Bridalveil Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
| Address: | Bridalveil Fall, California 95389, USA |
| GPS: |
37°43'0.0"N 119°38'47.0"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
| Trail Length: | 0.50 miles |
| Trail Type: | Out & Back |
| Hike Difficulty: | Easiest |
| Elevation Gain: | 80 feet |
| Trails/Routes: | 0.2 mi |
Restrooms Waterfalls Trails Rocks Pet Friendly National Park
Hike
Known for being the focal point for one of Ansel Adams' most famous photographs, Bridalveil Falls is one of the first waterfalls you see as you enter Yosemite. The path to get there is a quick, easy half mile hike, making it a great introduction to the park. It gets its name from the mist that rises up from the falls and usually soaks onlookers -- it resembles a bride's veil. Although it's not as tall as Yosemite Falls (no North American waterfall is), it still towers over the valley at 620 feet tall.
The trail is pretty simple. You can park outside the trailhead to a paved path that will take you to the viewing point, but it goes straight through a range of trees. It's easy to navigate once you're there, but difficult to make out on a map.
Although it is one of the few that flows year round, the water from the falls is at its peak in the spring and summer, where it's likely you will get wet from the viewing point, and in the winter, the path can get pretty icy and slippery. The trail is completely paved, so it is wheelchair accessible and pets are permitted as long as they're on a leash.
More Information
Yosemite National Park Itinerary
This Yosemite National Park Itinerary will help you get started as you plan your vacation to Yosemite National Park.
https://www.justgotravelstudios.com/collections/national-park-itineraries/products/yosemite-national-park-itinerary?ref=9zpxis0diinBe courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read MoreDirections
From Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
- Head southwest on Northside Dr toward Cook's Meadow LoopToll road(2.9 mi)
- Keep right to stay on Northside DrToll road(2.1 mi)
- Turn left onto Southside DrToll road(0.9 mi)
- Slight right onto CA-41 S/Wawona RdContinue to follow Wawona RdToll road(374 ft)
- Turn leftToll road(128 ft)
- Turn leftToll road(289 ft)
The parking lot is just outside the trailhead.
Other Hiking Trails Nearby
Ribbon Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
0.6 miles NEThe longest single-drop waterfall in North America at 1,612 feet — seasonal and best seen in late morning when the sun hits it directly, visible from El Capitan Road as you enter Yosemite Valley.
Hike
Horsetail Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
1.3 miles NEFor a few weeks in mid-to-late February, Horsetail Falls glows orange with reflected sunset light — a rare 'firefall' phenomenon requiring clear skies and a parking permit.
Hike 1.2 mi
Taft Point
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.3 miles EA 5-mile Yosemite loop pairing Sentinel Dome with Taft Point, offering El Capitan views, dramatic cliff fissures, and 3,000-foot valley vistas — no guard rails, so watch your footing.
Hike 15.9 mi
Valley Loop Trail
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
2.5 miles NEAn 11.5-mile loop trail through the heart of Yosemite Valley following the Merced River past wildflower meadows, the Three Brothers, El Capitan, and Bridalveil Falls — with nearly no elevation gain.
Hike 0.5 mi
McGurk Meadow
Yosemite National Park
3.3 miles SA flat, 0.8-mile walk through one of Yosemite's most secluded wildflower meadows, complete with a brook and a historic 1800s cabin — few visitors, pure charm.
Hike 4.6 mi
Four Mile Trail
Yosemite National Park
3.4 miles EA 4.7-mile one-way hike connecting Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point with views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, and the Royal Arches — best visited in spring when the falls run full.
Hike 0.8 mi
Lower Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.4 miles NEA short, flat walk to the base of a 3,967-foot waterfall — twice the height of the Empire State Building and one of North America's tallest, best visited in spring or early summer before it dries.
Hike 0.7 mi
Cook's Meadow Loop
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.5 miles NEA nearly 1-mile, nearly flat loop in Sentinel Meadow with close-up views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Sentinel Rock — Yosemite's best easy walk.
Hike 0.3 mi
Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park
4.1 miles EPerched at 7,214 feet above Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point delivers bird's-eye views of Half Dome, El Capitan, and multiple waterfalls — accessible by car or a 4.7-mile hike.
Hike 2.9 mi
Upper Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
4.3 miles NEThe tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet — a 7.2-mile, 2,600-ft-gain hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls with stunning valley views along the way.
Hike 1.7 mi
Mono Meadow
Yosemite West, Yosemite National Park
4.6 miles SEA short, lightly trafficked 3-mile round-trip hike through a wildflower meadow recovering from wildfire, offering simultaneous views of Mt. Starr King, Clarke Range, and Half Dome.
Hike 0.4-2.1 mi
Illilouette Falls
Yosemite West, Yosemite National Park
4.7 miles EA 4-mile hike starting downhill from Glacier Point to a footbridge view of Illilouette Falls — with a side trip on the quieter Panorama Trail adding Half Dome and Nevada Falls views.
