Lower Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Falls makes up the final drop of the impressively massive Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in the United States. While the upper portion fo the waterfall, Upper Yosemite Falls, receives the majority of attention (understandably so with a drop of 1,430 feet), it's little brother is nothing to scoff at with a 320-foot plummet top to bottom.

Located across the road from Yosemite Lodge, within an old-growth ponderosa pine grove, the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail frames up both Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls in picture-perfect alignment. The paved, flat trail leads over a quarter mile through ponderosa pine, live oak and incense cedar before emerging at a viewing platform. Most visitors stop to enjoy the falls from the platform, but if you're feeling adventurous, you can continue up to the base of the fall by navigating the boulder field and scrambling up to the Lower Yosemite Falls pool (be prepared to get wet during spring and early summer months). And by exploring beyond the viewing platform, you will also be rewarded with breathtaking views of Half Dome.