Illilouette Fall Trail

Illilouette Fall Trail is about a 5-mile out-and-back from Glacier Point along the first part of Panorama Trail to the bridge over Illilouette Creek and back. The mapped walk is about 2.5 miles each way; some descriptions give 4 miles for the same outing. It drops roughly 1,300 feet to the creek, then makes you climb that ground back. Allow three to four hours. Go for the long Yosemite Valley views and a creekside break, not for a close, front-on look at the 370-foot waterfall: the fall itself is hard to see well from this route.

From Glacier Point, the trail follows long switchbacks down the granite slope toward Illilouette Creek. The grade is steady but not a scramble. Views open toward Half Dome, North Dome, the Royal Arches, and Vernal and Nevada Falls across the eastern side of Yosemite Valley. The creek bridge is the turnaround for this shorter walk; Panorama Trail continues beyond it toward Yosemite Valley, making a much longer one-way hike.

The destination is a wooden footbridge over the creek, with granite benches and short cascades nearby. Illilouette Fall drops 370 feet downstream, but the trail doesn't give a particularly clear view of the main drop. The cascades over the granite are the better place to pause, and a frame that includes the creek and rock shows more of what this stop is like. Waterfall flow is strongest around late May.

Park at the Glacier Point lot and begin at the Panorama Trailhead near the overlook. Restrooms are by the trailhead, with a cafeteria and gift shop available seasonally. Glacier Point Road usually opens from late May into October or November, depending on conditions, so check its status before driving. Yosemite does not allow pets on trails; trained service animals are permitted.