The Cascades
The Cascades is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,263 m. The Pinnacles stands 2,885 m to the east-northeast, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Upper Cascades, a waterfall 0.1 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 3.8 miles off.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1,263 m
How to reach it
- 3.8 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 6 mi
- View on Tenaya Lake · 14 mi
- Lembert Dome · 23 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 26 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Elephant Rock: 0.9 mi
- Turtleback Dome: 1.1 mi
- Devils Dance Floor: 1.6 mi
- Old Inspiration Point: 2.5 mi
- Stanford Point: 2.9 mi
- Upper Cascades: 0.1 mi
- Wildcat Falls: 0.3 mi
- Silver Strand Falls: 2.8 mi
- Foresta Falls: 3.5 mi
- Ribbon Fall: 3.6 mi
- Fern Spring: 2.7 mi
- Black Spring: 2.9 mi
- Moss Spring: 3.0 mi
- Barrel Spring: 6.3 mi
- Iron Spring: 8.7 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Museum: 5.5 mi
- Indian Village: 7.0 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 7.0 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 7.0 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 7.0 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 2.5 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 5.4 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 5.4 mi
- Tunnel Tree: 5.9 mi
- Merced Grove: 7.1 mi
- Fireplace Bluffs: 1.5 mi
- Rockslides: 2.7 mi
- Profile Cliff: 6.0 mi
- The Fissures: 6.1 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 7.1 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 4.8 mi
- Summit Meadow: 4.9 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 5.0 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 6.2 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 7.1 mi
- El Portal Park: 5.4 mi
- Midpines Park: 17.9 mi
- Greeley Hill County Park: 21.5 mi
- Mariposa Art Park: 21.8 mi
- Mariposa Park: 21.9 mi
- World Heritage Site: 7.0 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 7.7 mi
- Women's Club Building: 7.8 mi
- Mt Buckingham School (historic): 16.0 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 21.6 mi
- Cat Town: 21.4 mi
- Agua Fria: 23.7 mi
- Mount Ophir: 24.2 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 12.1 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 21.7 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 22.7 mi
- Dedication Garden: 24.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 12.2 miles of The Cascades. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pinnacles | ENE 78° | 2,885 m | 12.1 mi |
| Mount Starr King | E 99° | 2,767 m | 10.8 mi |
| Half Dome | E 82° | 2,694 m | 9.9 mi |
| Indian Rock | ENE 66° | 2,592 m | 9.6 mi |
| Mount Watkins | ENE 70° | 2,590 m | 11.3 mi |
| Boundary Hill | ENE 61° | 2,575 m | 5.3 mi |
| Subdome | E 82° | 2,564 m | 10.1 mi |
| East Quarter Dome | ENE 78° | 2,535 m | 11.4 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 | 19:46 | 20:25 |
| 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: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 36 | 38 | 42 | 50 | 60 | 68 | 67 | 62 | 53 | 43 | 37 |
| Precip in | 6.9 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 7.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Yosemite Village 12 W, 6 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, 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.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/9373577893
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 8 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 9 mi
Take the scenic way to The Cascades.
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