Bridalveil Fall and Creek — Yosemite Valley

Bridalveil Fall, called “Pohono” by the indigenous people who first occupied Yosemite Valley, has been tumbling 620 feet ((189m) over the rim of Yosemite’s southern granite wall for millennia. It is a stunningly beautiful fall that never stops, though it sometimes slows to little more than a stream. But in the months of high flow, it crashes thunderously into a pool that feeds out into the much more reticent, less showy, Bridalveil Creek. 

Bridalveil Creek actually begins about ten miles away to the south at Ostrander Lake, the primary water source for the Creek and Fall, and that source is the reason it flows year round, while many falls in the park do not. Once the water has crashed to the floor of the Valley, it resumes its path as (lower) Bridalveil Creek and continues on to the Merced River. 

Visiting Bridalveil — Year-Round Flow and the Merced River

This is a very popular spot in the Park and during tourist season—which seems to last about 13 months out of the year now—parking and seeing the Fall up close can be a challenge. It’s worth it. But don’t forget to spend some time at the Creek. Even with the crowds, whether rushing or merely burbling, it’s a prospect of repose. 

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Provenance: Phase One XT | IQ4.150 | Rodenstock 32mm