The Waterfall Lover

Yosemite National Park ranks with any other corner of the world in terms of the beauty and number of its waterfalls. Particularly in spring and early summer--snowmelt season--the park seems to be surging everywhere with tumbling cataracts and cascades. (Here's a list to chose a Yosemite waterfall to visit.) Certain falls, like Yosemite and Bridalveil, are celebrities. These are truly grand spectacles, but don't neglect the scores of less well-known waterfalls in this sacred slice of American wilderness.

Lehamite Falls

This tall, slender waterfall is remarkably obscure for its position above Yosemite Valley--mostly due to the nearby presence of Yosemite Falls. Lehamite Falls is a 1,180-foot spill through Indian Canyon, which drains southward to the Merced River. The best time to appreciate the waterfalls, which diminish in the summer and fall, is late spring.

Sentinel Falls

Regarded as the park's tallest waterfall after Yosemite Fall, Sentinel Fall cascades some 2,000 feet in multiple plunges off the southern slopes of Yosemite Valley in the shadow of its namesake, Sentinel Rock. Sentinel Falls can dry up by mid- to late-summer, so make an effort to see it in May--when it's normally running voluminously.

Illilouette Fall

This prettily named waterfall (pictured) is one of the most powerful and consistent in the Yosemite Valley vicinity, but its tucked-away location means many never see it. Hikers on the Mist, John Muir, and Panorama trails can achieve glimpses of the 370-foot plunge of Illilouette Creek, particularly when it's flowing at peak during spring snowmelt time.

Pywiack Cascade

Pywiack Cascade is another far-flung park cataract; you won't gain but a distant view of its slanted careen into the beautiful but rough Tenaya Canyon, through which Tenaya Creek slices below Tenaya Lake in the Yosemite high country. The sharp-eyed can observe 600-foot-tall Pywiack from Glacier Point, or via a bushwhack from Olmstead Point along the Tioga Road. You'll likely never track down all of Yosemite's waterfalls, but our Scenic Wonders rentals give you the perfect homebase from which to try!

Find a New Yosemite Waterfall This Spring

If you’re planning on making Yosemite reservations this spring, consider making your reservations with Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders. We offer Yosemite cabins within the gates of the park. With one of our cozy cabins, condominiums, or homes, your Yosemite accommodations will be just minutes from your favorite waterfall as well as hikes and other activities. Give us a call at 1-888-YOSEMITE ( 1-888-967-3648) to learn about our rentals and to make your Yosemite reservations today. Yosemite National Park Blog Scenic Wonders’ Yosemite blog provides the latest news related to Yosemite National Park. By reading our blog, you’ll stay up to date on activities, accommodations, and more. Photo credit: rmceoin