Mist Trail
The route moves from river forest to the Merced’s powerful falls, wet stone stairs, and high granite.
Artwork inspired by Maynard Dixon
The route moves from river forest to the Merced’s powerful falls, wet stone stairs, and high granite. It is famous because water and engineering create drama, but crowd management and descent choice determine safety. Useful scale comes from three specifics: distance, 3–7 miles round trip; gain, 1,000–2,000 feet; and trailhead, Happy Isles.
Start early, use the John Muir Trail descent when open, and turn around at Vernal Fall footbridge if wet steps or crowding exceed the group’s comfort. Seasonal closures, rockfall, ice, slippery stairs, and swift water kill visitors; never cross barriers or enter the river above a fall.
- Distance
- 3–7 miles round trip
- Gain
- 1,000–2,000 feet
- Trailhead
- Happy Isles
Quick guide
- Establish scale
- Start early, use the John Muir Trail descent when open, and turn around at Vernal Fall footbridge if wet steps or crowding exceed the group’s comfort.
- Slow down for
- Compare Vernal Fall with granite staircase, then use Nevada Fall to test what the site is trying to communicate.
Know before you go
- Establish scale
- Start early, use the John Muir Trail descent when open, and turn around at Vernal Fall footbridge if wet steps or crowding exceed the group’s comfort.
- Slow down for
- Compare Vernal Fall with granite staircase, then test that reading against Nevada Fall.
- Place in context
- Distance: 3–7 miles round trip; Gain: 1,000–2,000 feet; Trailhead: Happy Isles
- Plan the arrival
- For Mist Trail, navigate to Happy Isles Trailhead, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, the reviewed public trailhead. Before hiking Mist Trail, recheck permits, parking capacity, road access, weather.
Good to know
Seasonal closures, rockfall, ice, slippery stairs, and swift water kill visitors; never cross barriers or enter the river above a fall.
Notice these
- Vernal Fall
- granite staircase
- Nevada Fall