Upper Yosemite Falls

Tuan Nguyen

Upper Yosemite Falls

07/23/16

We started at sunrise to take advantage of the cool temperature and the serenity of the park (do bring insect repellent). A light windbreaker is all needed in the July days. The falls will be visible after a short hike, and the view constantly changes as you ascend through the switchbacks. Drink before you need to! After the first mile, you will actually descend for about 1/4 mile before ascending again. Don't be concerned, because you are going in the right direction. The view from the top of the falls is spectacular! Pay attention when climbing the steps at to the lookout point. There is railing, but narrow steps. From the top, continuing to Eagle Peak (3.2 mi) is totally worth it. The hike along the way is not exciting, but serene (and lots of mosquitoes). This section of the hike is not crowded at all. Only saw two groups along the way, just crossing our path. At Eagle Peak, you will have an amazing view of Half Dome and the valley in the foreground. A great place to have lunch before heading back down. Round trip from Camp 4 to Eagle Peak is approx. 12 miles, and 8 hours (with breaks). Strenuous hike so plan accordingly. Going back down is hard on the calves since the rocks can be slippery, so good hiking shoes are highly recommended. Bring at least 100 ounces of water per person for this trip.

4.0

Josh Lloyd

Upper Yosemite Falls

06/12/16

Great guide, minus the swimming part. More than 48 people have died in the falls at Yosemite, don't get in the falls! We were only at the river at upper falls for an hour and watched 2 people carelessly lose their water bottles in the river/only 2 seconds later to go OVER the falls. We backpacked up and it took us 4-1/2 hours to get up there, and 3-1/2 hours to get down. The rocks on the trail are covered in sand in most areas, and we both slipped and fell twice. This is a dangerous hike. Please be careful and think about every step you take.

4.0

Michael Gethers

Upper Yosemite Falls

05/26/16

We did the Upper Yosemite Falls hike in early January. The first bit was easy enough, and leads you to some really incredible viewpoints of the valley. The higher up you get though, the deeper and deeper the snow gets. By the time we got to the top of the switchbacks we were absolutely exhausted from slipping and sliding our whole way up, but it was all worth it for a picnic at the top of the falls overlooking a snow-covered Yosemite Valley. If you're going to do it in the winter though, I would definitely recommend crampons! We didn't have any and that made it quite the chore to make the ascent during some of the icier portions of the hike.

4.0