Mist Trail to Nevada Fall
Yosemite National Park · near Yosemite Valley · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 7.2 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,900 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- April–November · Spring for maximum water volume on falls
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No hiking permit required. Standard Yosemite National Park entry fee applies ($35/vehicle or America the Beautiful Pass). Timed entry reservation required May–September if driving into the Valley between 6am–4pm.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 0 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Vernal Fall (317 ft) — get soaked in spring · Nevada Fall (594 ft) — one of the largest in Yosemite · Granite staircase beside the falls · Return via John Muir Trail for the loop
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- The Happy Isles trailhead is accessible from the Yosemite Valley shuttle (stop #16) — do not attempt to drive here during peak season. Curry Village (Yosemite Valley Lodge) is the closest lodging. Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel dining room is worth the dress code even for hikers who spent the day on the Mist Trail.
The guide
The Mist Trail to Nevada Fall packs more spectacular scenery per mile than almost any trail in California. From Happy Isles you…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Mist Trail to Nevada Fall — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.7265, -119.5426