Tueeulala Fall

Although this waterfall is reported to be 840ft tall, I find that hard to believe because Wapama Falls is listed at 1341ft and they both look like they're practically falling from the same cliff! Nonetheless, it does have a taller freefall of the two since Wapama Falls is really broken up into a series of shorter - albeit powerful - falls.

The waterfall does have a short and enigmatic season as it typically dries up around late June or July. But I've seen this falls dry up as early as April and flood the trail in early June. In late Spring 2005 (a heavy snowpack year), this waterfall was almost dry. Then, in June 2011, this waterfall was wispy despite the 384% snowpack in Winter and 200% snowpack as of June. So go figure...

Well, I think I can explain why this is the case.

In order for this waterfall to flow well, two things must work in succession. First, you need to have snow (either from high snow pack accumulations or from accumulation in a late-season storm). Second, while the snow is still present in the drainages responsible for both Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls, you must have hot weather to ensure the snow melts rapidly and increases the volume and rate of flow. In other words, you must have one followed immediately by the other event.

That's how I can explain why we had flooding on our very first visit here in June 2002, but then never experience it since. It could be that we got lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) on our first visit, and then the timing was just off for all the rest of our visits here.

In any case, if this waterfall does flow, think of it as an indicator of the trail conditions as you get close to Wapama Falls. For if this waterfall has any appreciable flow, you can bet the half-mile stretch between this waterfall and Wapama Falls will be flooded, and that the footbridges beneath Wapama Falls will probably have rushing water running over the trail and footbridges themselves.

If you're just going to this waterfall, you're looking at a roughly 4-mile round trip hike. But if you've already made it out there, you mind as well visit Wapama Falls as well.

Sweep from the O'Shaughnessy Dam of the inundated Hetch Hetchy Valley including both Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls in full flow

View World of Waterfalls in a larger map

TRIP REPORTS

• May 31, 2002
• April 24, 2004
• June 4, 2011

GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCES

NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Wapama Falls
• Rancheria Falls
• Carlon Falls

Have You Been To This Waterfall?

Share your experience!

Click here to see visitor comments for this waterfall

Click here to see visitor comments for other waterfalls that we've visited in this region

Click here to go to the Comments Main Page