Yosemite
Falls is the highest waterfall in North America. Located in
Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California,
it is a fantastic and breathtaking sight best viewed in the late
spring.
The total 2425 foot distance
from the top of the upper falls to the base of the lower falls qualifies Yosemite Falls as the sixth
highest waterfall in the world. Although often referred to as a "two-stage drop", the falls actually
consist of three sections:
- The 1425 foot plunge qualifies the Upper Falls alone as
one of the twenty highest waterfalls in the world. Trails up from the valley
floor and down from other regions of the park outside the valley proper lead
to both the top and base of upper Yosemite Falls. The upper fall is formed by
the swift waters of Yosemite Creek which, after meandering through
Eagle Creek Meadow, hurls itself over the edge of a hanging valley in a
spectacular and deafening show of raw natural force.
- Between the two actual well known and obvious main plunges
there are a series of rapids and small plunges generally referred
to as "the cataracts". Taken together these
account for another drop of almost 700 feet, nearly twice the
height of the lower falls. Because of the layout of the area,
the lack of any major drops in this section and the lack of
public access they are all too easy to overlook. One looking
up or over from most viewpoints in the valley misses them entirely.
Best vantage points for the cataracts are found along the Yosemite
Falls trail. But be warned: Numerous individuals climbing down
from the falls trail towards the cataracts for a better look
end up requiring an expensive helicopter rescue due to steep
and slippery terrain and features.
- The final 430 foot drop of the Lower Falls, adjacent to
an easily accessible viewing area provides countless park visitors with a
fairly close look at this spectacular waterfall. Yosemite Creek emerges from
the base of the lower falls and flows into the Merced River nearby. Like many
areas of Yosemite the plunge pool at the base of the lower falls is surrounded
by dangerous jumbles of talus made even more treacherous due to the high humidity
and resulting slippery surfaces.
In years of
little snow, the falls may actually cease flowing altogether in late summer or fall.
A very small number of rock climbers have taken the opportunity to climb the normally
inaccessible rock face beneath the falls, although this is an extraordinarily foolhardy
undertaking; a single afternoon thunderstorm could restart the falls, sweeping the
climbers off the face and into oblivion.
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