Ribbon Fall
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Ribbon Fall is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,918 m. Mount Hoffmann stands 3,308 m to the northeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is K-P Pinnacle, a peak 0.4 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 5.6 miles off.
Tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the United States of America
The story
Ribbon Fall, located in Yosemite National Park in California, flows off a cliff on the west side of El Capitan and is the longest single-drop waterfall in North America. The fall is fed by melting winter snow and the peak amount of water flow is during the months of May to June; while therefore dry for much of the year, the fall is a spectacular 1,612 feet (491 m) in the spring. In exceptional years, an ice cone develops at its base during the winter months similar to that which usually forms beneath Upper Yosemite Fall. This deposit can reach a depth of 200 feet, versus 322 feet for the greatest depth of the ice cone beneath the Upper Fall and Lower Fall.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q2982001, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 491.4 m
- Elevation
- 1,918 m
What to expect
- Seasonal
- Yes
How to reach it
- 5.6 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 9 mi
- View on Tenaya Lake · 10 mi
- Lembert Dome · 19 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 22 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- K-P Pinnacle: 0.4 mi
- El Capitan: 0.6 mi
- Lower Cathedral Rock: 1.2 mi
- Middle Cathedral Rock: 1.5 mi
- Split Pinnacle: 1.6 mi
- Horsetail Fall: 1.1 mi
- Bridalveil Fall: 1.3 mi
- Silver Strand Falls: 2.5 mi
- Sentinel Fall: 2.9 mi
- Lower Yosemite Fall: 3.0 mi
- Indian Village: 3.4 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 3.4 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 3.4 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 3.5 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 3.7 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 1.8 mi
- Indian Arch: 5.9 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 8.7 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 8.7 mi
- Tunnel Tree: 8.9 mi
- Rockslides: 1.1 mi
- Fireplace Bluffs: 2.1 mi
- Profile Cliff: 2.9 mi
- The Fissures: 3.0 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 3.6 mi
- Black Spring: 1.3 mi
- Moss Spring: 1.6 mi
- Fern Spring: 1.7 mi
- Iron Spring: 5.2 mi
- Barrel Spring: 8.9 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 1.5 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 1.6 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 2.6 mi
- Summit Meadow: 4.3 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 10.5 mi
- World Heritage Site: 3.4 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 4.2 mi
- Women's Club Building: 4.3 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 18.2 mi
- Mt Buckingham School (historic): 18.3 mi
- El Portal Park: 8.7 mi
- Midpines Park: 20.7 mi
- Mariposa Art Park: 24.6 mi
- Mariposa Park: 24.7 mi
- Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park: 25.0 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 9.2 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 21.5 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 20.7 mi
- Cat Town: 25.0 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 12.1 miles of Ribbon Fall. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Hoffmann | NE 44° | 3,308 m | 10.7 mi |
| Clouds Rest | ENE 76° | 3,028 m | 8.9 mi |
| Sunrise Mountain | ENE 70° | 3,026 m | 11.5 mi |
| Double Rock | NNE 20° | 2,982 m | 12.1 mi |
| Buena Vista Peak | SE 144° | 2,956 m | 12.1 mi |
| The Pinnacles | ENE 78° | 2,885 m | 8.6 mi |
| Mount Starr King | ESE 108° | 2,767 m | 7.5 mi |
| Half Dome | E 84° | 2,694 m | 6.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:03 | 18:36 | 19:11 |
| June solstice | 05:38 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:47 | 18:23 | 18:57 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:03 | 16:44 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 41 | 45 | 50 | 58 | 66 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 56 | 44 | 37 |
| Precip in | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 5.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Yosemite Park HQ, 3 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Apr–Jul — fullest in May, leanest in Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 213 | 264 | 454 | 1,181 | 2,353 | 1,893 | 638 | 146 | 61.5 | 67.5 | 119 | 179 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Merced R A Pohono Bridge NR Yosemite CA, 2 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Inside the official boundary of Yosemite National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Aug.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/2389658050
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 4 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 5 mi
Take the scenic way to Ribbon Fall.
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