The Yosemite Falls Trail is one of the oldest historic trails in Yosemite. It was built between 1873 and 1877. It leads to the top of North America's tallest waterfall, which stands at 2,425 feet (739 meters) above the Valley floor. The trail is known for its challenging terrain, with steep climbs and numerous switchback.
View from Oh My Gosh Point
I always prefer to start hiking in Yosemite early in the morning. Especially during the busy season, and this week that I went was during Spring Break. So I woke up around 3:30am on the day of the hike, made a quick mug of coffee and hit the road. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive to Yosemite Valley from where I live in Fresno, California. I was on the trail just before 6am. The perfect time! It was a cool and peaceful morning. The sun still wasn’t over the peak of Half Dome. I was one of the only handful of people on the trail at the time, and I was basically alone hiking up. If you want some solitude while hiking in Yosemite, especially in the Valley, start early. Preferably before sunrise.
About a mile and a half up the trail soon after you pass Columbia Rock, there is a somewhat hidden trail that veers off the main trail to the right. Off to the side of the mountain. This short trail leads to an amazing viewpoint called Oh My Gosh Point. There’s no trail marker for this, so It can be easily missed and passed up if you aren’t paying attention, or don’t know that it’s there. The views are definitely worth the small detour. At this point you can get a really good view of the full waterfalls including the section in the middle know as the Middle Cascades.
The trail is an up and back trail and approximately7.2 miles, probably a little more, depending on how much meandering you do once you get up there. It’s also quite a climb, with a total elevation gain of more than 3,000 feet. But there are plenty of beautiful views to keep you distracted as you make you way to the top.
The views at the top are amazing. And the waterfalls are always flowing strong in late April through May.
The Bridge Over Yosemite Creek
After I went to the Upper Yosemite Fall Viewpoint I ended up crossing over the bridge and finding a nice spot along the creek to relax and have lunch. There are a lot of beautiful spots to check out and explore around the top. You can easily spend a full afternoon up there enjoying nature and relaxing to the sounds of the creek.
I also have a video uploaded on Youtube if you want to enjoy a more in depth look at the trail and all the view that it has to offer!