in both the Nevada Falls and Vernal Fall pages.

Beyond the top of Nevada Falls, the hike flattens out as it goes behind Half Dome and leads towards Little Yosemite Valley backpacker's camp (at about 4.6 miles from the trailhead), then veers away from it and climbs uphill some more in a bunch of switchbacks. Little Yosemite Valley is your last chance for water so I recommend filling up over here before continuing on or you might end up running out as we did (not good).

At the end of this section of switchbacks (we did see a deer in this stretch, btw), you'll be at a trail junction with the Cloud's Rest trail to your right. But keep going straight to stay on the Half Dome Trail. Eventually, you'll be at a spot where you can peer into parts of Tenaya Canyon seeing both Cloud's Rest as well as part of the elusive Pywiack Cascade. You even start to see a disjointed Snow Creek Falls.

Now, the hike climbs very steeply up more granite steps. Some parts can be a little slippery and hazardous due to loose pebbles on exposed granite slopes with dropoffs. So take your time, but also let people behind you pass if you're slowing them down. I think this is the part that really tests your endurance because when you finally get to the top, you'll be on the saddle of Half Dome, and before you is the infamous cables for the last 1/4-mile stretch to the summit.

From the saddle, you can already get pretty good views of Snow Creek Falls, and it's a good spot to gather what strength you have left as well as putting on gloves and getting your loose items packed away (so nothing falls) before proceeding on. Of course, you're not going to stop here are you? You've made it all the way up here. You mind as well finish it!

Speaking of cables, we got an early start because it gets crowded on the cables (especially on the weekends). That's because in addition to just sheer volume in the number of people who want to do this hike, there are plenty of people who bite off more they can chew and freeze due to fear of heights or the steep angle that prevents you from getting solid footing if you have to wait (which is why the wooden planks they put on there when the snow is gone is helpful). The lines can get ridiculously long (and tiring if you're stuck on the cables themselves; trust us, we know from experience!) so many people often pass on the outside of the cables (both upwards and down).

It's not for everybody, but it's certainly better than getting stuck on the exposed metal cables with a looming afternoon thunderstorm building up in a Summer afternoon.

Once you're on the wide and flat summit, you can see Snow Creek Falls in its entirety as you get closer to the vertical cliff face (see the photo at the top of this page). There's even a Diving Board rock which is a slight protrusion over the vertical cliff and is a popular spot to take that "I was there" photo.

Now that you're up here, it's time to change socks, rest up, and finish the hike as you've now got over 8 miles and 4800ft elevation loss to return to the Happy Isles Nature Center (signpost V24).

One bit of advice when you're going down the cables. I found it's best to go down with your back to the open and your front facing the granite. That way, you can sort of "rappel" down the steep friction pitch while holding onto the cables.

Mirror Lake into Tenaya Canyon: Another way to see a piece of Snow Creek Falls is to do the Mirror Lake hike. You can get to this trailhead by taking the shuttle to signpost V26 (I think it's one stop after Happy Isles because I don't remember them stopping for signpost V25, but maybe they do; in which case it's 2 stops then).

Then, it's a very straightforward walk on pavement for a mile where you can start to see parts of the pond known as Mirror Lake (which actually dries up and becomes a meadow by late Summer). Then, you continue as the pavement ends past the real stagnant part of the water (this is where you get the nice reflections) as the trail follows Tenaya Creek eventually towards a footbridge at about 2.3 miles out from the trailhead. You'll be passing by an ephemeral waterfall that I called Mirror Lake Falls en route. By the way, as you get close to the footbridge, you'll be passing a junction for the Snow Creek Trail, which is unfortunately named because the trail itself doesn't afford you any views of the falls.

Just past the footbridge, there's a scrambling path that's very overgrown and not easy to follow that continues further upstream along the southern banks of Tenaya Creek. It's here that you're no longer on an official trail and you're essentially off trail. You persist for another 1/4-mile or so until you start to notice Snow Creek joining Tenaya Creek. At that point, you look for a way to ascend above the treeline. Then, you can finally see Snow Creek Falls behind you. Now even as I describe this, we weren't able to scramble high enough to get a decent view of the falls (just to show you how nontrivial this is).

However, if you're back on the official trail, you can start to hike back on the trail along the southern banks of Tenaya Creek beyond the footbridge, then look back behind you and catch a fairly unsatisfactory glimpse of the waterfall. Hey, it's better than nothing!

Below are some additional photographs we took in our Snow Creek Falls excursions..

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The deer we saw on the trail

What it's like to be stuck in a traffic jam on the cables

Looking towards the back of Half Dome where we saw this surprise unnamed waterfall

Our buddy Chris who gave onlookers a near heart-attack danging his legs over the Diving Board

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Over 180 degree sweep from the top of "Table Rock" or the "Diving Board" showing Tenaya Canyon, Snow Creek Falls, and Yosemite Valley

View World of Waterfalls in a larger map

TRIP REPORTS

• June 7, 2003

GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCES

NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Vernal Fall
• Nevada Falls
• Illilouette Fall
• Pywiack Cascade
• "Mirror Lake Falls"
• Staircase Falls
• Royal Arch Cascades

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