‘Sight of a lifetime’: Yosemite's waterfalls flow hard from historic snowfall, bringing crowds
Kathleen WongWith a thunderous roar, it sounds like a plane taking off or part of a cliff crashing down.
It’s actually Bridalveil Fall, one of the most popular attractions and likely the first waterfall people will encounter in Yosemite National Park.
Standing under the 620-foot-tall waterfall is a chilly but memorable experience. Large flumes of mist blow around me. I pull my jacket tighter since it’s notably colder as I get closer. Bridalveil Creek gushes below.
Named after how it resembles a bride’s wispy veil when windswept, Bridalveil Falls flows year-round. But this spring and summer, it’s been unusually powerful. Two years ago during this time of year, the falls was about a quarter of the current size, said Bob Copestake, my tour guide with Yosemite 360 Tours by Tenaya.
Peak time for the waterfalls is mid-May, according to the NPS. By early July, many of the waterfalls dissipate.
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Not this year. After record-breaking snowfall in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains this past winter, snow melt is causing Yosemite’s waterfalls and rivers to flow strongly into the summer – even creating spontaneous waterfalls throughout the park. The spectacle is drawing in large summer crowds, creating long delays at the park.
“What we are noticing is the volume of water that’s coming down right now is not normal,” said Cory Goehring, lead naturalist for the Yosemite Conservancy.
The park had an “unreasonably cool June,” Goehring said, meaning that there’s still a good amount of snowpack left to melt. In early June, the snow conditions at elevations of 8,000 feet and up were noted to be similar to conditions typically seen in early April, according to NPS.
“I’ve never seen the water like this, I’ve never seen the water flowing like white water rapids,” said Copestake, who has been regularly visiting the park since 1979. “I think it’s the sight of a lifetime for many of us.”
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What should park visitors expect to see?
Park visitors will be in awe of the park’s well-known waterfalls that are still flowing with gusto. Among them: Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Falls, Ribbon Falls and Royal Arch Cascade.
During my full day exploring the Yosemite Valley, I easily spot around six waterfalls, with at least a couple being unnamed. We pass by El Capitan, the famous vertical rock formation that many climbers dream of scaling, and spot Ribbon Fall – the longest single-drop waterfall in the country. By late June, this waterfall tends to be gone, but it’s still going strong, according to Goehring.
With July around the corner, temperatures in the park are starting to rise, causing more snow to melt.
‘Dangerous’ water
Merced River is popular among swimmers and boaters during the summer, but this year it’s “at or near flood stage level” and closed to all watercraft and swimmers.
“We’re coming up on historically one of the busiest days of the year for Yosemite: the July 4 weekend,” Goehring said. “It’s going to be hot, people are going to want to get in the river. We recommend that you don't even go near the water to wash your hands.”
“It’s really fast and it’s from snow and ice melting so it’s really cold,” he added.
On June 1, snowpack in the Merced River basin was 346% of the average for this time of year, according to NPS.
How crowded is the park right now?
This is the first summer since 2020 that reservations are not required to enter the park. The park has seen a large number of crowds, especially since many people are hoping to witness the waterfalls in action.
“Be prepared for multi-hour delays at park entrances and traffic congestion, especially in Yosemite Valley,” the NPS website said.
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“You don’t come to a national park to sit in traffic,” Copestake said. “That has changed this year.”
My first day in the park – and first time ever in Yosemite – is onboard a yellow shuttle with the Yosemite Summer Tour. The all-day excursion takes you to the Yosemite Valley highlights, including Yosemite Falls and Valley View. We do end up sitting in traffic for 30 minutes at a time but are able to see more because we’re in a tour bus and most personal vehicles are redirected elsewhere.
On Sunday, I venture into the park on my own. I’m staying right outside the park at Tenaya Lodge, about a five-minute drive away. I reach the park right before 8 a.m. and still end up sitting in 45 minutes of traffic just to reach the park’s South Entrance gates. Albeit, it is a summer weekend so I can’t blame anyone but myself.
Once inside the park, parking lots for popular locations such as Curry Village and Yosemite Village are already full – and it’s just 9 a.m. I end up exploring Wawona, a less crowded southern part of Yosemite.
“I’m so excited people are loving the outdoors and experiencing our national parks but it’s definitely time to think about how to plan your visit to have the best experience,” said Goehring.
Thankfully, when I'm not at the park, I can escape the crowds back at Tenaya Lodge, located in the equally beautiful Sierra National Forest. Tenaya offers free mountain bike rentals, which I ride over to Tenaya Falls, the only falls visit on my trip where there's only three other people there. At night, I join the lodge's nighttime flashlight hike to learn more about the plants and animals of the area, like the ponderosas and different types of pine trees that I also spot in the park.
Are there any road closures from the water flow?
Yes, there are some road closures from the snow pack as of June 29:
- Tioga Road with no anticipated opening date
- Glacier Point Road will open July 1 from 6 am through July 4 at 10 pm, July 8 from 6 am through July 9 at 10 pm, then every day starting July 15 with 30-minute delays
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com