Yosemite Adventures: Wapama Falls

Spring break 2024 was an opportune time for a road trip adventure as my school break lined up with Sami’s and Emily and Mees were in town for the holiday. So the day after the Easter festivities, we loaded up the car with our bags, a cooler full of food, and an inordinate number of knuffles and headed north up to Angels Camp.

I have written about Angels Camp a few times now, and Calaveras County has become a favorite in our family. Indeed, it is a perfect jumping off location for various adventures in California’s Gold Country. For this particular trip, it was our home base for two days of Yosemite treks along with some exploring within Calaveras County.

Our first day in Yosemite was spent in Yosemite Valley. After lunch at our favorite Degnan’s, we attempted to hike the Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls. Unfortunately the day turned much warmer than anticipated, and while traffic was not bad coming into the park, the trail itself was rather crowded. We made it only about half-way up before deciding to turn around. While I was disappointed to not see the rushing falls, the day was not a loss; we stopped at Crane Flat where the campground was blanketed with thick snow. There was a sign along 120 designating the campground as a snow play area, and the road into the campground had been plowed. So of course, we had to stop and enjoy a snowball fight before heading back to the Wyndham.

The next day proved to be more successful. Emily asked to visit Hetch Hetchy, as she had not yet visited that part of the park. It was a request I could not refuse: the weather was perfect, sunny with enough cloud cover to lessen the intensity of the sun, and the reservoir is always impressive. So after a relaxed breakfast, we drove out, taking Highways 108 and 120 to Evergreen Road. We passed by the enchantingly rustic Evergreen Lodge, making a note to stop back on the way back to Angels Camp. Evergreen continued into Hetch Hetchy Road as we entered the national park. We followed the winding road down to the restrooms for a pit stop before parking in the day use area near O’Shaughnessy Dam.

The Hetch Hetchy reservoir is part of the Tuolumne watershed and stores water for the residents of San Francisco. The Tuolumne River is very clear and requires minimal treatment. As such, swimming and boating are prohibited in the reservoir to maintain the water’s cleanliness.

Though recreation in the water is disallowed, there are opportunities to explore what is the Hetch Hetchy Valley. According to the National Park Service website, the valley as at an elevation of about 3900 feet and has one of the longest hiking seasons within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park. It is beautiful any time of the year- we had previously visited in the summer– but in the spring, the waterfalls are especially impressive as Falls Creek flows over the granite cliffs with abundance.

Our goal was to hike from the dam to Wapama Falls. To get to the falls, we hiked over the dam and through the old train tunnel. While the tunnel was lit, it was rather helpful to have a bit of extra light, especially as there was much water pooled on the ground on the day of our hike. After walking a bit further around the reservoir, we found what appeared to be a small talus cave with some nice sitting rocks in front of it. There, we stopped for lunch before continuing on our trek.

About a half-mile or so into the hike (counting the walk over the dam), we came to a sign. We took the trail to the right as directed. While we ran into a few groups of hikers, this trail was much quieter than those in Yosemite Valley and made for a pleasant hike. We soon came to Tueeulula Falls, the first of the two waterfalls we would see on this hike. At 880 feet high, Tueeulula Falls is the smaller of the two, but in the early spring fed by snowmelt, it is still beautiful in its own right. We had to cross over where the water was flowing over the rocks. Fortunately there were large stepping stones to help hikers, though I decided (foolishly) to wade through it. The water was a bit higher than it looked at first glance.

Everyone made it high and dry across the flowing falls, except for my dampened sock. We trekked on, descending a bit and then going over some rocky steps until we hit the first of the five footbridges over the falls.

Even at the edge of the first bridge, I could feel the spray from the powerful waterfall. While Wapama Falls is shorter than Yosemite Falls at about 1100 feet, it is similar in that it is a three-tiered waterfall. And fed by Sierra snowmelt, these falls are magnificent, especially in the spring, as water rushes over the first 300-foot drop, through a 600-foot gorge, and finally another 200 or so feet down into the reservoir below.

We walked along the footbridges, admiring the falls and enjoying their spray. The mist was especially refreshing after hiking in the sun.

Soon enough, though, it was time to begin the hike back. The day was wearing on and more clouds began rolling in in advance of the storm that was anticipated to bring more snow and rain to California. The trail back seemed faster than the hike over to the falls. The kids played a bit in the small seasonal falls that trickled from the cliffs above us. I enjoyed the carpet of red stonecrop along the trail as well as the manzanita in bloom.

We arrived back at the car ready for a snack. I drove us back up the road and out of Yosemite, stopping at Evergreen Lodge as promised. We purchased snacks and souvenirs at the general store and enjoyed our treats in their courtyard, the string lights adding to the magic of the late afternoon. It had been a fun day of adventure.

Some things to consider:

While open to backpacking, Hetch Hetchy is for the most part, a day use area. Overnight trips require a wilderness permit. This part of the park is open to vehicles from sunrise to sunset.

CA-120, Evergreen Road, and Hetch Hetchy Road can be subject to closure in the case of heavy snowfall or other inclement weather. Chains may be required in the winter and early spring months. Be sure to check road conditions before traveling.

The trail to Wapama Falls is not very shaded. Sun protection and water are a must on the trail.

The trail from the dam to Wapama Falls is rated as moderate. While the trail is relatively flat, with only a gradual 600 foot elevation gain, there are many water crossings, especially in the spring, and some rocky parts of the trail.

Wapama Falls is powerful, and the footbridges can become inundated with fast-moving water. Be sure to follow any signs and be aware of your surroundings.

It is said that John Muir himself called the Hetch Hetchy Valley even more beautiful than Yosemite Valley. In my biased opinion, this claim would be tough to beat, but I would have to agree with him. To feel the cool spray of thundering waterfalls and take in the glory this pristine wilderness, and even as touched as it has been by the hand of man, is to view the magnificence of creation. Hetch Hetchy is a beautiful place for many adventures meant to be shared.