Yosemite Falls Trail

Yosemite Falls Trail is a strenuous out-and-back from Camp 4 to the top of Upper Yosemite Fall: 7.2 miles round trip with 2,700 feet of climbing. Give it six to eight hours. Much of the climb sits above Yosemite Valley, with a big view of Half Dome and Sentinel Rock before the waterfall comes into sight. Save the full hike for a day when steep, exposed terrain sounds like a good time. If you want a shorter goal, Columbia Rock has a strong Valley panorama without the upper climb.

The signed route leaves the Valley Loop Trail near Camp 4 and starts uphill through oak woodland. John Conway laid 60 switchbacks into this slope in the 1870s. The climb to Columbia Rock is about a mile and 1,000 feet; from the rock, the view opens across the Valley toward Half Dome and Sentinel Rock. That is a worthwhile turnaround on its own: 2 miles round trip, about two to three hours, and a moderate hike instead of the strenuous climb above. Keep to the maintained trail. Steep drops sit beside it, and cutting a switchback damages the slope.

About half a mile beyond Columbia Rock, the trail dips in places before reaching a close view of Upper Yosemite Fall. In spring the falls usually run strongest, and spray can reach the path; by August the water may dwindle to a trickle. This is the best place on the route to take in the whole upper fall from below. For a photo, frame it between the granite walls instead of zooming in so tightly that the drop loses its scale.

Past that view, the trail is steep and rocky, with loose decomposed granite that can slip underfoot. The upper slope is exposed and gets little shade until late afternoon, so the climb can be punishing in summer heat. The path reaches Yosemite Creek at the top; the stream can look surprisingly small beside the enormous drop it feeds. It runs directly over the waterfall, so stay well back and never swim or wade there. The upper trail gets little winter sunlight and can be icy or buried beneath snow.

Built between 1873 and 1877, this is one of Yosemite’s oldest historic trails. Conway configured its 60 switchbacks; John Muir called him the Valley’s master trail builder. Yosemite Falls is a hanging waterfall: after glaciers deepened the main Valley, Yosemite Creek remained high in its tributary valley and plunged over the cliff. The full cascade drops 2,425 feet above the Valley floor, but this hike reaches the top of Upper Yosemite Fall. Yosemite Point is a separate 1.6-mile round-trip extension from the top, not part of the 7.2-mile hike.

Start by Camp 4, along the Valley Loop Trail. The Yosemite Falls day-use lot is across the road from the Camp 4 entrance; Camp 4’s own parking area is for campers. Valleywide Shuttle stop #7 serves the area. There is a drinking fountain and restroom near the trailhead, but no water or restrooms along the route. Pets, bicycles and strollers are prohibited. The trail is open year-round, though winter snow and ice can make the upper climb dangerous; check conditions before setting out.