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Yosemite
Hikes, restaurants, viewpoints, etc in Yosemite National Park
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Best Hikes & Camping Near LA
Most of these are in the San Gabriel & Santa Monica Mountains, easy day-trips from…
BridalVeil Falls
Category: Active Life Parks Parks [Edit]
Take Southside of the ValleyRight on Hwy 41
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
20 reviews for BridalVeil Falls
20 reviews in English
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Review from Adrienne H.
Palo Alto, CA
10/2/2011 2 photos
Probably the most attractive waterfall we saw in Yosemite (in October) and also one of the easiest to get to. Very nice views from the parking lot, walking 1000 feet along a trail that goes slightly up will get you a very different, much closer view (just please don't let your kids play beyond the guard railings like so many people I saw here-- nature is powerful and meant to be respected). Even in October I got slightly misted by the waterfall and there were definitely some great photo ops. My biggest complaint is that the parking area for this was a zoo. We mostly took the shuttle around, but stopped her on our drive around the valley loop. We circled the parking lot for 20 minutes and found nothing...there was a steady stream of cars in and for every person that left it seemed like there were 10 people waiting to take their space. We finally gave up and parked semi-illegally on the side of the road (leaving someone with the car, of course). It worked out, despite the jerky guy who yelled at us (seriously who appointed you the Yosemite police!?). Despite the parking hassle, this place is definitely worth a stop and won't take much time out of your day.
Listed in: Natural Wonders, Yosemite
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Review from April B.
1/4/2012 3 photos
This is a great spot to go with family. Getting to the fall is very easy, you park and walk a few feet and the fall is there.
The view is amazing! If you feel like being more adventurous you can climb the rocks and get closer to the fall which is what we did.
Climbing the rocks was tough I have to say plus it's VERY dangerous! Make sure you have grippy shoes, you don't want to slip and fall. We got so close to the fall the mist was pretty intense. Plus there's a river on the way there where you can sit and take pictures. After we were done with the fall we sat on a rock near the river and ate a sandwich.
It's an awesome spot for pictures and great for the whole family. I wouldn't even consider this a hike so if you're looking for something to do that doesn't take much energy this is it!Listed in: Yoooosemite!
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Review from Christina L.
Rosemead, CA
3/26/2011 1 photo
I went in early June 2010.
This is a great hike because you can see the waterfall from the parking lot. Since it was a wet winter, you also got wet standing in the parking lot.
Hikes don't come any easier than this. It's seriously a half-mile hike on a paved trail. What a great payoff for such little work. Since I was getting quite drenched, I retreated from the downpour & missed the photo opp with my friends. If you're going during spring, bring a poncho & waterproof camera.Listed in: Best Hikes & Camping Near LA
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Review from Andy O.
7/11/2011 1 photo
Visiting Bridalveil Falls is a 20-minute visit at most, so don't expect it to be a large portion of your Yosemite trip. For what it's worth, however, the view is spectacular.
You won't be needing any special gear to make it to the base of the falls, as it's less than a quarter mile of walking on pavement. But I suggest leaving anything sensitive to water in the car. Once you get to the viewpoint for the falls, the mist spray will have you soaked in half a minute tops.
This is where the fun starts. You ignore the very clearly-marked sign indicating the risk of injury or death from scampering over wet rocks, leave the shoes at the edge of the viewpoint, and start doing some Avatar-style rock-hopping. A few hops down, you'll see another sign reminding you not to be awesome. Once again, you ignore it and press onward. Bam, instant photo op, face to face with the falls. Enjoy. -
Review from Brinda J.
9/7/2011
Very pretty but a tough climb up. Gets super slippery better watch out!
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Review from Ron L.
Concord, CA
4/25/2011
Get up close and personal with a waterfall!
Sounds like a cheap ad that says "too good to be true". But believe it; it *is* true. It's an easy paved quarter-mile stroll from the parking lot, I think it's wheelchair accessible. When you get to the end of the trail, there's nothing separating you from this big waterfall that runs all year.
How wet is it? Usually not too wet. But me, my wife, and our Australian Shepherd took the hike in April once, all the falls were running full on, and we couldn't see the falls because of all the spray. We got wet, and our long-haired dog kept shaking herself to get dry.
Yes, people do climb those rocks when they're dry to get even closer to the waterfall. Do NOT try this when they're wet.
You can have a great time visiting Yo Valley without doing this walk. But it's so accessible, takes so little time, and is so awe-inspiring that this should be a part of anyone's trip. -
Review from Janet O.
A totally different feeling hiking in the dark here than during the day when the sun is out. At 5pm it was pitch dark Christmas night just last night.
I stared at the raging waterfall and I was both stunned and grateful at the same time.
I was here about 4 years ago but tonight this hike is different. The water from the fall was more than a mist hitting us from where we were standing. My clothes was almost wet if they werent waterproof. My hair was soaked. I was thinking I would look awful for Christmas dinner tonight.
But that thought disappeared almost immediately-who would be here enjoying this very peaceful moment right in the middle of total darkness infront of this raging veil of water? Not many people I should say. There was just me and company. With our headlights off we stood on the granites steps and just stared in total awe.
The waterfall was white in it's fury. Loud in it's rage and very awe inspiring in its beauty.
Right now the entrance to this beauty is not allowed from the trailhead but reachable from Nevada Falls on the way down/out. The trail is covered with snow and ice from the Nevada Falls side. So pretty dangerous hence the decision by the park to close the area
It's a dangerous beauty at night...but you will cherish the hike more if you decide to meet the bride at night...Listed in: Hiking/Backpacking/ Day Hikes/…
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Review from qirk z.
