Mist Trail Guide
Yosemite is famous for it's waterfalls, and what better way to get up close with two of it's best than by hiking the Mist Trail, taking you past the surging Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. Why is it called the Mist Trail though? Well, as you probably guessed, these falls have a tendency to throw some mist up--be prepared to get a little bit wet.
When to Visit
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The Mist Trail is open year-round, though portions of it are closed in the winter due to slippery conditions or overhanging ice. The amount of flow in the waterfalls depends on the amount of snowpack the previous winter--expect better flowing waterfalls in the spring and summer; by the late summer they could each be down to a trickle. The mist part of the hike happens on the staircase next to Vernal Fall, but is also dependent on how strong the falls are flowing--best to bring a cheap poncho just in case. The trail is extremely popular in the late spring and summer, so an early start to beat the crowds and the heat couldn't hurt.
How to Get There
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The Mist Trail begins at the Happy Isles trailhead, past the Pines campgrounds. There's a large parking lot just before Happy Isles, but expect it to fill quickly; overflow parking can be found at Camp Curry. A number of trails start from Happy Isles and share portions of the Mist Trail, including the route up to Half Dome, Cloud's Rest, and the John Muir Trail.
The Mist Trail
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Time: 4-6 hours.
Distance: 5.4 miles Mist Trail/7.0 miles by taking John Muir Trail down from Nevada Fall.
First things first: there's no rule saying you have to go to the top of both waterfalls--the hike can be shortened by only hiking to the top of Vernal Fall, then immediately turning around and going back the way you came, or, sparing your knees and taking the more gentle John Muir Trail back down, but adding another 1-1.5 miles to your hike. You can also do the same thing if you decide to hike to the top of Nevada Fall, taking the John Muir Trail down instead, and avoiding any potentially slippery stairs.
Spying the Mist Trail, Vernal and Nevada Falls from Washburn Point.
Begin your hike at the Happy Isles Trailhead, which is well-marked and relatively easy to find. It's briefly level, before ascending quickly up the paved trail for about a mile--it's a tough start to challenging hike, make no mistake.
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The trail flattens out, and you cross a bridge where you'll be able to get your first glimpse of Vernal Fall in the distance. Just past the bridge you'll find the last water fill station on the trail, as well as bathrooms. Just past this, you'll reach a cross roads for the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail--take the Mist Trail, where you'll also likely find a park guide with trail and waterfall conditions. From here, it's pretty much all uphill until the top of Vernal Fall.
Start the trek up the stone stairs--they can get pretty steep in some places, and slick too, depending on how much mist the falls are creating--solid footwear is a must. Take your time though, the view is amazing, as Vernal Fall gets closer and closer, you even have a pretty good chance at spotting a rainbow in the mist.
Take your pictures and take in the view--if you're not getting soaked that is. Continue upwards and you'll be free of the mist and can ditch the poncho. The staircase ends, and a narrow pathway with a guardrail is built into the cliffside, taking you to the top of Vernal Fall. Most of the time it's safe to peer over the railing and watch the water tumble, but in years with a lot of snow melt, the surging river has been known to go past the railing and would easily sweep anyone under it, and over the falls. It should go without saying, but you're not supposed to go in the river up here, it's calmness can be fatally deceiving.
The narrow path to the top (above) and looking down over Vernal Fall (below).
Continue past the falls to stay on the Mist Trail, which leads into some light forest, running close to the bank of the river. From here, you have some options:
-Turn around and go back down the way you came.
-Continue on the Mist Trail to the top of Nevada Fall.
-Take the John Muir Trail back to the bottom, adding an additional mile to your hike, but sparing your knees the trouble of taking those stairs down.
-Take the John Muir Trail to the top of Nevada Fall, adding an extra three miles to your hike.
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For the purpose of this guide, we're going to head to the top of Nevada Fall via the Mist Trail. Rest up, and then continue forwards, staying on the Mist Trail when you reach the crossroads between it and the John Muir Trail. From here, it's quite a few switchbacks all the way to the top of Nevada Fall--about 1.5 miles from the top of Vernal.
The trail eventually brings you alongside Nevada Fall.
The fall eventually comes into view, as the trail runs along side it--continue to the top, where you'll find a pit toilet, the last one on this trail. You'll also find another crossroads: continuing the trail forwards leads into Little Yosemite Valley, the wilderness, and Half Dome, which is still quite far away, and requires a permit to hike--more on that here. While you're free to return to the bottom the way you came, I suggest heading to the right and onto the John Muir Trail, which takes you on a footbridge over the top of Nevada Fall. This trail adds an extra 1.5 miles total to your hike, but is far less steep, and provides two bonus views of Nevada Fall next to the Liberty Cap, and a vista that looks down on Vernal Fall.
The view from the top of the Nevada Fall footbridge. Credit: Pavel Špindler.
Nevada Fall and the Liberty Dome (above) and looking down on
Vernal Fall (below) from the John Muir Trail.
The John Muir Trail does gradually ascend for a bit, before turning into a steady decline of switchbacks through the forest, finally popping you out near the bridge, bathrooms, and water fill station before Vernal Fall. From here, continue down the way you came, and treat yourself to a beer at your campsite, or at the Ahwahnee Hotel's bar--you've earned it for completing this tough, but amazing classic Yosemite hike. For more amazing hikes and sights in Yosemite National Park, check out my complete guide to it here.
Half Dome at sunset from Glacier Point.
Yosemite National Park Cinematic Video
See the grandeur of Yosemite Falls, the sheer walls of El Capitan, the towering sequoias of Mariposa Grove, the Mist Trail, high country, and so much more in this cinematic video of Yosemite National Park.
The start of the trail from Happy Isles (above) and the paved incline for the first mile (below).
The bridge (above) and the beginning of the stairs up to Vernal Fall (below).
Getting closer (above) and Vernal Fall with a rainbow (below).
