Hiking Lower Yosemite Falls: Mother Nature’s IMAX experience.
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Yosemite National Park is a place of wonder and beauty. Every year, millions of visitors marvel in it’s splendor. The monstrous granite monuments, the beauty of nature, and the Starbucks at Yosemite Lodge are all part of what makes Yosemite great. All are compelling reasons to fall in love with this park, just as I have.
Of all the National Parks, Yosemite is an overachiever. It is the straight A, varsity athlete, destined for an Ivy League University. To top all of it’s many merits, Yosemite has some impressive waterfalls. Given the unique terrain of the park, this should come as no suprise. I’m pretty sure that if you were to add up heights of all the waterfalls in Yosemite, this figure would have to be measured in miles.
One bored, rainy afternoon, when the rock was too slick for climbing, I took to the Lower Yosemite Falls trail. By numbers, Yosemite Falls is the most impressive waterfall in the park. It is the highest waterfall in North America, and one of the most iconic scenes of the National Park system.
I have hiked this trail before, but I wanted to experience its power at it’s peak, mid-spring flow rate. I’ll give you a quick rundown of my own hike, and I will let you know what you can expect of the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail.
The Stats
Difficulty: It’s not. Most anyone can do it. The entire hike is ADA compliant.
Time to Hike: 15 Minutes. Allow extra time to be forcibly showered spray of the Falls.
Distance: 1 Mile Loop.
Elevation Gain: 32 feet. For the non-Americans, that’s probably like, a couple of centimeters or something.
Bathrooms: Yes.
Raincoats Recommended?: Most Definitely.
Best Time to Hike: Year Round-there is something cool to check out at Lower Yosemite Falls, no matter the season.
The Hike
The Lower Yosemite Falls Loop trail begins right across from the Yosemite Valley Lodge. The trail is well marked, paved, and very scenic. After the shuttle drops you off, simply follow the roaring sound. You’ll probably, (hopefully) end up at the Yosemite Falls Bridge.
This is the place where tourists pretend to be weather girls in a hurricane. Thousands of gallons of High Sierra snowmelt water freefalls untold feet to the Yosemite Valley Floor.
A torrent of mist and wind is created, rivaled only by the nearby Mist Trail. It blows back hair dos, and forces a shower upon you. My softshell jacket was wetting out, after just minutes of standing downwind of the Falls. Bring a rain coat, and maybe even an umbrella. This is Mother Nature’s IMAX experience.
The roar of Yosemite Falls can be heard throughout the Valley. If you’re unaccustomed, you might mistake it for Thunder and Lightning. It’s like a Vietnam-Era B52 air raid. And I’m not talking about the band.
There is a lot of informative signage along the way. There is even another one of those cool brass terrain reliefs, one of a several found throughout the park. Of interest is one about John Muir-that famous naturalist that everyone loves to quote (and misquote).
Back in the 1860s, Muir worked as a sheepherder in the Yosemite region. He lived at the base of the falls, helping to process fallen wood that was later used to build hotels and stables. I’d hazard a guess that John Muir did it all, just to get in early on some of California’s most prime real estate.
I began and ended my hike at the restrooms. Let me tell you, the Yosemite Falls restrooms are some of the most scenic in the park. I hold them in high regard, if not only for the beautiful walk it takes to reach them.
Scramble to the Base of the Falls
When the falls dry out, and the flow slows to a trickle, the true path to the base is uncovered. It is a short, challenging scramble, but if you are able to make the extra trek, then the experience will pay off in dividends.
Where the waterfall hits the Talus below, a small, deep pool forms. During the height of summer, it makes for perfect relief from the heat. Hiking up close is like getting a personal, private viewing.
Any hiker that decides to make the trek must wear appropriate footwear, and bring trekking poles for stability. Alternatively, go bearfoot if you are sure footed enough. You’ll be stripping down regardless to take a dip in the pool.
Yosemite Falls, and it’s Four Seasons
Yosemite Falls is seasonal. Rarely, except in the wettest of years, does it flow year round. Instead, it is turned on and off like a faucet. In late Spring, as the snow pack in the High Sierras begins to melt, the flow is at it’s highest. Visitors will experience the full power of Yosemite Falls, and it’s the best time to make the easy hike if you’re looking for the full, wet package.
Towards late Summer, the Falls slow to a trickle, beginning to look more like the water feature in the lobby of a high class metropolitan law firm.
By Autumn, they may have dried completely. Now is the best time to make the scramble to the base of of the lower falls. There are no more wet, aeolian forces nudging you off the rocks. Instead, you can escape the heat at the pool in the bottom, and maybe check out the cool rock climbing routes that can be found here.
Winter at Yosemite Falls is a unique experience. I have never had a chance to check out the falls in the winter, but I am told that a giant pile of ice collects at the bottom. These accumulations can reach many dozens of feet high. This is a yearly phenomenon, and I’m pretty sure that even John Muir once documented it. Though little water pours during this time of year, the small amount that does freezes on the way down, clinging itself to the cliffside. It makes for a cool, “ghost” outline of Yosemite Falls.
Basketballs-The Definitive Flow Rate Analogy
During your visit to Yosemite Falls, picture thousands of basketballs spilling into the Valley below.
When it comes to waterways, scientists measure them in cubic feet per second. That is one foot, multiplied by itself three times. In the abstract, you may be picturing a floating cube of water. You might imagine hundreds of these cubes passing by you.
During my brief stint as a river guide, it was important to follow the flow rate of a river. This figure often proved crucial, particularly when planning daily itineraries. To better picture flow rates, a senior guide asked me to imagine a basketball. Round, orange, and bouncy, one cubic foot is roughly the size of a standard size basketball.
Spring time basketball flows sees thousands of orange spheres spilling over the cliff side. This is Yosemite Creek’s March Madness. The Autumn flow rate is just a few basketballs, plunking into the abyss. In the winter, huge piles of frozen basketballs collect at the base.
You get the picture. This is stream morphology for beginners, and also sports fans.
All of the basketballs that are dunked into Yosemite Valley eventually find their way to the ocean. Here, they rejoin what scientists refer to as the “basketball cycle”.
To be honest, this business about basketballs may very well be hearsay. Google is not too helpful in clearing that up. I’m going to stick with it, because it’s funny.
Conclusion-tl;dr
Mile for mile, the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail offers a more interesting, awesome experience than most other hikes in the park. Though short, it allows Yosemite visitors a chance to get up close to one of the coolest places in the Valley. The hike can be easily reached via shuttle, and is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
I really enjoy the Lower Yosemite Falls hike, and it is worth negotiating the crowds for a chance to get inspired, get awestruck, and most importantly, to get wet.
Need Gear?
As an NPS shuttle driver put it one morning, hiking the Lower Falls trail is a literal “walk in the park”. It is a contender for the easiest hike in all of Yosemite. Even so, it will whet your appetite for the tougher hikes. Before you set out, make sure that you’ve got the right gear for the job. Check out our list of Essential Hiking Gear. You’ll find expert picked recommendations for all the gear you need, from headlamps, to sweaters. Let us help you prepare!
Related: For more waterfall goodness, check out The Mist Trail, and Bridalveil Falls.
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