Vernal Fall Trail

Vernal Fall Trail is a steep out-and-back from Happy Isles to the top of Vernal Fall. Plan on about 2.9 miles round trip, roughly three hours, and about 1,000 feet of climbing. Published distance figures range from 2.4 to 3 miles, so budget for the longer estimate. The reward is a close look at a 317-foot waterfall, with the last climb on a steep granite stairway beside the falling water.

The route begins at shuttle stop 16 and follows the shared, mostly paved trail toward Vernal Fall. It climbs nearly the whole way. In spring, when the river is running high, you may glimpse Illilouette Fall across the valley before reaching the Vernal Fall Footbridge. The bridge is a good place to turn around if you want the waterfall view without the hardest part: that shorter out-and-back is about 1.6 miles with 400 feet of gain.

Beyond the footbridge, stay on the trail to the junction and take the direct Mist Trail. The climb to the top is short on the map and steep underfoot: more than 600 granite steps hug the slope beside the waterfall. In spring and early summer, spray can soak you and slick the stairs; that’s also when the waterfall is usually at its fullest, and rainbows can appear in the mist. Keep your attention on the steps, especially on the way down, when people are passing in both directions. From a safe landing, frame some of the granite stairway with the waterfall so its height has scale; don’t leave the trail to get closer.

The trail reaches the river above the brink, where you can look down the full drop of Vernal Fall and back into the gorge. It’s a dramatic place, but the river and wet granite are dangerous even when the water looks calm. Stay behind the railings and keep off the river’s edge. The route described here turns around at the top; continuing beyond it leads toward Emerald Pool and eventually Nevada Fall. You can also make a longer loop by continuing to the Clark Point junction and returning on the John Muir Trail, which avoids descending the same steep stairs.

Vernal Fall drops over a 317-foot granite wall into the Merced River. Glaciers widened the river-carved Yosemite Valley and helped shape the steep walls this trail climbs. Here, the route’s changing character is easy to see: a riverside approach followed by a stairway cut across the rock beside the fall.