Lower Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
| Address: | Lower Yosemite Falls Trailhead, Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, California 95389, USA |
| GPS: |
37°44'47.1"N 119°35'46.5"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
| Trail Length: | 1.00 miles |
| Trail Type: | Loop |
| Hike Difficulty: | Easiest |
| Elevation Gain: | 50 feet |
| Trails/Routes: | 0.8 mi |
Restrooms Rivers Waterfalls Streams Trails Rocks Pet Friendly Bicycles National Park
Hike
Yosemite Falls is 3,967 feet high, making it twice as tall as the Empire State building, ten times as tall as Niagara Falls, and one of Yosemite Valley's biggest attractions.
Lower Yosemite Falls trail is short, easy hike that offers views of the entirety of North America's tallest waterfall from its base. The trail is so short and flat that it's essentially just a brisk walk. It will lead you to a footbridge where you will likely get sprayed with water if you are visiting during spring or early summer. By early fall and late summer, though, the waterfall will dry up, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Although the hike doesn't offer much until you reach the falls, there are several places to stop, rest, and read about the history and significance of the iconic waterfall.
Once you've admired the waterfall, taken tons of photos and gotten completely soaked, you can cross a bridge over Yosemite Creek to loop back to the shuttle stop or make your way east, past Yosemite Village toward Mirror Lake, a popular pool a couple miles away.
Rainbows can sometimes form at the base of the lower falls when the moon is full, a phenomenon called "moonbows."
More Information
Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
- Head southwest on Northside Dr toward Cook's Meadow LoopToll roadDestination will be on the right(0.2 mi)
Parking will lead you to Yosemite Village. From there, take the Valley Visitor Shuttle and get off at stop #6. Follow the bike path in either direction to reach the loop trail.
Trails
Distance ?
0.8 milesElevation Gain ?
-2 feetReal Ascent ?
85 feetReal Descent ?
87 feetAvg Grade (0°)
0%Grade (-16° to 8°)
-30% to 14%Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.
Other Hiking Trails Nearby
Cook's Meadow Loop
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
0.2 miles ECook's Meadow Loop is a shorter, smaller hike inside Sentinel Meadow. Cook's Meadow Loop is just under a mile and takes about 45 minutes to complete, depending on how long you stop at each...
Hike 15.9 mi
Valley Loop Trail
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
0.9 miles SWThe Valley Loop trail at the heart of Yosemite is one of the best ways to discover the park. The entire loop is 11.5 miles long, and there are several places to enter and exit the trail...
Hike 2.9 mi
Upper Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
0.9 miles NEYosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, standing at 2,425 feet. It's made up of Upper Yosemite Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, and the middle cascades. Lower Yosemite Falls...
Hike 4.6 mi
Four Mile Trail
Yosemite National Park
1.0 miles SEFour Mile Trail is a moderate hike that offers the best views of some of Yosemite's most famous landmarks, including Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, El Capitan, and the Royal...
Hike 0.3 mi
Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park
1.8 miles SELocated in Yosemite National Park, Glacier Point gives a birds-eye-view of the park you can't find anywhere else. It can be accessed by both hiking and driving through the park, though the roads...
Hike 4.0 mi
North Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.1 miles ENorth Dome is a strenuous 10.4 mile hike that gives visitors a close up view straight at Half Dome from across the valley. It also has a unique view of Clouds Rest peak. Because the hike...
Backpack, Hike
Horsetail Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.1 miles SWHorsetail Falls is located near El Capitan Valley in Yosemite. Around mid to late February, the fall gains popularity due to the way the orange glow of the sunset radiates off of it. In order to...
Hike 1.9-2.9 mi
Mist Trail
Yosemite National Park
2.3 miles SEThe mist trail is a small breakoff from the John Muir Trail through Yosemite National Park. It's called the mist trail because of the heavy amount of mist that hikers walk through as Vernal and...
Backpack, Hike 1.2 mi
Taft Point
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.4 miles SThe hike to Taft Point is often paired with the hike to Sentinel Dome. There is a 5 mile loop that connects the two and offers breathtaking views of the valley along the south rim. The trailhead...
Hike
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.6 miles EMirror Lake is a seasonal lake situated in a secluded corner of the beautiful Yosemite Valley. The lake sits at the base of Half Dome and allows a different perspective of the famous monolith....
Backpack, Hike, Swim 0.2 mi
Ribbon Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.9 miles SWStanding at 1612 ft tall, Ribbon Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in Yosemite Valley and the longest single-drop waterfall in North America. It's visible from El Capitan road as you...
Hike 0.4-2.1 mi
Illilouette Falls
Yosemite West, Yosemite National Park
3.0 miles SEIllilouette Falls Trail is a 4 mile hike down to Illilouette Creek, where there is a footbridge, a great view of Illilouette Falls, and several benches for onlookers to stop, rest, and...
