Vernal Fall
Vernal Fall is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,538 m. Red Peak stands 3,567 m to the southeast, 8.9 miles off. The nearest named place is Silver Apron, a waterfall 0.2 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 5.4 miles off.
The story
Vernal Fall is a 317-foot (96.6 m) waterfall on the Merced River just downstream of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, California. Like its upstream neighbor, Vernal Fall is clearly visible at a distance, from Glacier Point, as well as close up, along the Mist Trail. The waterfall flows all year long, although by the end of summer it is substantially reduced in volume and can split into multiple strands, rather than a single curtain of water.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q2620166, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 97 m
- Elevation
- 1,538 m
How to reach it
- 5.4 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- View on Tenaya Lake · 7 mi
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 15 mi
- Lembert Dome · 15 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 18 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Grizzly Peak: 0.4 mi
- Mount Broderick: 0.6 mi
- Liberty Cap: 0.6 mi
- Half Dome: 1.4 mi
- Subdome: 1.5 mi
- Silver Apron: 0.2 mi
- Nevada Fall: 0.6 mi
- Illilouette Fall: 1.3 mi
- Staircase Falls: 1.8 mi
- Royal Arch Cascade: 2.1 mi
- Nature Center at Happy Isles: 0.9 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 2.1 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 2.8 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 2.8 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 2.8 mi
- Panorama Cliff: 0.9 mi
- Diving Board: 1.0 mi
- Glacier Point: 1.6 mi
- Cascade Cliffs: 3.1 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 3.1 mi
- Indian Arch: 3.4 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 6.9 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 13.8 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 13.8 mi
- Tunnel Tree: 14.6 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 3.1 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 4.2 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 4.5 mi
- Summit Meadow: 7.0 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 15.6 mi
- Iron Spring: 1.3 mi
- Moss Spring: 6.4 mi
- Black Spring: 6.4 mi
- Fern Spring: 6.7 mi
- Barrel Spring: 13.4 mi
- Women's Club Building: 1.6 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 1.6 mi
- World Heritage Site: 2.8 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 14.2 mi
- Chetwood Cabin: 17.9 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 7.7 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 20.8 mi
- El Portal Park: 13.8 mi
- Midpines Park: 24.8 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 20.2 mi
- Bennettville: 21.2 mi
- Arch Rock: 24.5 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.0 miles of Vernal Fall. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Peak | SE 125° | 3,567 m | 8.9 mi |
| Gray Peak | ESE 118° | 3,526 m | 7.8 mi |
| Mount Clark | ESE 109° | 3,512 m | 6.6 mi |
| Mount Hoffmann | NNE 12° | 3,308 m | 8.4 mi |
| Obelisk Lake Peak | ESE 104° | 3,206 m | 7.4 mi |
| Quartzite Peak | E 97° | 3,182 m | 6.5 mi |
| Tenaya Peak | NE 38° | 3,129 m | 8.9 mi |
| Clouds Rest | NE 47° | 3,028 m | 4.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:02 | 18:36 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 05:37 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:47 | 18:22 | 18:57 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:02 | 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, 3 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, 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.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/243671668
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 1 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 1 mi
Take the scenic way to Vernal Fall.
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