Yosemite Waterfalls

At Yosemite, waterfalls draw visitors from around the globe year after year. Because many of Yosemite’s waterfalls are fed by snowmelt, the amount of water rushing over each waterfall can vary widely throughout the year. In addition to those below, numerous other falls can be seen during the spring run-off or after a heavy rainstorm.
The crown jewel of Yosemite's waterfalls, Yosemite Falls is one of the tallest in North America and fifth highest in the world. Actually made up of three separate falls, it has a total drop of 2,425 feet. Yosemite Falls is also known for its moonbow display in spring and a "snow cone" that forms at the base of the upper fall in winter.
Fed by snow melt, the peak runoff is typically in May or June, and the roar of the falls can be heard in many parts of the eastern portion of Yosemite Valley. Once all of the snow in the high country has melted away, Yosemite Falls becomes only a trickle and is often dry by August. Visit the Yosemite Conservancy’s Yosemite Falls webcam to see what it looks like right now.

Falls Webcam

Yosemite Mountains, Cliffs   Rock Formations

Yosemite Valley, approximately 3,000 feet deep and less than a mile wide, is known for its incredible rock formations, created from plutonic rock that cooled far below the earth’s surface. Some of the most famous Yosemite cliffs, mountains   rock formations are:

• Half Dome (8,842 ft.) among the most recognized natural features in Yosemite, its western face is a sheer cliff of Plutonic granite - the youngest in Yosemite.
• Sentinel Rock (7,038 ft.) on the south side of Yosemite Valley, named for its likeness to a watchtower. 
• El Capitan (7,569 ft.) towers 3,593 ft. above the valley floor. Rock climbers from around the world come to this Yosemite mountain to challenge their abilities on its granite face giving visitors an excellent opportunity to view this unique sport.
•  Mt. Lyell (13,114 ft.) the tallest peak in Yosemite, its steep slopes are home to the largest active glacier in Yosemite, the Lyell Glacier, which is about 1/4-mile-square.
•  Mt. Dana (13,053 ft.) and Mt. Gibbs (12,764 ft.).  These stunning Yosemite mountains flank Tioga Pass in Tuolumne Meadows.
•  Matterhorn Peak (12,264 ft.) is one of a series of peaks that make up the spectacular Sawtooth Ridge on the northeastern border of the park.
•  Glacier Point (7,214 ft) providing an eagle's view of the valley floor 3,214 feet below from this perch on the rim of Yosemite Valley.
  

Yosemite Flora

Yosemite's diverse landscape shelters 37 species of native trees and hundreds of species of native wildflowers, many of which can be found only in the park.
Because of 12,000 feet of elevation change throughout Yosemite, spring arrives at different times in different areas of the park, and so wildflowers can be seen for about six months out of the year. Take a look at our wildflower page to discover more.

Of course trees are what you’ll notice the most as far as plant life in Yosemite. Some of the tree species you’ll see are:

• Ponderosa Pine - evergreens with bark of irregularly shaped plates separated by dark furrows. Mature trees are wide at the base with a straight trunk that rises many feet before the branches form.
• Incense-Cedar - have a feathery, reddish bark and grow abundantly throughout the park and the entire Sierra.
• California Black Oak - large deciduous trees, with yellow-green leaves and dark trunks. Of all Yosemite trees, oaks were especially prized by the native people who used the acorns as a staple in their diet.
• Giant Sequoias - found in three groves in Yosemite, totaling 700 trees: Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove. Considered to be the most massive living thing on earth, Giant Sequoia trees can live from 1,000 - 3,000 years.