Yosemite Waterfalls: Iconic Symbols of California's Waterfall Mecca

• About the Falls
• Regions with Waterfalls
• Other Attractions and Travel Stories
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• When to go
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ABOUT THE FALLS

Every year, millions of visitors pay homage to Yosemite National Park's grandeur and beauty. I once heard on a Travel Channel show that the first white men who saw the incomparable Yosemite Valley were so awestruck by its beauty that it made them cry. It's one of those places that you've got to see at least once in your life - especially in spring when the waterfalls thunder as they tumble and plunge their way down from vertical cliffs at least 1000ft tall!

The concentration of towering cataracts within its incomparable Valley as well as its variety of falls outside the Valley will delight waterfall lovers. In addition to the famous Yosemite Waterfalls such as Yosemite Falls (one of the tallest waterfalls in the world) and Bridalveil Fall, you can find the classic Vernal Fall, the unusual Waterwheel Falls, and the ephemeral Horsetail Falls (a photographer's challenge) among others. Couple that with landmarks (such as El Capitan and Half Dome) and you couldn't ask for a better place to see waterfalls.

Outside of the Valley, you can find Yosemite Waterfalls in varied landscapes from the sharp granite peaks of Unicorn Peak and Cathedral Peak to the fjord-like scenery at Hetch Hetchy.

I, too, am among the millions of visitors who make the pilgrimage to mother earth's holy land at least once a year. But it's the Yosemite Waterfalls that attract me the most and will probably continue to do so.

Of all the National Parks in the US, Yosemite National Park is my favorite. I've visited the park at least a dozen times since 2002 to experience the grandeur and beauty of its waterfalls amidst the park's scenic landscapes. To see what I'm talking about, browse through these pages...

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YOSEMITE WATERFALLS

YOSEMITE VALLEY

• Bridalveil Fall
• Ribbon Falls
• Horsetail Falls
• Sentinel Falls
• Yosemite Falls
• Lehamite Falls
• Staircase Falls
• Royal Arch Cascades
• Unnamed Falls by Camp 4 ("El Capitan Falls")

TENAYA CANYON AND THE GIANT STAIRCASE

• Vernal Fall
• Nevada Fall
• Illilouette Fall
• Snow Creek Falls
• Pywiack Cascade
• Unnamed Falls near Mirror Lake ("Mirror Lake Falls")

MERCED CANYON AND WESTERN YOSEMITE

• Cascade Falls
• Wildcat Falls
• Silver Strand Falls
• Widow's Tears
• Unnamed Falls on Tamarack Creek ("Tamarack Creek Falls")
• Foresta Falls

TUOLUMNE RIVER AND THE HIGH COUNTRY

• Tuolumne Falls
• White Cascade (Glen Aulin Falls)
• California Falls
• LeConte Falls
• Waterwheel Falls
• Unnamed Falls near Quaking Aspen Sign ("Quaking Aspen Falls")
• Unnamed Falls near Cathedral Lake ("Cathedral Lake Falls")
• Unnamed Falls near California Falls ("Mattie Falls")
• Lee Vining Canyon Waterfalls

SOUTHERN YOSEMITE

• Chilnualna Falls
• Alder Creek Falls

HETCH HETCHY

• Tueeulala Fall
• Wapama Falls
• Unnamed Waterfalls in Hetch Hetchy
• Unnamed Falls on Tilltill Creek ("Tilltill Creek Falls")
• Rancheria Falls
• Carlon Falls

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OTHER WATERFALLS

• I have yet to visit,
• are too difficult to access (for me at least),
• are not worth the effort (IMHO),
• are closed to the public,
• or are named but marginally count as waterfalls (IMHO)

• Bunnell Cascade
• Little Nellie Falls
• Unnamed Falls by Taft Point "Fissure Falls"
• "Pywiack Dome Falls"

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