The second hike is, as the Yosemite National Park website … It wasn’t flowing enough for us … Waterwheel Falls Trail is a 36 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Yosemite Valley, California that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. While you can start from the east or west side of Tuolumne Meadows and travel a similar distance, we opted to start … This is a great hike. Here, the riverbed forms a dramatic staircase through much of thirty-three miles, resulting in a series of dramatic waterfalls. At the Waterwheel Falls, the river dashes down an inclined surface and strikes a series of small ledges causing the water to deflect away from the rock surface in great arches, like … camping around Water Wheel Falls before of after is almost impossible, you are literally hiking along the side of a cliff. Waterwheel Falls Trail The trailhead to LeConte Falls can be found in Tuolumne Meadows. © Amusing Planet, 2021. Of all the hikes in Yosemite, this one is by far my favorite. Directions: Drive to the start of the Glen Aulin trail behind the Soda Spring roofless cabin, and up the slope, parking at the Sierra Club lot. I am planning to hike from Tuolumne Meadow to Waterwheel Falls in early July, and would like to hear about current trail conditions and water crossings. Waterwheel Falls could very well be the most unusual waterfall in Yosemite. During high waterflow an extraordinary phenomenon appears as the raging water hits a series of ledges creating a plume, this coupled with … Might hit up the trail with just our husky next time, he loved jumping in the water and swimming even though it was super muddy. The section of the river starting immediately below Tuolumne Meadows and ending just shy of Hetch Hetchy Valley is known as the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Waterwheel Falls From here, it is about a half mile to the top of Waterwheel Falls, known for the wheels it creates as the water plummets into the hewn granite. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. be careful with lil dogs. On your eight mile hike down to water wheels you'll come across several other waterfalls, a couple might require you to deviate from the main trail to view, but there's plenty to see if you only hike a portion of the trail. The two sections of Yosemite Falls pour over the cliffs for a total … It is listed as easy? All Rights Reserved. Have fun, you will be impressed. Video of Waterwheel Falls during our July 2011 backpacking trip down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. Really pretty trail but a little hard for our older Shepard. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Then 2 more miles of easy majestic meandoring beside the tuolume river and below huge peaks and then more cobblestone drops down beside, Le conté, California and Waterwheel falls. Waterwheel Falls in Yosemite. On a good day these waterwheels … You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $70. During the high-water season of early summer, columns or waterwheels, of water can rise 15 to 20 feet high. To pass through Glen Aulin and camp (on your first night) somewhere in the direction of Waterwheel Falls or Cold Canyon: Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel (pass through) What's the difference between the Yosemite Creek and Ten Lakes trailheads? The large rocks were daunting for him. Lots of mosquitoes but stunning trail. Waterwheel Falls may be the most unique waterfall in Yosemite. Trail does cross over the water several times and does have rock face walking and some … The first 4 miles are easy but then the next 2 are Moderate with lots of cobble stone ups and downs to Glen Aulin. Yosemite Hike 2013: Waterwheel Falls Clearly, I don't walk the talk. The first hike heads out of Tuolumne Meadows, following along the Tuolumne River downstream toward Waterwheel Fall. In 1904, William F. Bade suggested the name “Fountain Cascade” for this spectacular granite slope down which the Tuolumne River runs. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Water wheel is at the start of trail to the left. Because it's a ways away from the main valley, you won't be running into too many people on this hike, which is a nice contrast to the Half Dome hike which suffers from thick crowds of people. Remember, unless you retrace your ateos to climb back out to Tuolume meadows, you must go down to Paté valley, Hetch Hetchy vía the Grand Canyon of Tuolume. I even committed the worst offense … Waterwheel Falls Trail is a 36 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Yosemite Valley, California that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. At the Waterwheel Falls, the river dashes down an inclined surface and strikes a series of small ledges causing the water to deflect away from the rock surface in great arches, like waterwheels. Waterwheel Falls Hike in Yosemite National Park. During high waterflow an extraordinary phenomenon appears as the raging water hits a series of ledges creating a plume, this coupled with strong gust blowing upward create cyclical "waterwheel" effect hence the name. The Water Wheel Falls hike, while long, can be done in a day, but if you attempt this it is my recommendation to start as early as possible otherwise you may be hiking back in the dark. Looking upstream on the Tuolumne River near the bridge, we saw mist getting thrown up in the cloudless blue sky courtesy of Waterwheel Falls. The hike to Waterwheel Falls is an 18-mile round-trip adventure via the moderately challenging Glen Aulin Trail. The Tuolumne River is located in the state of California, in the United States, where it rises in central Sierra Nevada in Yosemite National Park, flowing generally westward through the foothills to its confluence with the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley, near Modesto. Length 36.0 miElevation gain 6,122 ftRoute type Out & back. Waterwheel Falls from Glen Aulin is a hiker’s paradise in Yosemite National Park, and it features picturesque views of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River as well as numerous cascades and … {{posts[0].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[1].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[2].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[3].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, Why The Soviet Union Exchanged Warships For Pepsi, Bolton Strid: A Stream That Swallows People, Shoeburyness Boom: A Cold War Era Defense Across The Thames, Shrek, The Sheep Who Escaped Shearing for 6 Years, Frozen Trees of the Arctic: Photography by Niccolò Bonfadini. One last thing to note is that I performed this hike is August, when most waterfalls in the park begin to dwindle, though the falls on this hike they were in full force, so if you make it to Yosemite late in the season, that's all the more reason to try this hike. 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