Bridal Veil Falls is a 100-foot horsetail waterfall on Esmeralda Creek in El Dorado County, California, falling down a cliff right beside US 50 in the Eldorado National Forest near Pollock Pines. It has no connection to Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite Valley.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database lists two tiers of roughly 25 and 75 feet, a total of 100 feet. An earlier figure was 81 feet, while the lower section seen from the road has been measured at 67 feet with the upper tier hidden from the highway.
Getting there
The falls are roadside on US 50 near Pacific House, about 18.5 miles up the highway from Placerville on the way to South Lake Tahoe, with parking on a wide shoulder reached from the right lane. The Bridal Veil Falls Picnic Area lies about a half mile farther east, reached by a left-turn lane in the center of the highway and a short spur road; it overlooks the South Fork American River.
When to go
The creek is highly seasonal and flows with substance only during snowmelt. Overflow from the El Dorado Ditch, where the canal crosses Esmeralda Creek, sometimes adds water.
On site
The falls are viewed from the shoulder of US 50, where only the lower part is visible. Access to the upper tier isn't documented.
History and name
Esmeralda Falls was an earlier name, used only briefly and probably before the 1930s.
Nearby
Sly Park Falls is about 3 miles away, Jay Bird Canyon Falls about 5.1 miles and Mill Creek Falls about 5.2 miles. The Bridal Veil Falls Picnic Area is a half mile east on US 50.
Distances are straight-line.