Waterwheel Falls
Waterwheel Falls is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 2,071 m. Sheep Peak stands 3,601 m to the east-northeast, 7.5 miles off. The nearest named place is LeConte Falls, a waterfall 0.5 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 4.1 miles off. 166 named places lie within 25 miles, 52 of them named summits.
The story
Waterwheel Falls is a waterfall in the Sierra Nevada of California, located in Yosemite National Park. It is the largest of the many waterfalls of the Tuolumne River. Its upper part contains a series of small ledges, each of which creates a small plume as the water is deflected away from the rock face. A regular phenomenon appears at the first and largest of these ledges during the high-water season of early summer. Strong gusts of wind can lift part of the spray and blow it back upward, causing it to reenter the falls above the ledge. This cyclic "waterwheel" gives the falls their name.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q38230, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 2,071 m
How to reach it
- 4.1 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- Lembert Dome · 7 mi
- View on Tenaya Lake · 8 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 10 mi
- Tioga Lake Overlook Info Site · 11 mi
166 named places within 25 miles
- Wildcat Point: 0.9 mi
- SAR Dome: 1.2 mi
- Scar Dome: 1.4 mi
- Scary Dome: 1.5 mi
- V-Tree Dome: 1.6 mi
- LeConte Falls: 0.5 mi
- California Falls: 1.3 mi
- Upper Cathedral Creek Falls: 2.3 mi
- Lower Cathedral Creek Falls: 2.3 mi
- White Cascade: 2.5 mi
- Soda Springs: 6.0 mi
- Iron Spring: 13.7 mi
- Jordan Spring: 16.2 mi
- Black Spring: 18.1 mi
- Moss Spring: 18.3 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 6.0 mi
- California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark: 12.6 mi
- Ghost Cabin: 13.5 mi
- World Heritage Site: 14.2 mi
- Women's Club Building: 14.5 mi
- Dore Cliff: 11.4 mi
- Bunnell Cliff: 13.2 mi
- Diving Board: 13.5 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 13.7 mi
- Cascade Cliffs: 14.2 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 14.2 mi
- Indian Village: 14.2 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 14.2 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 14.2 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 14.5 mi
- Indian Arch: 11.6 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 18.6 mi
- Upside-Down House: 18.6 mi
- Tunnel Tree: 21.9 mi
- Perched Boulder: 23.3 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 15.3 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 16.4 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 16.8 mi
- Summit Meadow: 20.5 mi
- Aerie Crag Picnic Area: 20.7 mi
- Mono Lake Park: 18.3 mi
- Gus Hess Community Park: 18.6 mi
- Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area: 21.8 mi
- Gull Lake Park: 23.1 mi
- El Portal Park: 25.0 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 7.3 mi
- Danburg Beach: 18.6 mi
- June Lake Beach: 23.2 mi
- Navy Beach: 23.8 mi
- Bennettville: 10.8 mi
- Dunderberg Mill: 16.7 mi
- Dog Town: 22.0 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 7.6 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Waterwheel Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep Peak | ENE 59° | 3,601 m | 7.5 mi |
| Cockscomb | SSE 147° | 3,369 m | 7.5 mi |
| Echo Peak #2.5 | SSE 155° | 3,328 m | 7.2 mi |
| Ragged Peak | E 86° | 3,326 m | 5.8 mi |
| Tuolumne Peak | SSW 202° | 3,309 m | 3.9 mi |
| Cathedral Peak | SSE 152° | 3,308 m | 6.2 mi |
| Mount Hoffmann | SSW 207° | 3,308 m | 6.2 mi |
| Unicorn Peak | SE 143° | 3,299 m | 7.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:02 | 18:35 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 05:37 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:46 | 18:22 | 18:56 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:01 | 16:43 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 27 | 25 | 29 | 34 | 40 | 49 | 55 | 53 | 49 | 42 | 33 | 26 |
| Precip in | 6.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Tuolumne Meadows RS, 7 mi away.
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/2389340075
Day trips start here
- Yosemite National Park · 14 mi
- Sierra Nevada · 15 mi
- Mono Lake · 25 mi
Take the scenic way to Waterwheel Falls.
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