Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park, California

Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park, California

Don’t go looking for Vernal Fall in August. By late summer, this ephemeral waterfall in Yosemite National Park is dry. May is the month to see Vernal Fall at full power, as the spring thaw melts the snowpack, turning the falls into a raging tumble of water making its way to the valley floor where the Merced River flows. A short, steep hike up Mist Trail—so named because this time of year, the spray from the falls will soak hikers—allows for safe, breathtaking views of Vernal Fall before it slips away as summer marches on.