Yosemite National Park, Hikes to Lower Yosemite and Vernal Falls

My first stop at Yosemite National Park was the Visitor's Center to get trail maps and information. You can see Upper Yosemite Falls from the Visitor's Center.

And there is a short trail from there to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. The falls create their own weather and you get hit with a blast of cold wind and mist.

I took the (crowded) shuttle to the Visitor's Center since I didn't know exactly where or how far it was from the campground. I decided to walk back to the campground and enjoyed lovely afternoon views of Half Dome on the way. That was Sunday.

On Monday morning I set out from the campground to hike the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls. The trail is 2.5 miles round trip and rated strenuous. Most of the first part of the trail is paved. The strenuous part comes later.

Partway up along the Merced River you can see Nevada Falls (look up in the V of the mountains). Nevada Falls can be reached by continuing past Vernal Falls another 1.3 miles. I did not do that part.

Close-up of Nevada Falls.

Continuing up the trail...

Every now and then you might need to sit and let your heart rate return to normal. It's a pretty view.

At about 3/4 mile, you come to Vernal Fall Footbridge and get your first glimpse of the falls.

It won't satisfy you, so you might as well keep going.

They don't call it the Mist Trail for nothing, and about here you begin to feel it, so time to don your rain gear. You did bring rain gear, didn't you?

And your camera lens starts getting wet too.

All the water droplets in the air create rainbows.

You may have noticed we have come to the strenuous part. The rest of the trail is made up of more than 600 steps.

Vernal Falls through the mist.

These steps reminded me of the stone steps I climbed on Skellig Island in Ireland, only wetter.

But I came prepared, and only my pant legs and sweatshirt from the elbows down got soaked.

Ahead is the last incline to the top.

It's kind of narrow here, but you do have a cold, wet handrail to hold on to.

And voila! There's warm sunshine at the top.

The view below.

Top of Vernal Falls. There's a ground squirrel posing on that ledge on the left.

Looking over the falls.

Both the ground squirrels and the Stellar Jays were looking for handouts from hikers' lunches. I ate mine here, but they got nothing from me.

Behind the falls, looking upstream. The trail continues from here to Nevada Falls. Maybe next time...

There's a sign there warning people not to climb over the fence. Duh! But some people still do.

On the way back down I saw a double rainbow at the base of the falls.

Oh and a large group of school kids climbing up! I had to stand in the mist until they all got past me.

So I had time to take a short video of the falls. It starts out with a shadow of the water flowing over the top.

Near the bottom I noticed a view of the Upper Yosemite Falls from the trail that I had missed going up.

And I was beat for the day.