SPLASH SPLASH
You are almost there!
Just a couple more steps and
This is Vernal Falls. In my opinion, this is the best waterfall in Yosemite. The water falls about 317 feet and flows year round. During mid to late summer, the water separates into one, two, or three falls (It looks a little like 2 falls in my photo) and water flow will start to decrease. The falls peaks in around late May.
The adventure to get to this view is a tiresome one, as it is around a 3 hour strenuous round trip hike. The easiest way to get there is to hike on the Mist Trail. The Mist trail is accessible through the free shuttle bus to Happy Island Trail Center (The Start of the Trail). Keep in mind that many people hike on this trail, so the shuttle buses are always packed, hot, and smelly (we will get into the traffic element in a different blog).
The Trail up to the Footbridge (Half way point) is about 0.8 mile one way from the Happy Island Trail Center and is considered to be 'Moderate'. However, this trail is extremely strenuous as you walk up a steep hill for forever and feel the burn within seconds of walking. Midway through this walk their is a incredible view that many people stop for:
Up to this point, it is only a 0.4 mile hike but many people stop to take a break and even decide to head back down. If you are with someone who is not a very avid hiker, than this trail might not be for them. Before you reach Vernal Falls, you will hit the Vernal Falls Footbridge which view looks like this:
After the footbridge, the trail is now considered 'strenuous'. However, I would use the words 'Not Safe' as this trail is the most dangerous trail I have ever walked. From after the footbridge, a set of stairs comes upon view. These stairs are splattered with water from the waterfall and their is no railings to help climb these stairs. They were only about 5 feet wide with traffic moving both ways. I slipped many times and was honestly pretty nervous about not falling and seriously injuring myself. However, the view at the top was well worth it.
If you wish to continue, you can make it to the very top of the waterfall with a beautiful view. Lots of people like to hang out in this area and their was a line to get a photo next to the top of the waterfall. I personally thought the view was better than the actual waterfall.
In all, the adventure to get to Vernal Falls was an incredible experience and is definitely a must do if you ever decide to go to Yosemite. When walking down from the top of the waterfall, we saw an amazing rainbow!
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