Vernal Fall

Vernal Fall is a 317-foot waterfall on the Merced River in eastern Yosemite Valley, reached by trail from Happy Isles. For a close look without a strenuous climb, the 1.6-mile round trip to the Vernal Fall Footbridge is the sensible stop: the bridge is about 0.8 mile from the trailhead, with 400 feet of climbing, and takes about one to one and a half hours. If you have the time and legs, go on to the top. That trip is about 2.4 miles round trip, gains 1,000 feet and takes roughly three hours; the view straight down the full fall is the payoff. The footbridge walk is moderate; the climb to the top is strenuous.

Start at Happy Isles in eastern Yosemite Valley, shuttle stop 16. The first paved mile is the busiest stretch, and the footbridge gives you an excellent view of the fall at about 0.8 mile. The first mile is usually busiest; start early if you want more space on the path.

Drinking water is available at the shuttle stop and, from May through October, at the footbridge; those are the only water sources along the trail. Restrooms are at the stop and footbridge, with the footbridge facilities seasonal. Vault toilets sit beyond the top of Vernal Fall along the Mist Trail.

About 0.2 mile beyond the footbridge, the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail split. The Mist Trail reaches the top with a 0.3-mile climb up a steep granite stairway of more than 600 steps. It is a real uphill push, and the spray can make the steps slippery in spring and early summer. You get close views of the fall along the climb; at the brink, the view runs straight down its full 317-foot drop.

Vernal Fall flows year-round, but it is fullest in late May or June. Later in summer the water often narrows into one, two or three channels, so the fall can look very different from its broad spring curtain. The heavy spring and early-summer spray is what gives the Mist Trail its name and can put a rainbow in the view. For a photograph, start with the footbridge's clear view, then look for a rainbow from the established Mist Trail stairs when sunlight catches the spray.

The path to the top was already there when California took control of Yosemite in 1864, and its origin was unknown even then. That makes the route part of Yosemite visits from the park's earliest years, though it is not known who first built it or when.

The lower Mist Trail beside Vernal Fall closes in winter because of falling ice and rock; open sections can still be icy or snowy. Check current trail conditions before choosing a route. Beyond the fall, the trail passes Emerald Pool and Silver Apron. Swimming there is illegal and dangerous because the current is extremely hazardous; stay behind railings and away from wet rock and flowing water.