Los Gatos, CA
6/7/2011 2 photos
Nice fall, walk up to the bottom, get wet, take pics!
Check out the two trees "making out" (see my pic) -
Review from Tom C.
8/8/2011
A nice quick stop at a waterfall. Park the car, walk for about 1/4 mile and you're there. Because of that, its pretty crowded. But you can get a sweet view looking up at the waterfall with the spray hitting your face. Take some pictures then move on to the other wonders of the park.
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Review from maninderpal m.
Union City, CA
4/18/2011
Be prepared to get wet, if you wear glasses take them off or be prepared for "spots". The parking lot can get filled quickly so unless you see a bunch of open spots take the first one available. The walk to the actual falls are very short and you'll hear the falls as soon as you come into the parking lot. The falls are beautiful and if you are able to take some pictures they will come out great.
Mp's take: this place is great for a quick detour. -
Review from Bernadette M.
Brentwood, CA
4/19/2010 1 photo
This was on my list of things to see during my weekend in Yosemite. It has been painted and photographed countless times so I had to see it with my very own eyes. It's across the valley of El Capitan, it's 617 feet high with a wide opening. You take a short but minorly steep trail to it's base where in the month of April, you will sprayed over and over again and if you stand there for more than 5 minutes, you will be soaked. It's definitely a beautiful sight to see and you must be careful if you're climbing the rocks, you will be swept away. You can take dogs on the trail as it is paved.
I've read somewhere that if you inhale the mist of the fall, it increases the chance of you getting hitched. Also, it's scary to imagine the myth of a woman (Pohono, I believe) to have been swept away in these waters and plunged off the edge of the fall. I don't want to get married THAT bad!
The earlier you get in the park, the less busy it'll be. In the early afternoon you'll have to wait for parking spot to open in the lot and there will be a line for the restrooms.
You can bring your dog to this. It's paved!Listed in: Puppy Love, Yosemite National Park
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Review from John P.
Hollister, CA
8/31/2008
Nice short hike to a kick ass waterfall. Good for kids. First place to stop when you get in the park and just gives you a taste of the good times to come.
If you and your kids can scramble across some rocks there is some good little rock climbing near the bottom of the falls.
A lot of people pass this place up since it's right near the front of the park before Yosemite valley but it's worth checking out. -
Review from jubi l.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2007 6 photos
It's considered to be the easiest hike on all the falls in Yosemite Park.
Once we get there, the water is dry due to summer weather that our group were able to hike Bridalveil Falls all the way to the top.
Couple of rocks, I thought I was going to die, it was slippery. But due to Mr & friends encouragement I was able to make it. What a great feeling! -
Review from Yee Gan O.
6/3/2009
Bridalveil Falls are the first big waterfalls you're probably going to see when you enter the park from the 120,140 or 49. It never dries up all year though the water flow is obviously biggest in the spring.
You can access the viewing point either from its own dedicated car park off the 49 or from street parking on southside drive - there are paved walkways from both areas. When the trees are in full bloom, it is actually hard to get a picture of the entire falls from close in - I found the best picture was actually from the car park.
I first visited the park in September when I was a bit disappointed that the hike to the official viewing area still left me a long way away from the pool that a small amount of water was faliing into. Imagine my surprise at the difference on my return this spring with my parents and sister. There was so much water coming over the edge that if you went to the same vantage point, you got absolutely soaked - it was like standing in a Malaysian thunderstorm and the most memorable thing was the amazing sound - raw, elemental sound of nature.
You get better picture on southside drive and you make your way to Yosemite Village. Most people will be looking left at Yomsemite Falls but look to your right for Bridalveil too. -
Review from Megan M.
Lafayette, CA
8/2/2009
It's just a quick hike to the viewing point of the falls, but in order to get the full experience you MUST hike over the rocks. It's a little hard and some rock are slippery, but it's well worth it. My 8 year old son did it with ease in fact, I think this was the best part of our whole trip for him. After about a 5 min hike over the rocks you get to the base of the falls where you can swim underneath the falls. The water is cold, but the views are spectacular!
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Review from Eric C.
9/24/2010
0.4 mile trail to a tiny waterfall (September) that's far away. You can climb on rocks to get closer to the waterfall, despite the signs telling you that rocks can be slippery when wet. Don't come here in September when the waterflow is just a trickle!
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Review from Jennifer L.
Honolulu, HI
9/29/2010
Very impressive probably in spring/summer (I believe the guidebooks say this as well) but at least this one is year-round. I visited in mid-Sept and it was a trickle but it was still pleasant. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit if you're not here during BridalVeil's peak season but if it's a small stop or detour on the way to your more-exciting destination, definitely come by and snap some pretty pictures!
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Review from Heidi S.
6/28/2010
This hike was easy, paved and crowded. The waterfall was beautiful of course, but it was kind of a handful to concentrate and take photographs with so many people roaming about. Parking was ridiculous! We found a spot on the main road and avoided the long wait in the lot. There are many other spots to view the falls that don't require a tourist hat and camera.
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Review from Priscilla O.
Merced, CA
3/28/2010
This was my first visit to Yosemite and Brailveil falls was the first waterfall I saw when entering the park. The view is spectacular and the hike to the base is short and an absolute must. It was freezing when my family and I did it but oh man, it was so worth it. I got amazing photos up close, from the road, and the viewing point before you get to the falls.
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Review from Carissa G.
Austin, TX
10/13/2009
Its a waterfall...
