Vernal Falls
Encyclopedia
Vernal Fall is a 317 feet (96.6 m) waterfall
on the Merced River
just downstream of Nevada Fall
in Yosemite National Park
, California
.
The feature is accessible via the Mist Trail
, which climbs close enough to the fall so that hikers must travel through the fall's mist. It is also clearly visible from Glacier Point
.
The waterfall runs all year long, although by the end of summer it is substantially reduced in volume and can split into multiple strands, rather than a single curtain of water.
Yan-o-pah (little cloud) was the local name of the fall before it was named "Vernal" by Lafayette Bunnell
, a member of the Mariposa Brigade in 1851.
Hikers will start at the Happy Isles
trail head in Yosemite Valley
. This is one of the shortest (1.3 mi (2.1 km))—though in places steep—and most popular trails in Yosemite. The trail is mostly shaded and is progressive in incline until it reaches the base of the waterfall where mist sprays onto the hikers.
Depending on the time of the year hikers can be totally drenched by the time they pass the mist from the waterfall. The final 15 minutes of the trail is a very steep climb up rocks to the top of the waterfall. Once atop the falls there is a pool of water called the Emerald Pool
around which hikers lounge and rest. There is also a 20 degree slope of rock with water flowing into the pool called the Silver Apron.
Swimming above a waterfall is against park rules and can carry with it a great deal of risk: rocks are slippery, and strong undercurrents exist that may not be visible from the surface. Nevertheless, tourists have been swept over Yosemite Valley's waterfalls to their deaths. Though warnings are clearly posted to stay out of the water, more than a dozen people have died in the last decade by entering the water above Vernal Fall, including the Silver Apron and Emerald Pool.
One person died in May 2007 after hopping from rock to rock around Vernal Fall. Three people are presumed dead after being swept over the falls in the same manner on July 19, 2011.
. Although the stamp indicates that it depicts the Pagsanjan Falls
in the Philippines, it in fact shows the Vernal Fall.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
on the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
just downstream of Nevada Fall
Nevada Fall
Nevada Fall is a high waterfall on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California. It is located below the granite dome, Liberty Cap, at the west end of Little Yosemite Valley. The waterfall is widely recognized by its "bent" shape, in which the water free-falls for roughly the first third...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The feature is accessible via the Mist Trail
Mist Trail
The Mist Trail is one of the most popular short hikes in Yosemite National Park, California, USA. The hike follows the Merced River, starting at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, past Vernal Fall, Emerald Pool, to Nevada Fall.-Description:...
, which climbs close enough to the fall so that hikers must travel through the fall's mist. It is also clearly visible from Glacier Point
Glacier Point
thumb|right|upright|Glacier Point, as seen from [[Yosemite Valley]]. In springtime, this cliff face is covered with dozens of freshets and tiny waterfalls from the snowmelt, the largest being [[Staircase Falls]]....
.
The waterfall runs all year long, although by the end of summer it is substantially reduced in volume and can split into multiple strands, rather than a single curtain of water.
Yan-o-pah (little cloud) was the local name of the fall before it was named "Vernal" by Lafayette Bunnell
Lafayette Bunnell
Lafayette Houghton Bunnell was an American physician, explorer, author, and an explorer of Yosemite Valley, born in Rochester, New York.-Biography:...
, a member of the Mariposa Brigade in 1851.
Hiking trail
Happy Isles
Happy Isles is a group of small isles in the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California, USA. They are located at the easternmost end of the Yosemite Valley floor...
trail head in Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
. This is one of the shortest (1.3 mi (2.1 km))—though in places steep—and most popular trails in Yosemite. The trail is mostly shaded and is progressive in incline until it reaches the base of the waterfall where mist sprays onto the hikers.
Depending on the time of the year hikers can be totally drenched by the time they pass the mist from the waterfall. The final 15 minutes of the trail is a very steep climb up rocks to the top of the waterfall. Once atop the falls there is a pool of water called the Emerald Pool
Emerald Pool
Emerald Pool is the name of several locations.-Yosemite:Emerald Pool is a small, shallow lake located immediately above Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park. It is named for its deep green color, which is caused by algae living on the rocks at the bottom of the pool...
around which hikers lounge and rest. There is also a 20 degree slope of rock with water flowing into the pool called the Silver Apron.
Swimming above a waterfall is against park rules and can carry with it a great deal of risk: rocks are slippery, and strong undercurrents exist that may not be visible from the surface. Nevertheless, tourists have been swept over Yosemite Valley's waterfalls to their deaths. Though warnings are clearly posted to stay out of the water, more than a dozen people have died in the last decade by entering the water above Vernal Fall, including the Silver Apron and Emerald Pool.
One person died in May 2007 after hopping from rock to rock around Vernal Fall. Three people are presumed dead after being swept over the falls in the same manner on July 19, 2011.
Postage stamp
The fall is shown in error on a 1932 Philippines stampPagsanjan Falls stamp
The Pagsanjan Falls stamp is a postage stamp issued on 3 May 1932, which is notable for having an error. It is part of a set of seven stamps showing places of interest and landmarks in the Philippines, at that time a United States territory...
. Although the stamp indicates that it depicts the Pagsanjan Falls
Pagsanjan Falls
Pagsanjan Falls are one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. Located in the province of Laguna, the falls are one of the major tourist attractions in the region. The falls are reached by a river trip on dugout canoe known locally as shooting the rapids, originating from the...
in the Philippines, it in fact shows the Vernal Fall.