Silver Strand Falls
Silver Strand Falls is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,962 m. Clouds Rest stands 3,028 m to the east-northeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Stanford Point, a peak 0.2 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 6.6 miles off.
The story
Silver Strand Falls drops 574 feet (175m) along Meadow Brook, at the western end of Yosemite Valley, within Yosemite National Park. The falls are commonly thought to drop 1170 feet (356m); this is incorrect. The name Widow's Tears had been applied to Silver Strand Falls in the past, but the lower-volume waterfall located one drainage to the east of Meadow Brook is now known as Widow's Tears and is thought to drop 1,170 feet (360 m), hence the confusion regarding the height. Note that the recent 1:24,000 topo map of Yosemite Valley shows the height of this waterfall as 400 feet (120 m), not 574 feet (175 m), which is derived, apparently, from ice climbers. Since the waterfall is not vertical, it is possible that the ice-climbing height is, in fact, 574 feet (175 m), while the difference in elevation between the top and bottom is as shown on the topo sheet at 400 feet (120 m). The origin of the number "1,170 feet" for the height either of this or of nearby Widow's Tears is obscure. But in any case, this height is not supported either by a field survey or by the topo sheet. It appears that the Widow's Tears drop more or less steeply in a square alcove for about 810 feet (250 m), then proceeds to drop at generally lower angle an additional 700 feet (210 m) over a series of small stepdowns and slabs. Since both Silver Strand and Widow's Tears are located on streams draining small, relatively low areas, they both dry up completely in a normal year by mid June since they are fed exclusively by melting snow.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37590, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 175 m
- Elevation
- 1962 m
What to expect
- Seasonal
- Yes
How to reach it
- 6.6 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 9 mi
- View on Tenaya Lake · 13 mi
- Lembert Dome · 21 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 24 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Stanford Point: 0.2 mi
- Old Inspiration Point: 0.3 mi
- Crocker Point: 0.6 mi
- Dewey Point: 1.0 mi
- Leaning Tower: 1.3 mi
- Bridalveil Fall: 1.5 mi
- Ribbon Fall: 2.5 mi
- The Cascades: 2.8 mi
- Upper Cascades: 2.9 mi
- Horsetail Fall: 2.9 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 5.4 mi
- Indian Village: 5.4 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 5.4 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 5.5 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 5.5 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 0.8 mi
- Valley View Parking: 0.8 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 6.7 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 6.7 mi
- Indian Arch: 8.0 mi
- Fern Spring: 0.8 mi
- Moss Spring: 0.9 mi
- Black Spring: 1.1 mi
- Barrel Spring: 6.6 mi
- Iron Spring: 6.9 mi
- Rockslides: 1.4 mi
- Fireplace Bluffs: 2.0 mi
- Profile Cliff: 3.6 mi
- The Fissures: 3.7 mi
- Glacier Point: 5.5 mi
- Summit Meadow: 2.3 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 2.7 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 3.1 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 4.4 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 8.6 mi
- John Muir: 5.1 mi
- World Heritage Site: 5.4 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 5.8 mi
- Women's Club Building: 5.9 mi
- Mt Buckingham School (historic): 15.9 mi
- El Portal Park: 6.7 mi
- Midpines Park: 18.4 mi
- Mariposa Art Park: 22.2 mi
- Mariposa Park: 22.3 mi
- Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park: 22.6 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 11.6 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 19.5 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 23.2 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 11.1 miles of Silver Strand Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds Rest | ENE 66° | 3,028 m | 10.8 mi |
| The Pinnacles | ENE 67° | 2,885 m | 10.3 mi |
| Mount Starr King | E 91° | 2,767 m | 8.3 mi |
| Half Dome | ENE 69° | 2,694 m | 8.0 mi |
| Indian Rock | NE 50° | 2,592 m | 8.4 mi |
| Mount Watkins | ENE 57° | 2,590 m | 9.9 mi |
| Boundary Hill | NNE 28° | 2,575 m | 4.7 mi |
| Subdome | ENE 69° | 2,564 m | 8.2 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, 5 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, under a mile 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.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/2389658133
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 6 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 7 mi
Take the scenic way to Silver Strand Falls.
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