It’s not often that you see one of the world’s tallest waterfalls, but in Yosemite Valley, it’s just another of the park’s awe inspiring features! However, hiking to the top of one of the world’s largest waterfalls, that would be something special! Turns out you can do that here too on the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail!
Climbing steeply 2,700 feet from the valley floor to the top of the falls, the hike to Upper Yosemite Falls is one of Yosemite’s iconic trails. Ascending up the nearly vertical North Rim of the valley, this trail is steep, rugged, and tough, but the views make it all worth it!
Miles/Elevation:
7.6 miles
3,218 feet vertical gain
About Yosemite National Park:
Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, Yosemite National Park is one of the largest and most popular parks in the entire National Park System.
Steeped in history, Yosemite has played a major role in the development of environmentalism and conservation in the United States since the late 1800’s. In 1864, President Lincoln created the Yosemite Grant, which did not make Yosemite a national park, but did set the precedent that would lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
Yosemite was ceded to the State of California and ran by the state for much of the late 1800’s. Eventually, in 1890, Yosemite National Park was created, and stronger protections were put in place to preserve the park.
Beyond the National Park Service, the legendary naturalist John Muir is perhaps best known for his advocacy in favor of preserving Yosemite National Park. A giant in the history of conservation, Muir, who fell in love with the mountains after a serious industrial accident, became arguably the most influential figure in preserving the natural landscapes of the west. His relationship with President Theodore Roosevelt and the expansion of federally protected lands may be the greatest achievement of this era of conservation!
Getting To Yosemite:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Located in Central California, Yosemite is fairly remote, but can be reached from a number of major cities. The closest large city is Fresno, and Fresno’s airport is the best choice if you are flying in. Other cities located within a three hour or so drive with major airports include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento.
From these cities or any others, you’ll then likely need to drive to the park. There is a regional public transit system called YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transit System), and can be useful if you are trying to get to Yosemite Valley. However, I generally advocate having your own car when exploring the mountains. It just makes it easier to explore and get around.
Once you’re in Yosemite, there is a transit system that can get you around the park, however it is not running in 2021. Go to the Yosemite NPS website for more information on public transit in Yosemite. When it is running, the public transit can get you to many of the major trailheads in the park.
Getting To The Trailhead:
Once in Yosemite Valley, the best parking area is around the Yosemite Valley Lodge. Follow the Valley Loop Road all the way around the valley. It’s one way, so you’ll take Southside Drive all the way to Curry Village, then take a left to continue onto Northside Drive towards Yosemite Village.
Continue past the village until you reach Yosemite Lodge. Make sure you don’t park in the dedicated lodge parking areas, but there are plenty of parking areas for hikers on the left. The trail begins to the right of the road at Camp 4.
Tips:
- Wear good hiking shoes and bring poles. You will need the stability for this trail; it’s rough, slippery, and steep.
- Bring at least 3 liters of water per person, especially in summer. It gets really hot and there’s tons of sun exposure.
- Start early to beat the crowds and the heat.
The Upper Yosemite Falls Trail:
To Columbia Rock:
From the trailhead, walk directly towards the south wall of the valley, and then begin the climb. The initial climb up from the valley floor takes you through dense forest as you ascend through the boulder strewn woods. Through the forest, the trail is extremely rough and rocky. Definitely watch your footing here. Not only can you hurt an ankle on the rocks, they are also often covered in a fine layer of sand which makes them extremely slippery!
Yosemite is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
After climbing through the forest through an endless series of extremely tight switchbacks (literally the switchbacks go almost straight up) you’ll eventually reach more open terrain. Here, ther views really begin to open up!
Once you’ve climbed 600 feet or so, the trail finally leaves the incessant switchbacks and traverses east along the valley wall. Once at this point, you will finally be able to look out and enjoy the views your sweat has earned you! Keep going though, the higher you get the better the views!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
Once out of the dense forest, the trail changes dramatically from a rock strewn mountain path to steep ramps of loose slippery gravel. Over a base of packed dirt and gravel, there is a layer of loose sand that makes descending extremely tricky. Going uphill it isn’t great either, but definitely be extra cautious on the descent!
