Bridalveil Fall: Our favorite family hike

Hi, if you are new here, I’m Ellie, one of the founders of The Wildernest Collection. My husband and I were married in Sequoia National Park, and since then, we have always come back to nature whenever we need to unwind and reconnect with each other. In 2025 we purchased a 70 year old cabin in Wawona, nestled deep within Yosemite National Park. We spent the following 8 months renovating it, and now enjoying the beauty of Yosemite, literally in our backyard.

Recently my parents were visiting from New York, and we took them for a leisurely 2-day experience of Yosemite. After a quick drive from The Wildernest, we stopped at the Wawona Tunnel, and headed over the Bridalveil Fall, which is only a few minutes away.

Bridalveil Fall is one of Yosemite’s most famous waterfalls, plunging 620 feet into the Valley and often creating delicate mist that swirls in the breeze. Fun Fact: It’s called Bridalveil because when the wind blows, the mist spreads out into a fine spray that looks like a delicate bridal veil floating in the air.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bridalveilfalltrail.htm

Distance: 0.5 mi (0.8 km) round trip
Elevation gain: Approximately 80 ft (24 m)
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Begin at: Bridalveil Fall Parking Area

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park

There isn’t a shuttle to Bridalveil Fall, so you’ll want to make this stop before you head further into Yosemite Valley where you can take shuttles to various sights. Parking is available here, though it can still be tricky during peak season. The trailhead has a nicely maintained and large bathroom facility, as well as water bottle filling stations. The trail itself is quite short and easy for families.

The water is at its peak in spring and early summer, so it was on the lighter side during our visit in October. The kids loved climbing all the boulders and we made it close to the base of the falls. Note that in the winter times, this area can get icy and slick, so climbing these boulders may not be an option, and during Spring/Summer, the water may be too strong to go all the way.

Boulders leading to Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park

The kids could have spent all day here climbing and exploring - we encourage our kids to do dangerous things, safely :-) No one got hurt or fell into the water, and we all had a great time!

Beautiful fall season at the base of Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park