Nevada Fall

Start at Happy Isles shuttle stop 16 and cross the bridge to the trail. The paved climb reaches Vernal Fall Footbridge at 0.8 mile; beyond it, steep granite steps pass the brink of Vernal Fall, Emerald Pool and Silver Apron. Another 1.5 miles of rocky switchbacks brings you to Nevada Fall. The first mile is the busiest, so an early start helps you settle into the climb before the trail gets crowded.

The route reaches a footbridge over the Merced just above the waterfall. Cross it for the close view, and stay on the established trail: spray makes the granite slick and the river current is powerful. The John Muir Trail offers a longer way down with a different view of Nevada Fall and Liberty Cap, when that route is open.

Nevada Fall usually flows year-round and reaches its strongest flow in late May or June, when snowmelt is feeding the Merced. Spring spray can soak the trail and slick the rocks; the fall typically runs lower later in summer. Glaciers widened, steepened and deepened Yosemite’s river-cut valleys, leaving waterfalls such as Nevada Fall to drop over their granite walls. In winter, sections of the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail can close because of ice or rockfall, and open stretches can still be icy; check the route before setting out.

From the upper footbridge, include the sloping granite face and trees along the rim in the same frame. That gives the fall a sense of scale that a tight crop of white water loses.