Royal Arch Cascade
Royal Arch Cascade is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,632 m. Mount Clark stands 3,512 m to the east-southeast, 8.6 miles off. The nearest named place is Washington Column, a peak 0.6 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 4.0 miles off.
The story
Royal Arch Cascade is a waterfall located on the north wall of Yosemite Valley and the Yosemite National Park, United States, within walking distance from the Ahwahnee Hotel. The falls are 1,250 feet (380 m) high and are usually dry by June. The waterfall gets its name from its location immediately adjacent to the Royal Arches, which are a series of concentric semicircular setbacks in the cliff face directly opposite Glacier Point. The waterfall lacks a plunge pool and its flow is relatively gentle, making the base of the falls a popular photo spot.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37586, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 380 m
- Elevation
- 1632 m
What to expect
- Seasonal
- Yes
How to reach it
- 4.0 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- View on Tenaya Lake · 7 mi
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 13 mi
- Lembert Dome · 15 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 18 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Washington Column: 0.6 mi
- North Dome: 0.8 mi
- Arrowhead Spire: 1.1 mi
- Moran Point: 1.2 mi
- Yosemite Point: 1.3 mi
- Lehamite Falls: 1.0 mi
- Staircase Falls: 1.0 mi
- Lower Yosemite Fall: 1.4 mi
- Middle Cascades: 1.5 mi
- Upper Yosemite Fall: 1.5 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 0.8 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 0.9 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 0.9 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 0.9 mi
- Indian Village: 0.9 mi
- Indian Arch: 2.1 mi
- Valley View Parking: 5.8 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 5.8 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 12.9 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 12.9 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 1.0 mi
- Glacier Point: 1.3 mi
- Diving Board: 1.7 mi
- Panorama Cliff: 2.3 mi
- The Fissures: 3.1 mi
- Women's Club Building: 0.9 mi
- World Heritage Site: 0.9 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 0.9 mi
- John Muir: 1.3 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 14.3 mi
- Iron Spring: 1.0 mi
- Black Spring: 5.3 mi
- Moss Spring: 5.4 mi
- Fern Spring: 5.7 mi
- Barrel Spring: 12.8 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 1.8 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 3.1 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 3.5 mi
- Summit Meadow: 6.9 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 14.7 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 6.4 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 22.2 mi
- El Portal Park: 12.9 mi
- Midpines Park: 24.5 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 18.8 mi
- Bennettville: 21.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 8.9 miles of Royal Arch Cascade. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Clark | ESE 115° | 3,512 m | 8.6 mi |
| Mount Hoffmann | NNE 26° | 3,308 m | 7.5 mi |
| The Bowmaiden | NNE 28° | 3,241 m | 8.9 mi |
| Quartzite Peak | ESE 106° | 3,182 m | 8.3 mi |
| Tenaya Peak | NE 52° | 3,129 m | 8.9 mi |
| Clouds Rest | ENE 74° | 3,028 m | 4.6 mi |
| Sunrise Mountain | ENE 65° | 3,026 m | 7.3 mi |
| The Pinnacles | ENE 78° | 2,885 m | 4.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:03 | 18:36 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 05:37 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:47 | 18:22 | 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, 1 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Apr–Jul — fullest in May, leanest in Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 95.9 | 116 | 210 | 574 | 1,274 | 1,203 | 468 | 108 | 40.7 | 38.9 | 61.1 | 81.7 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Merced R A Happy Isles Bridge NR Yosemite CA, 1 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/4065344346
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 1 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 2 mi
Take the scenic way to Royal Arch Cascade.
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