Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Yosemite → Mist Trail (to Vernal Fall)

Location: Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance:  3.9 km (2.4 miles) roundtrip to the top of Vernal Fall

Elevation Gain: 300 m (1000 ft)

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: None.

What’s Nearby?: Sentinel Meadow, Upper Yosemite Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake

This is another quick trail with great scenery. The first part of this trail, to the Vernal Fall Footbridge, is very busy, but you’ll leave quite a few people behind at the bridge. Follow signs for the Mist Trail to climb up a series of granite steps that bring you up close and personal with Vernal Fall. If it’s spring, there will likely be…well, mist. Hence the name. This mist is awesome in the morning sunlight, because it makes a rainbow! Yay rainbows! From the top you get views straight over the edge of the fall, which is always a cool perspective. From here, you can continue on another mile and a half to Nevada Fall, but I haven’t done it so I won’t pretend like I have. It’s on my list (along with actually seeing Mirror Lake instead of Mirror Sand Field)…

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Yosemite → Mist Trail (to Vernal Fall)