Nevada Fall

Drop everything

Is it plungeworthy?

594feet tall

A major veiling horsetail on Merced River.

Scale60/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Veiling Horsetail
Watercourse: Merced River
Coordinates: 37.72481, -119.53339

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About Nevada Fall

Nevada Fall is a 594-foot veiling horsetail in California, on Merced River.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Nevada Fall 9.4/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

The upper act of the Merced's Giant Staircase: 594 feet of water hammering off Liberty Cap's shoulder. Most Mist Trail hikers turn around at Vernal — continue and the crowds halve while the scenery doubles. Descend the John Muir Trail for the postcard angle of Nevada Fall with Liberty Cap behind it.

Getting there

Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop 16), via Mist Trail or John Muir Trail
Parking: Curry Village lot or shuttle
Road: Paved
Hike: 5.4 mi round trip, 2,000 ft of climb (hard)
Heads up: Classic loop: up the Mist Trail, down the JMT. No permit for the day hike — Half Dome's permit system starts past here.

When to go

Late May through June for full force; the fall keeps decent volume into summer. Winter pushes everyone onto the JMT reroute — icy-step closures on the Mist Trail are routine, and 2026's repair schedule adds weekday restrictions. Check conditions before committing the loop.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Covered by the $35/vehicle park entrance fee
Dogs: Not permitted
Hours: Seasonal access windows on the upper Mist Trail in 2026
Camping: Valley campgrounds; Little Yosemite Valley backpacker camp above the fall needs a wilderness permit
Warnings: Same law as Vernal: stay out of the river above the brink, always.

Researched from NPS — Vernal & Nevada Fall trails. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Nevada 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.