Hike 1.9-2.9 mi
Mist Trail
Yosemite National Park
5.0 miles EA steep, mist-soaked Yosemite staircase hike climbing 639 stone steps past Vernal and Nevada Falls — with Half Dome, Whitecap, and Mt. Broderick views from the switchbacks above.
Backpack, Hike 4.1 mi
North Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
5.5 miles NEA strenuous 10.4-mile hike through Yosemite forest to North Dome, rewarding hikers with the best straight-on view of Half Dome from 7,450 feet — plus a 0.6-mile detour to a 15-foot granite arch.
Backpack, Hike
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
5.7 miles EA paved, car-free trail winds to this seasonal lake at the base of Half Dome, offering a still mirror reflection and a popular summer swimming hole.
Backpack, Hike, Swim 2.1 mi
Snow Creek Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
7.0 miles NEA 2,140-foot, seven-drop cascade tucked deep in Tenaya Canyon — best spotted from the Mirror Lake Loop, where you can also take a swim before hunting for the falls from the Snow Creek Trail junction.
Backpack, Hike 1.9 mi
Half Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
7.6 miles EA grueling 14-mile round-trip hike with 4,800 feet of gain to the summit of Half Dome, including a cable section in the final 400 feet — a permit is required and a sunrise start is essential.
Hike 5.5 mi
Ostrander Lake
Wawona, California
8.3 miles SEAn 11.4-mile Yosemite hike to a semi-secluded swim lake surrounded by granite mountains — wildflowers, streams, and meadows in summer; open for cross-country skiing in winter via Ostrander Lodge.
Hike, Swim
Crane Flat
Big Oak Flat, Yosemite National Park
8.7 miles WFramed between two giant sequoia groves, Crane Flat meadow is a quiet Yosemite base camp for birding, stargazing, and seasonal hikes to Lukens and Harden Lake.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Snowshoe 0.7 mi
Lukens Lake
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
9.4 miles NA short 1.6-mile forest walk to a secluded lake famous for the luminescent shooting stars visible while you swim, plus a wildflower meadow that peaks in July.
Hike, SwimNearby Campsites
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.9 miles NEThe Merced River circles Yosemite Valley with whitewater, swimming holes, gold-panning spots, and unbeatable views of Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point at every bend.
Camp, Swim, Whitewater
Crane Flat
Big Oak Flat, Yosemite National Park
8.7 miles WFramed between two giant sequoia groves, Crane Flat meadow is a quiet Yosemite base camp for birding, stargazing, and seasonal hikes to Lukens and Harden Lake.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Snowshoe 5.7 mi
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
14.5 miles NEA 6.4-mile hike from Yosemite Creek to three of the Ten Lakes Basin's seven lakes, through wildflower meadows, forests, and past the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, gaining 2,200 feet.
Backpack, Camp, Hike 6.1 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
18.2 miles NEAn 11-mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin with 800 feet of gain, passing Tuolumne Falls, Soda Springs, wildflower meadows, and the stunning White Cascade.
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
18.2 miles NEA popular introductory Yosemite High Country backcountry hike following the Tuolumne River to a High Sierra Camp beside the White Cascade waterfall, with further options to Waterwheel Falls.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
19.8 miles NEA stunning alpine meadow in the high Sierra with granite domes and mountain views, the meandering Tuolumne River, and access to Yosemite backcountry — open summer only when the park road is clear.
Camp, Hike
Briceburg Recreation Area
Midpines, California
20.2 miles SWBriceburg is where State Route 140 drops out of the Sierra foothills and meets the Wild and Scenic Merced River, twelve miles east of Mariposa on the road to Yosemite, and it's one of the best public...
Camp, Kayak, Swim 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
26.7 miles NEAt 10,008 ft, this Eastern Sierra alpine lake offers exceptional trout fishing, a scenic four-mile loop, and a water taxi into the heart of the Twenty Lakes Basin.
Camp, Canoe, Hike
Crystal Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
35.6 miles EA 3.2-mile roundtrip Sierra day hike past Lake George, Lake Marie, and Lake Mamie, ending at Crystal Lake beneath the monolith Crystal Crag — shaded trail with room to swim, fish, or picnic lakeside.
Camp, Hike
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
43.8 miles SEA two-mile stretch of the south fork of the Eel River inside a redwood canyon 180 miles from San Francisco — swim, kayak, fish, or hike, then camp near the 1,200-year-old Captain Miles Standish Tree.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Wild Willy's Hot Spring
Mammoth Lakes, California
48.1 miles EA soaking hot spring in Long Valley's open sagebrush plain — pools range from 95°F to 105°F, with a larger deeper pool and smaller, hotter pools, reached by a 0.2-mile wooden boardwalk from the parking area.
Camp, Hot Springs
Crowley Lake Campground
Crowley Lake, California
49.1 miles ENestled in the stunning Eastern Sierra near Crowley Lake, this BLM campground offers first-come, first-served sites for tents, RVs, and trailers with breathtaking high-desert views.
Camp