Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park, California

Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park, California

Don’t go looking for a torrent of water flowing over Vernal Fall in September. By late summer, this ephemeral waterfall in Yosemite National Park can be reduced to a trickle of small streams slipping over the edge. 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, yet breathtaking views of Vernal Fall before the spigot slowly closes as summer marches on.

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