Wapama Falls is a waterfall of about 1,300 feet on Falls Creek in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park, California, pouring into Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Tuolumne County. Unlike most Yosemite falls it runs all year, and a rolling trail from O'Shaughnessy Dam leads right into its spray.
The falls
Falls Creek slides down a steep granite face, changes angle, then plunges about 375 feet onto a boulder field above the reservoir. From some viewpoints it looks like several falls, but it is one continuous descent of about 1,300 feet. Older estimates of up to 1,700 feet counted a valley floor now under water.
Getting there
Hetch Hetchy Road leaves Highway 120 just outside the Big Oak Flat entrance; there is no public transportation. From the parking area, walk across O'Shaughnessy Dam and through the tunnel on the far side, then follow the shoreline trail. The hike is 5 miles round trip with 507 feet of elevation gain and loss, passing Tueeulala Falls on the way.
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
Flow peaks with spring snowmelt, when wildflowers line the trail; the falls keep running through summer and fall at lower volume. Summer on the exposed shore is hot, so fall is the most comfortable season to hike. The road is open only from sunrise to sunset, and between November and March snow and ice can close it or require chains.
On site
A series of footbridges crosses Falls Creek at the base of the falls. In high water the creek can run over them, and hikers have been swept to their deaths; turn back if water is flowing across the bridges, and keep children close. Watch for rattlesnakes and poison oak, and carry water and sun protection. Dogs are not allowed on the dam or the trails. Swimming and boating are banned in the reservoir, which supplies drinking water to San Francisco.
History and name
Wapama and Tueeulala are among the Indigenous place names that survive in Hetch Hetchy. The first phase of O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923, flooding the valley floor below the falls.
Nearby
Tueeulala Falls is about 0.5 mile away and is seen from the same trail. Lower Rancheria Falls is about 2.6 miles away; the full Rancheria Falls hike is 13 miles round trip, and an overnight stay needs a wilderness permit.
Distances are straight-line.