Parking
Dirt lot near the end of Chilnualna Falls Road, with space for roughly 20 cars and a vault toilet. Walk about 100 meters back up the road to the signed trailhead.
Overview
About Chilnualna Falls Trail
Why go
- Five granite cascades and pools above Wawona.
- The first waterfall makes a short, worthwhile steep hike.
Heads up
- A sustained, very challenging climb with about 2,400 feet of gain.
- The tallest drop is difficult to see closely from a safe trail position.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,301–6,473 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
- CautionMist Trail access limited during October repairsThe Mist Trail between its John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall has limited access through October for repair work.Official details
“You're nearing Chilnualna Falls Trailhead, where a short, steep walk reaches the first cascade. For a brief outing, I'd turn back there: about half a mile round trip.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Chilnualna Falls0:00 / 0:23
“You're nearing Chilnualna Falls Trailhead, where a short, steep walk reaches the first cascade. For a brief outing, I'd turn back there: about half a mile round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Buzz That Frees the Pollen
- Historic Wawona
- The Park Before the National Park
- Wawona Campground and Picnic Area
- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Trail guide
Hiking Chilnualna Falls Trail
Make a waterfall day of itChilnualna Falls Trail is an 8.
Chilnualna Falls Trail is an 8.2-mile out-and-back from the Chilnualna Falls Trailhead to the upper cascades and back, with about 2,400 feet of climbing. Allow five to seven hours for this very challenging hike. The falls arrive as a chain of granite drops above Wawona, and the first cascade is only about a quarter-mile up the trail. If you want a shorter outing, turn at that first fall for about a half-mile round trip; it is still a steep climb.
The first cascade is a real short optionThe footpath rises sharply from the trailhead to the first waterfall, which is substantial…
The footpath rises sharply from the trailhead to the first waterfall, which is substantial enough to make a worthwhile destination by itself. At the first split, the hiking branch passes small bonus cascades before it rejoins the stock route about a quarter-mile later. The walk to the first fall is brief, but it is not level or effortless.
A sustained climb by the creekBeyond the lower cascades, the trail keeps gaining height through long switchbacks.
Beyond the lower cascades, the trail keeps gaining height through long switchbacks. It follows Chilnualna Creek for part of the way, then enters the woods; you will not have a view of the water the whole time. Higher up, the forest opens to granite shelves and wide views over Wawona, including Wawona Dome. The middle climb is the commitment: this is a long, steadily uphill route, not a walk that gets easy after the first waterfall.
A chain of falls, not one viewpointThe creek spills over five large granite cascades.
The creek spills over five large granite cascades. Near the top, the route reaches pools and a broad granite shelf above the highest drop. The final cataract is roughly 240 feet high, but the trail does not offer a safe close-up view of the whole plunge; the better place to linger is among the cascades and pools on durable ground. Granite beside the creek can be slick. Reaching the uppermost cascade may require a deeper stream ford, which is harder in high water.
Spring brings the water and flowersChilnualna Falls flows year-round, with the strongest flow usually around May.
Chilnualna Falls flows year-round, with the strongest flow usually around May. Spring and early summer also bring Hartweg’s iris, purple milkweed, mountain pride, harlequin lupine, and wood strawberry along the trail. That is the best season for the falls, but early runoff can make stream crossings more demanding. By midsummer, this lower-elevation hike can feel hot.
Getting to the startThe dirt parking lot is near the end of Chilnualna Falls Road; walk about 100 meters back up…
The dirt parking lot is near the end of Chilnualna Falls Road; walk about 100 meters back up the road to the signed trailhead. The lot holds roughly 20 cars and has a vault toilet. There is no drinking water on the trail; a fountain is near the restrooms by the Wawona Store, a separate stop in the village. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on Yosemite hiking trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
