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Snow Creek Falls

Snow Creek Falls, seen from above at true elevation

Snow Creek Falls is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,594 m. Mount Clark stands 3,512 m to the southeast, 7.5 miles off. The nearest named place is Three Chute Falls, a waterfall 0.5 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 2.9 miles off.

The story

Snow Creek Falls is a long series of cascades located in Yosemite National Park toward the eastern extent of Yosemite Valley. It descends a steep gorge on a sizeable stream that originates in May Lake to the north, dropping east of the trail that leaves the Valley above Mirror Lake en route to North Dome and other north-rim destinations. Snow Creek Falls is the second highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q38239, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Height
650 m
Elevation
1594 m

How to reach it

Coordinates37.76549, -119.53486

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Waterfalls: 48
Attractions: 12
  • Indian Arch: 1.3 mi
  • Valley View Parking: 8.1 mi
  • Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 8.1 mi
  • Tunnel Tree: 14.8 mi
  • Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 15.1 mi
Cliffs: 11
Picnic sites: 10
  • Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 4.1 mi
  • El Capitan Picnic Area: 5.4 mi
  • Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 5.7 mi
  • Summit Meadow: 9.1 mi
  • Red Bud Picnic Area: 16.9 mi
Historic sites: 9
Springs: 8
Nature reserves: 2
Parks: 2
Beaches: 1
Ghost towns: 1

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 8.0 miles of Snow Creek Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount ClarkSE 129°3,512 m7.5 mi
Mount HoffmannNNE 13°3,308 m5.8 mi
The BowmaidenNNE 18°3,241 m7.1 mi
Tresidder PeakNE 53°3,231 m7.6 mi
Obelisk Lake PeakESE 124°3,206 m8.0 mi
Quartzite PeakESE 120°3,182 m6.9 mi
Columbia FingerENE 58°3,158 m7.1 mi
Tenaya PeakNE 49°3,129 m6.6 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0218:3619:10
June solstice05:3719:4520:24
September equinox06:4718:2218:57
December solstice07:1116:0216:43

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F384145505866737367564437
Precip in7.06.55.53.21.90.50.30.20.41.64.05.6

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 Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean cfs95.91162105741,2741,20346810840.738.961.181.7

USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Merced R A Happy Isles Bridge NR Yosemite CA, 3 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.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/4065345814

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