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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
1,594 m

How to reach it

Coordinates37.76549, -119.53486

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Waterfalls: 47
Attractions: 11
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
Springs: 8
Historic sites: 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 ClarkSE3,512 m7.5 mi
Mount HoffmannNNE3,308 m5.8 mi
The BowmaidenNNE3,241 m7.1 mi
Tresidder PeakNE3,231 m7.6 mi
Obelisk Lake PeakESE3,206 m8.0 mi
Quartzite PeakESE3,182 m6.9 mi
Columbia FingerENE3,158 m7.1 mi
Tenaya PeakNE3,129 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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