Photo: dconvertini · CC BY-SA 2.0Bridalveil Fall
Drop everything
Is it plungeworthy?
A major plunge on Bridalveil Creek.
The details
- Type
- Plunge
- Watercourse
- Bridalveil Creek
- Coordinates
- 37.71675, -119.64645
About Bridalveil Fall
Bridalveil Fall is a 629-foot plunge in California, on Bridalveil Creek.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Bridalveil Fall 9.4/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
The 620-foot veil that greets everyone at Tunnel View — Bridalveil is the Valley's front-door waterfall, swaying in wind that gives it its Ahwahneechee name, Pohono. Unlike its taller neighbor across the Valley it runs all year, thinning to a drifting ribbon by fall but never quite vanishing.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Bridalveil Fall Trailhead, off Wawona Road (Hwy 41)
- Parking
- Dedicated lot at the trailhead
- Road
- Paved
- Hike
- 0.5 mi round trip, 85 ft of climb (easy)
- Heads up
- Paved path with a wheelchair-accessible platform midway; only the final steepening stretch to the base gives up accessibility.
When to go
April and May are the thunder months, when spray soaks the last hundred feet of trail and rainbows live in the mist. It's the best late-season bet among Valley falls — still moving when Yosemite Falls has gone quiet.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Covered by the $35/vehicle park entrance fee
- Dogs
- Leashed, on the paved trail
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Camping
- Yosemite Valley campgrounds; Bridalveil Creek Campground up on Glacier Point Road is seasonal and not adjacent despite the name
- Warnings
- The creek boulders below the fall are polished slick — stay on the path.
Researched from NPS — Bridalveil Fall Trailhead · NPS — Yosemite waterfalls & flow timing. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Bridalveil Fall recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Bridalveil Fall?
Bridalveil Fall drops about 629 feet, in California.
Where is Bridalveil Fall?
Bridalveil Fall is a waterfall in California, at 37.71675, -119.64645.
Is Bridalveil Fall worth visiting?
Drop everything — Plungeworthy rates it 9.4/10.
Gear for the trip
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