Vernal Fall is a 290-foot curtain waterfall on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California, the lower step of the river's "giant staircase" below Nevada Fall. The Mist Trail climbs right beside it on more than 600 granite steps, through spray so heavy in spring that hikers come out soaked.
The falls
The whole Merced River drops over a straight granite ledge in a single free-falling sheet about 80 feet wide. A 2013 survey and lidar put the height at 290 feet; the Park Service gives 317 feet, a figure dating from 1913. The fall flows all year: it peaks in late May or June and by late summer narrows to one, two or three separate strands.
Getting there
The trail starts at Happy Isles, shuttle stop 16. It climbs to the Vernal Fall footbridge, 1.6 miles round trip with 400 feet of gain, with a view of the fall. From there the Mist Trail climbs the granite stairway beside the fall to the top: 2.4 miles round trip with about 1,000 feet of gain. In 2026, trail work limited the Mist Trail above the footbridge to weekends and holidays through October, and the John Muir Trail via Clark Point served as the alternative. The lower Mist Trail closes in winter because of falling ice and rock.
Yosemite admission is $35 per vehicle for seven days, plus $100 per person for non-US residents aged 16 and older unless they hold an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass. No timed-entry reservation is required in 2026.
When to go
April through June brings the most water and the heaviest mist, and rainbows often form in the spray. The steps are wet and slippery then; later in summer the trail is drier but the fall is much smaller.
On site
Railings line the top of the fall for good reason. In July 2011 three hikers climbed over the railing, waded into the river about 25 feet from the edge and were swept over; at least 17 people have gone over Vernal Fall since 1924. In February 2019 a hiker who went around the barriers on the closed winter trail was killed by falling rock and ice. Swimming is prohibited above the fall, including Emerald Pool and the Silver Apron. Sprained ankles and knee injuries are common on the steps.
History and name
The Native name, Yan-o-pah, means "little cloud," for the spray. Lafayette Bunnell named it Vernal in 1851 because the cool mist and green grass around it felt like spring.
Nearby
Silver Apron is about 0.2 mile away and Nevada Fall about 0.6 mile, both on the same trail; Illilouette Fall is about 1.3 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.