Vernal Fall

Vernal Fall drops 317 feet down a sheer granite wall in Yosemite Valley, and it's one of the most-visited spots in the park for a simple reason: you can get close enough to feel the spray on your face. It carries a 4.9-star average across nearly 2,700 reviews, and reaching it on the Mist Trail is as much a part of the experience as the waterfall itself.

The Mist Trail Climb

The route follows roughly 600 stone steps cut into granite, and reviewers consistently describe them as steep, uneven, and genuinely tiring — plan on a real workout, not a stroll. As you climb, spray from the falls drifts across the trail and soaks the steps, so shoes with real grip matter more here than almost anywhere else in the park. Many hikers pack a poncho for the last push to the top, where a rainbow often forms in the mist on sunny days.

When to Go

Flow is heaviest during spring snowmelt, when the falls roar and the climb feels most dramatic. By early fall, water levels drop and reviewers have reported upper sections of the trail closed for the season. Crowds build fast regardless of month — hikers who started around 8 or 9 a.m. found the steps quiet, while a 10 a.m. start meant significant company the rest of the way.

Facilities and Onward Trails

A footbridge below the falls has restrooms and a water-refill station — the last services before the climb continues. From there, the Mist Trail keeps going up toward Nevada Fall, and many visitors link the two into a longer loop, returning via Clark Point for a different angle on the valley below.