Vernal Fall

Drop everything

Is it plungeworthy?

317feet tall

A vertical curtain on Merced River.

Scale60/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Vertical Curtain
Watercourse: Merced River
Coordinates: 37.72751, -119.54365

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About Vernal Fall

Vernal Fall is a 317-foot vertical curtain 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 Vernal Fall 9.4/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

A 317-foot block of whitewater on the Merced, reached by the Mist Trail's famous 600 granite steps — a staircase that climbs directly through the fall's spray until you're soaked and laughing. The rainbow at mid-morning is not a rumor.

Getting there

Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop 16), start of the Mist Trail
Parking: Curry Village lot under a mile away, or ride the shuttle
Road: Paved
Hike: 2.4 mi round trip, 1,000 ft of climb (hard)
Heads up: The footbridge viewpoint at 1.6 miles round trip is the family turnaround. The steps beyond are wet, uneven, and crowded — real shoes, not sandals.

When to go

Late May and June for maximum mist. The stepped section closes in winter when ice glazes it (a signed detour runs via the John Muir Trail), and 2026 carries additional weekday-hours restrictions above the footbridge for trail repairs from late July through October — check the park's current-conditions page the week you go.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Covered by the $35/vehicle park entrance fee; no day-hike permit needed
Dogs: Not permitted
Hours: Seasonal repair windows may limit the upper Mist Trail on weekdays in 2026
Camping: Valley campgrounds via shuttle
Warnings: Never enter the water above the fall — the Emerald Pool current has killed swimmers who thought it looked calm.

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