Tueeulala Falls is a 925-foot plunge waterfall on the north wall of Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park, California, dropping toward Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Tuolumne County. It flows only for a few months each spring, and at its peak it can rival neighboring Wapama Falls; by summer the cliff is usually dry.
The falls
Tueeulala has no creek of its own. When snowmelt swells Falls Creek, the water overflows into a secondary channel about three-quarters of a mile upstream of Wapama Falls, runs southwest and then leaps off a sheer cliff in a drop of 925 feet. It can lose its water faster than any other waterfall in Yosemite.
Getting there
Hetch Hetchy Road leaves Highway 120 just outside the Big Oak Flat entrance and is open from sunrise to sunset. From the parking area, cross O'Shaughnessy Dam, walk through the tunnel on the far side and follow the shoreline trail toward Wapama Falls. Tueeulala is visible from the dam in spring and the trail passes directly below it before reaching Wapama; the full Wapama hike is 5 miles round trip with 507 feet of elevation gain and loss.
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
March through June is the season, with the most water in April and May. The falls usually dry up by July, and in low-snow years by May or mid-June, so plan an early spring visit.
On site
In spring the fall's runoff crosses the trail over wet granite slabs with no bridge, and spray can cover the path; the rock is slippery. The tunnel through the dam drips, and rattlesnakes, ticks and poison oak are common along the trail. Dogs are not allowed on the dam or the trails, and swimming and boating are banned in the reservoir, which supplies drinking water.
History and name
Tueeulala and Wapama are among the Indigenous place names that survive in Hetch Hetchy. The meaning of Tueeulala has not been recorded.
Nearby
Wapama Falls is about 0.5 mile away, on the same trail. Hetch Hetchy Falls is about 0.2 mile away and Lower Rancheria Falls about 2.9 miles.
Distances are straight-line.