Vernal & Nevada Falls (Mist Trail full)
Yosemite Valley · near Yosemite Valley · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- strenuous
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 7 miles
- Elevation gain
- 2,000 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- May–October (falls thunder in spring snowmelt)
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No hiking permit; Yosemite entry reservation may be required in peak season (check nps.gov). The full Mist Trail–John Muir Trail loop past two waterfalls.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Two roaring waterfalls · Granite staircase in the mist · Emerald Pool · Yosemite Valley's classic day hike
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Climb the Mist Trail and descend the John Muir Trail for the best loop (and to avoid the slick granite steps on the way down). The mist section genuinely soaks you in spring — a light rain jacket keeps you comfortable. Start early to beat both the crowds and the afternoon heat; the granite steps can be treacherously slick when wet.
The guide
The Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls is the quintessential Yosemite Valley day hike — a strenuous but unforgettable loop…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Vernal & Nevada Falls (Mist Trail full) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.727, -119.543