Yosemite at a Glance: Waterfalls

Leaping free over sheer granite walls, the waterfalls in Yosemite Valley plunge some 3,000 feet to the valley floor. The Sierra Nevada winter snowpack provides the water that flows through Yosemite's granite valleys and lush meadows and then tumbles thousands of feet to the valley.

Geology
Waterfalls

Waterfalls

Snow usually begins to fall in late November and continues through February. Snowfall is variable and can be extensive at high elevations. In some areas snow even remains year-round.

Spring rain and warm temperatures melt the snow; and rivers, streams, and waterfalls begin to increase in volume. Most of the spring runoff occurs between April and June.

Up to six waterfalls can be seen in a 360° view from Cook’s Meadow in Yosemite Valley, and the roar of Yosemite Falls reverberates across the granite walls.

Many of Yosemite Valley’s waterfalls dry up by the end of July, leaving only a shadow on the granite walls.