The first waypoint on this hike is a common turn around point for those not hiking all the way up to the falls, Columbia Rock. Columbia Rock itself isn’t really all that noteworthy. I was kind of expecting a big rock you could climb on, or at least a vertical ledge you could peer over, but really it’s just a viewpoint with a railing protecting hikers from the drop.
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It’s definitely a great view though! Looking up the valley you’ll have amazing views at Half Dome, and looking down the valley you get a clear look at all the major features of the South Rim! It’s 100% worth it to do a hike that climbs out of the valley at some point: the vantage from up high gives you a totally different look at the walls, and a completely different feel!
To Upper Yosemite Falls:
Once passed Columbia Rock, continue climbing for another 200 vertical feet along the loose, gravely, surface. After 200 feet of climbing, the trail actually descends a bit. You’ll drop about 170 vertical feet, which feels really nice after the steep climb up! It’s a bummer on the way back when you get hit by this little incline, but it’s short enough to not be a huge deal!
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Right around the bottom of this short descent you will round a corner and emerge in front of Upper Yosemite Falls. The view here right off the bat is fantastic: the falls really is directly in front of the trail, and there are some perfect breaks in the trees to frame the view! You’ll have a nice little walk along a more or less flat(!) trail for a little bit, and then the upper climb begins!
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After a nice flat walk for all of a couple minutes, the switchbacks will come back with a vengeance! There is an extremely tight section of switchbacks right away that gain about 400 vertical feet in a quarter mile or less. This is followed by a tiny reprieve, and then another burst of switchbacks that climb 500 feet!
Fortunately, you will have some great looks at the falls as well as up the nearly vertical walls looming above and at times across the valley! I also saw a bear on the trail on this section of the hike the first time I hiked this trail!
By the 2 mile mark of the hike, you’ll have ascended roughly 1,800 feet and will now be looking directly over at the falling water of Yosemite Falls at eye level. Looking up though, you can see the work is far from over!
I don’t know if the final stretch to the top of the climb is officially the steepest part of the trail or not, but it definitely feels like it! Looking up, you will clearly be able to see the switchbacks twisting their way up a depressingly steep slope back and forth right above your head! This final ¾’s of a mile will lift you up about 900 vertical feet!
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The switchbacks are incessant, the shade is gone, and the trail is rougher than ever. The juice will be gone from your legs and every step will feel heavier than the last. Without proper acclimatization, your lungs will be heaving with every gasp. But still the climbing continues!
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There’s nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other over and over and over again, but eventually you’ll make it! The top of the climb will find you at an intersection: to continue to the top of the falls take a right and backtrack towards the cliff edges. Continuing straight leads into the Yosemite backcountry and other destinations along the North Rim!
Continue climbing for another 50 vertical feet back towards the rim over granite bedrock, and keep an eye out for signs leading to the falls overlook. One last surprise: the actual falls overlook is down a steep and narrow descent! Yea, you’ll have to climb back up!
Could you skip the actual falls overlook? Yea, you could. The views above the overlook are spectacular, and you can see all across Yosemite Valley, as well as get a look at the uppermost part of the falls (not the big drop though). However, even though your legs will be exhausted by this point, it’s worth it to drop down to the viewpoint.
Inspiration Point is another short and steep Yosemite Valley hike!
From the broad open area at the cliff edge, follow the trail, often marked by metal railings drilled into the granite, down towards the overlook. There are steep rock stairs, massive drops, and some concerning drop offs, but that’s what makes it fun! After nearly 200 feet of descending, you will arrive at the overlook near the mouth of Upper Yosemite Falls!
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Even from here you don’t really get great views looking at the falls itself. Honestly, you can hear the thunder of the water and feel the mist on your face much better, but watching the water plummet from the top and disappear into the air beneath your feet is seriously cool!
Hiking Out:
Once you’ve had your fill of drop offs and cold mist, head back up towards the open rocky area above the falls. There are tons of great places to sit down and enjoy a snack and a drink!
