The Mist Trail is one of the most popular short hikes in

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, USA. The steep hike follows the

Merced River The Merced River (), in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the San Joaquin Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through ...

, starting at Happy Isles in

Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a U-shaped valley, glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surroun ...

, past Vernal Fall and

Emerald Pool Emerald Pool is the name of several locations. Yosemite Emerald Pool is a small, shallow lake, with an area of less than one acre. It is located about 80 meters above Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park. It is named for its deep green colo ...

, to

Nevada Fall Nevada FallThe official spelling is singular, see is a high waterfall on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California. It is located below the granite dome, Liberty Cap, at the west end of Little Yosemite Valley. The waterfall is wi ...

Description

Along the trail, the Merced River is a tumultuous mountain stream, lying in a

U-shaped valley U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...

. Enormous boulders, some the size of a house, are dwarfed by the sheer faces of

exfoliating granite Exfoliating granite is a granite undergoing exfoliation, or onion skin weathering (desquamation). The external delaminated layers of granite are gradually produced by the cyclic variations of temperature at the surface of the rock in a process ...

, which rise 3000 feet (914 m) from the river. Through it all, the Merced River rushes down from its source in the High Sierra, and broadens on the floor of Yosemite Valley. A trail which links to the

John Muir Trail The John Muir Trail (JMT) ( Paiute: Nüümü Poyo, ''N-ue-mue Poh-yo'') is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. From the northern terminus a ...

starts after crossing from the Happy Isles. Depending on one's conditioning, a bridge which re-crosses the river - the halfway point of a hike to the foot of Vernal Fall - can be reached in 15 to 30 minutes. To the side of Vernal Fall, the mist from the river blankets the trail, which was improved during the

WPA WPA may refer to: Computing *Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard *Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing * Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada * Windows Performance An ...

projects of the 1930s. Here is where raingear becomes handy: in the spring, hikers often become completely drenched from water sprayed off Vernal Fall. This is one of the few places where a complete circular

rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

can be viewed. The trail now crosses a sheer face which is made somewhat easier by a single guard rail. At the top of Vernal Fall, the Merced River traverses a shelf of granite, and the hikers frequently sun themselves to dry off. The

is named for the color of the river here. Up the trail, Nevada Fall, a waterfall that is almost twice the height of Vernal Fall, awaits the hiker, although there is no cascade of mist over the trail at that waterfall. Behind Nevada Fall is Liberty Cap, an impressive lump of granite. The Mist Trail then rejoins the John Muir Trail: the hiker can travel in

Little Yosemite Valley Little Yosemite Valley is a smaller glacial valley upstream in the Merced River drainage from the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The Merced River meanders through the long flat valley, draining out over Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall ...

, or take a side trip to the top of

Half Dome Half Dome is a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smo ...

, using cables to climb the rock. Permits must be obtained in advance to hike Half Dome, and back country permits are required to stay overnight along the John Muir Trail. The distance from Happy Isles trailhead to the Vernal Falls foot bridge is 0.8 miles (1.3 km) with an elevation gain of 400 ft (120m) ; to the top of Vernal Falls is 1.2 miles (1.95 km ) with an elevation gain of 1000 ft (300m); and to the top of Nevada Falls is 2.7 miles (4.35 km) one way with an elevation gain of 1900 ft (610m).( data per NPS information)

Related hikes

* The Mist Trail is commonly used as the first leg of the hike up

. Half Dome can also be reached by the

, but this route is longer and less scenic. However, it is less steep than the Mist Trail, which makes it more commonly used for descent. The mist from Vernal Falls can be a significant factor governing the choice between the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail while climbing Half Dome. For instance, the Mist Trail might be very inviting on warm days or something to be avoided on cool days. Also, the Mist Trail is usually more inviting on ascent, as the mist helps to cool hikers while climbing the steep trail. * The

High Sierra Camps The High Sierra Camps are nine rustic lodging facilities located in two national parks and a national monument in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Open most years from June or July to September, they are staffed camps with tent cabin ...

provide a loop through the Yosemite backcountry, with tent cabins spaced one day's hike apart. These require reservations. * A panoramic view of the Mist Trail can be had from

Glacier Point Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley in the U.S. state of California. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of , above Curry Village. The point offers a superb view of several of Yosemite National Park' ...

, 3000 feet (900 m) above, looking north. During the summer, shuttle buses from the floor of the valley will take an hour to arrive at Glacier Point. * The

starts at the same trailhead as the Mist Trail.

Notes

External links

Hiking up the Mist Trail - a short videoThe Mist Trail - Hiking Info & Route

Mist Trail to Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls - Hike Directions & Video
{{Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park Hiking trails in California Merced River Protected areas of Mariposa County, California Tourist attractions in Mariposa County, California