Royal Arch Cascade is a 1,275-foot seasonal waterfall on Royal Arch Creek in Yosemite Valley, California, sliding down the valley's north wall beside the granite Royal Arches, above The Ahwahnee hotel. It runs only in spring and after heavy rain, and in a dry summer disappears entirely.
The falls
The creek spreads over steep, bare granite in a single long cascade, from a broad veil in high water to a few narrow threads as flow drops. A 2025 resurvey puts the height at 1,275 feet. Once the creek dries, a dark water stain marks its path down the cliff.
Getting there
The best overall view is from Ahwahnee Meadow on the valley floor. The free Valleywide Shuttle stops at The Ahwahnee (stop 3) and runs from 7 am to 10 pm; valley parking lots fill early on busy days. From the hotel, the trail toward Mirror Lake passes below the cascade about five minutes' walk from the parking area.
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
Royal Arch Creek drains a small basin of mostly bare rock that holds little water, so the cascade rises fast with snowmelt and fades just as fast. March through June is the usual flow season; by midsummer it is often dry, though a heavy rainstorm can briefly bring it back.
On site
There is no trail to the base. The boulder slope below the cascade is steep and slippery, and rockfall is a constant hazard beneath Yosemite's cliffs; the Royal Arches themselves formed as sheets of granite peeled away from the wall. Dogs are allowed on paved paths but not on trails or in meadows.
History and name
The cascade takes its name from the Royal Arches, the curved granite overhangs beside it, formed by exfoliation as outer sheets of rock broke away from the cliff.
Nearby
Yosemite Falls is about 1.5 miles away, and Staircase Falls about 1.1 miles across the valley. Mirror Lake, at the end of the same trail, is a flat walk from the Mirror Lake Trailhead shuttle stop.
Distances are straight-line.