Whenever you’re ready to head back down, steel yourself for the ordeal to come! Most people prefer descending, and it usually goes faster. Makes sense, you generally will get more tired hiking up than down. But on this trail, I think I may have hiked up faster than I hiked down!
On the way up, large steps and rocks are easy to navigate: you just take a bigger step up. But on the way down, those steps are just as big, but now you have to lower yourself down that step. And not only do you have to lower yourself down, you have to do so onto usually uneven and slippery rocks. Rocks that love to roll your ankles or create a slip!
It’s a brutal descent, and to be honest, I was thinking that I would give this hike a 10/10 the entire time going up, but when I started going down, the crappiness of the trail really hit me. It’s honestly terrible. It’s a marvel that they somehow managed to get a trail up here, so for that I’m thankful, but it is by no means a pleasant walk, other than for the views of course! Every single step for miles you have to be concerned about slipping and falling, or injuring an ankle!
Anyway, after an interminable descent, you’ll eventually make it back to the valley floor. The views on this hike are awesome, but you might have forgotten all about them by the time you make it down! Definitely some type 2 fun, but all worth it in the end!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
I think on paper this hike deserves a 10/10 ranking. The views are incredible, there are some awesome drop offs and cliff edges along the trail, and it gets you to the brink of one of the highest waterfalls in the world! However, there is one thing holding this trail back: the abysmal trail quality.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad there is a trail here at all! The fact that people were able to build trails that ascend the seemingly vertical walls of Yosemite is pretty incredible, but man it’s rough. The lower and upper portions are filled with ankle busting rocks that you must navigate over and through, and the middle section is basically just ramps of loose, slippery, sand and gravel. Going down is almost harder than going up!
This is an amazing trail, but the trail quality keeps it from being a true world class hike!
Pros:
- Amazing views
- World class waterfall
- Easily accessible in Yosemite Valley
- Exposed and narrow ledges
Cons:
- Extremely busy
- Rough, steep, and slippery trail
Alternative Hikes:
The Pohono Trail from Tunnel View to Dewey Point
When To Hike To Upper Yosemite Falls:
Turn around at Columbia Rock for a shorter, but still awesome, hike!
Hiking in Yosemite is a three season activity. Winter usually brings quite a bit of snow, and the entire park is liable to experience winter storms. While lower elevation areas of the park may be hikable in winter, I really wouldn’t say Yosemite is a four season hiking destination.
Purely in terms of weather, fall and spring are the best times of year to hike in Yosemite. Summer can get extremely hot, and hiking in 95 degree heat isn’t fun for most people! The one issue with fall is that fire season can either close down areas of the park, or more likely will blanket the park with smoke. In good years, it’s hardly an issue, but some years it’s harmful to even be outside.
It is also worth considering when Yosemite is busiest. This is one of the busiest parks in the country, so be ready for crowds if you visit in peak season, namely summer. Some people are really turned off by the crowds, and I agree if you only visit the valley, but there are always places to get away from the big crowds. This can cause issues with finding campsites in the park though.
Overall, I would say that late spring is probably the best time of year to visit Yosemite. The temperatures are comfortable, rain is rare, and the crowds are lighter than summer. You’ll also have close to peak flow through the park’s streams and waterfalls! Late autumn is also a great time to visit as spring may still have snow lingering on the trails.
The last thing to consider when planning your visit is that the high elevation roads through the park close for snow. Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road both close from winter to whenever the snow melts (usually May or June but it varies). Spring will limit where you can go in the park, so if you really want to explore the high country, wait at least until late June!
Links For Further Reading:
Upper Yosemite Falls Trail | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
Yosemite Falls Trail: National Park Service
Upper Yosemite Falls: Yosemite Hikes
Hiking to Upper Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point – United States – Earth Trekkers
Emily Hulsey
September 20, 2022My husband was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in the early 1990’s. We considered Yosemite our special place. Frequent visits made Yosemite feel like home. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and with those who have yet to discover Yosemite.