Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls Looped Hike

Why take a hike on the most popular hiking trail in Yosemite? Climbing along the Merced River to see roaring waterfalls, especially in the spring, and one of Yosemite’s most scenic trails are the reasons that you might want to consider this must do hike. When the Dogwoods are blooming, Curry Village has a magnificent display you don’t want to miss.

Where: Yosemite National Park
Distance: 9.29 Miles
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Elevation Range: 3,970′ – 6,125′
Date: April 26, 2013

Highlights: Seeing Vernal and Nevada Falls when the snow fed Merced River is flowing at its maximum plus the treat of Dogwood blooms in Curry Village.

We parked at Curry Village, walked past this pretty little creek, continued up to the Happy Isles Bridge, crossed the bridge and turned right, heading up the path.

There is more than one way to hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls, but we chose to do a loop, hiking up the John Muir Trail to Nevada Fall, then hiking down to Vernal Fall, and down the Mist Trail.

When we came to the fork in the trail, it was clearly signed and we headed up the John Muir Trail. Some people may find it more difficult to go down the wet and slippery Mist Trail steps rather than up, but I like going down the Mist Trail in the afternoon when the water feels good in the warmer weather.

Below is what the junction of the John Muir Trail and Mist Trail looks like as you are hiking up. We go to the right for the John Muir Trail.

The Mist Trail was clearly signed on this trip. Although the Mist Trail is shorter, it is steep, heading up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps. You should be prepared for slippery footing and a huge amount of waterfall spray in spring and early summer. Also note that the Mist Trail is closed during the winter due to rock falls and ice.

We headed up the John Muir Trail, wchich was also clearly signed on this trip. In the summer, you will be sharing this trail with horse and pack mules..

We still had some small patches of snow on the John Muir Trail.

We came across a patch of several Arnica Plants, showing off their big yellow flowers to us.

As we got closer to Nevada Fall, we got our first clear glimpses of the waterfall and the amount of water that was coming out of it.

We continued on the John Muir Trail, through a stretch where water streamed off of the rock wall and pooled on the trail.

Pretty reflections revealed themselves in the water on the trail.

When we reached the top of Nevada Fall, there were signs warning of the dangers of this area. Although a spectacular place to look out off of the bridge and see the power of the falls, people often ignore the warnings and are swept to their deaths in the cold, fast moving water.

Wow! What an awesome view off of the bridge at that tremendous amount of water going over Nevada Fall!

Check out this short video that I took:

Here is a panaramic view above the falls, looking at just where all of that water is coming from before it takes a 594 foot plunge. The waterfall free-falls for roughly the first third of its length to a steep slick-rock slope, which creates a whitewater appearance in the falls and produces a great deal of mist which covers a wide radius, which led to its current name (Nevada is an old Spanish word meaning “snowy”).

From Wikipedia, “The Indian name was Yo-wy-we, signifying the twist or squirm of the falling water. Lafayette Bunnell suggested the name “Nevada” for the waterfall. He wrote, “The Nevada Fall was so called because it was the nearest to the Sierra Nevada, and because the name was sufficiently indicative of a wintry companion for our spring (Vernal Fall)… The white, foaming water, as it dashed down Yo-wy-we from the snowy mountains, represented to my mind a vast avalanche of snow”

The view from the top of Nevada Fall is one of a kind. Everyone was taking in the view, even Mr. Squirrel.

After we enjoyed our lunch at Nevada Fall, we headed down toward Vernal Fall where you get some awesome views of Nevada Fall.

Do you see the people at the top of Nevada Fall, close to the edge? I don’t think people realize how one wrong step can be so deadly.

My hiking partner for the day, Gail Gilbert, took this picture of my on the trail below Nevada Fall.

When we made it to Vernal Fall, there were people taking pictures, and people taking pictures of people taking pictures. . .