Bridalveil Fall - Spirit of the Puffing Wind

Photo: Nancyswikiaccount, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Yosemite Valley, a free self-guided tour.

This is often the first waterfall visitors see up close. Bridalveil Fall drops about 617 feet from a notch high in the cliff, and unlike many Yosemite falls it flows all year, though by late summer and fall it can shrink to a thin ribbon.

Look up at where the water leaves the rock. Bridalveil Creek runs through a hanging valley. When glaciers gouged Yosemite Valley far deeper than the side valleys around it, they left this creek stranded high on the wall, so now it simply leaps off the edge.

The Ahwahneechee called the fall Pohono, often translated as spirit of the puffing wind. Breezes here really do push the water sideways into a swaying veil of mist. Traditional stories describe a powerful spirit living at its base; they are told as legend, but the wind is real.

A short paved trail leads to the viewing platform, rebuilt in a recent restoration. The rocks near the base are wet and very slippery, so stay on the trail and off the boulders.

Getting here: Drive down Wawona Road less than 2 miles to the Bridalveil Fall parking area, just before the junction with Southside Drive.

Did you know?: The walk to the viewing platform is only about half a mile round trip with roughly 80 feet of climbing, making it one of the easiest waterfall walks in the park.

Photo op: From the viewing platform, frame the full drop with the mist at its base. On sunny afternoons, look for rainbows in the spray.

Nearby: Restrooms at the parking area. No food or drinks for sale, so bring your own water and snacks.

More on Wikipedia: Bridalveil Fall · Valley

Bridalveil Fall - Spirit of the Puffing Wind

Stops on this tour