50 Best Short Hikes: Yosemite National Park and Vicinity. Elizabeth Wenk

      Bridalveil Falls

      DESCRIPTION

      The short walk to Bridalveil Falls is a must-do for every Yosemite tourist. The lighting is best in the late afternoon, beautifully illuminating the stream of water and U-shaped hanging valley at the top of the fall.

      THE ROUTE

      From the parking lot, head east on the wide paved trail. A little beyond the parking area, the track forks (0.15 mile from start). Stay right; the left-hand track takes you to the El Capitan vista point along Southside Drive. Your trail climbs gently alongside one of the four boulder-filled channels that comprise Bridalveil Creek below the waterfall. As you approach the fall, the surrounding vegetation becomes lush, for the waterfall’s year-round spray keeps the plants, including thickets of wild grapes, well watered.