Hike 0.2 mi
Bridalveil Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.4 miles SWKnown for being the focal point for one of Ansel Adams' most famous photographs, Bridalveil Falls is one of the first waterfalls you see as you enter Yosemite. The path to get there...
Hike 2.1 mi
Snow Creek Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.6 miles ESnow Creek is one of the more difficult waterfalls to find in the valley, but in the spring and summer months, the elusive waterfall can be seen from the Mirror Lake Trail, a 5 mile loop around...
Backpack, Hike 1.9 mi
Half Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
4.6 miles EHalf Dome is the most popular and difficult hike in Yosemite Valley. The trail is about 14 miles long with an elevation gain of 4800 feet. There are cables to help you scale up to the summit once you...
Hike 1.7 mi
Mono Meadow
Yosemite West, Yosemite National Park
5.2 miles SThe hike through Mono Meadow is the best way to get a view of Mt. Starr King, Clarke Range, and Half Dome all at once. It's about a three mile round trip hike towards Yosemite backcountry. It...
Hike 0.5 mi
McGurk Meadow
Yosemite National Park
5.5 miles SMcGurk Meadow is a short, 0.8 mile hike through one of Yosemite's wildflower meadows. The trail is fairly flat, about 100 feet of elevation gain, and it doesn't require too much effort,...
Hike 0.7 mi
Lukens Lake
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
7.3 miles NLukens Lake is a small lake in the White Wolf area of Yosemite National Park. The hike is a short, 1.6 mile walk through a forest to the secluded lake surrounded by trees and a small...
Hike, Swim 5.5 mi
Ostrander Lake
Wawona, California
8.8 miles SOstrander Lake is a long, 11.4 mile hike just behind Sentinel Dome. Unlike most of Yosemite's summer hikes, the trail to Ostrander Lake is open during the winter for people to ski through....
Hike, Swim 1.2-1.6 mi
May Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
9.0 miles NEMay lake is a relatively small lake that rests at the base of Mt. Hoffman in Yosemite National Park. One of the park's most scenic lakes, May lake not only gets up close and personal with...
Hike, SwimNearby Campsites
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
0.8 miles SEThe main fork of Merced River at Yosemite National Park is a perfect place to fish, swim, raft, and even pan for gold. The river circles around the center of Yosemite Valley, and almost every...
Camp, Swim, Whitewater
Crane Flat
Big Oak Flat, Yosemite National Park
11.1 miles WCrane Flat Campground is a meadow and forest between Tuolumne and Merced Groves of Giant Sequoias. The campground is 30 minutes outside Yosemite Valley, has restrooms and picnic...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Snowshoe 5.7 mi
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
11.5 miles NA 6.4 mile hike will lead you to three of the Ten Lakes at Ten Lakes Basin. There are three possible trails to take to see this phenomenon. The shortest begins at Yosemite Creek. The other two...
Backpack, Camp, Hike 6.0 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
14.8 miles NEThis is an 11 mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin. There is a view to take in at every turn on this hike, whether it's the Tuolumne River, Tuolumne Fall, Soda Springs,...
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
14.8 miles NEThis trail is a popular route to take in the Yosemite High Country because it is a good introductory hike into the backcountry. At the end of the hike there are several waterfalls as well as a...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
16.4 miles NEA beautiful alpine meadow found in the upper Sierra Nevada Mountains. Open during the summer, this meadow offers excellent views of nearby granite domes and mountains. There is a roadway through...
Camp, Hike 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
23.3 miles NEA man-made lake found in the Inyo forest, resting at about 10,008 feet above sea level, Saddlebag Lake is located just outside the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park. This lake has some of...
Camp, Canoe, Hike
Briceburg Recreation Area
Midpines, California
23.6 miles SWCamp, Kayak, and Swim near Midpines, California
Camp, Kayak, Swim
Crystal Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
33.5 miles EUnlike many hikes in the Sierra's, Crystal lake can be done as a day hike and as the perfect way to get away for a bit. As hikers make their way to the lake, they will see the monolith Crystal...
Camp, Hike
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
43.1 miles SEStandish-Hickey is an inland river canyon that runs along Highway 101 just 180 miles from San Fransisco. It's home to a two-mile stretch of the south fork on Eel River, where many...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Wild Willy's Hot Spring
Mammoth Lakes, California
45.6 miles EWild Willy's Hot Springs, also known as Crowley Hot Springs, is a spring located in Long Valley. Long Valley is home to one of the highest concentrations of geothermal surface water in...
Camp, Hot Springs
Crowley Lake Campground
Crowley Lake, California
46.9 miles ENestled amidst the stunning Eastern Sierra region, Crowley Lake BLM Campground near Benton, California, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by nature enthusiasts and camping aficionados. With...
Camp
