Vernal Fall

— One of the must-see locations in Yosemite National Park, Vernal Fall is a 317-foot (96.6 meters) waterfall on the Merced River, at an elevation of 3,327 ft. The fall is clearly visible throughout several locations in the park, and it is just downstream from Nevada Fall. One of the best and most scenic routes to reach Vernal Fall is by taking the Mist Trail. The trail has its name exactly because of the mist generated by the fall. Extreme caution must be taken on the trail as the rocks can be very slippery in some locations. Fatal accidents have happened along the way. In fact, just a month prior to making this photo, a park visitor had been swept down the fall and died. The trail is relatively short (1.3 miles or 2.1 km) but can be very steep in some areas, particularly in the last 15 minutes of the hike. Once you reach the top of the fall, there is a nice resting place called Emerald Pool. Again, one should always follow the warning signs not to go swimming in the pool. It appears very tranquil, but the currents could easily sweep one away and down the fall. After Emerald Pool, the Mist Trail joins the John Muir Trail. This particular shot was made as we hiked back down using the John Muir Trail. We climb just enough to get this gorgeous view of the fall. It had been misty all morning, but it was clear by the time we got to this point.