Yosemite Falls is North America's tallest waterfall: Yosemite Creek drops off a sheer granite cliff in three tiers - Upper Yosemite Fall, the Middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall - for a combined total of about 739 m before reaching the valley floor. Toggle the seasonal flow to compare the roaring peak-snowmelt column against the thin late-summer trickle, and toggle the tier markers to see where each of the three drops ends.
Published figures: total height about 739 m (2,425 ft) across three tiers; Upper Yosemite Fall about 436 m (1,430 ft) single drop; Middle Cascades about 206 m (675 ft); Lower Yosemite Fall about 98 m (320 ft); fed by Yosemite Creek; located in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Yosemite Falls 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Yosemite Falls, North America's tallest waterfall, as it really drops: Yosemite Creek plunges off a sheer granite cliff in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, in three distinct tiers rather than one continuous sheet of water.
Upper Yosemite Fall carries the water down in a single free-fall of about 436 m, the tallest of the three segments. From there the creek continues through the Middle Cascades, a series of steep drops totaling about 206 m, before making its final 98 m descent as Lower Yosemite Fall to the valley floor. Added together, the three tiers give a combined height of about 739 m - taller than any other waterfall in North America. Because Yosemite Creek is fed almost entirely by high-country snowmelt rather than a glacier or a large lake, the flow is highly seasonal: it typically peaks in May or June, then drops off through the summer and can shrink to a bare trickle - sometimes running nearly dry - by August or September.
- Toggle the seasonal flow to compare the full peak-snowmelt water column against the thin late-summer trickle
- Toggle the tier markers to see where Upper Yosemite Fall, the Middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall each end
- Read total height, per-tier height, source creek, and location in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Total height (all three tiers) | about 739 m (2,425 ft) |
| Upper Yosemite Fall | about 436 m (1,430 ft) single drop |
| Middle Cascades | about 206 m (675 ft) |
| Lower Yosemite Fall | about 98 m (320 ft) |
| Source creek | Yosemite Creek, fed by high-country snowmelt |
| Location | Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA |
| Seasonality | peak flow roughly May-June; can shrink to a trickle by August-September |
For two other waterfalls shaped by very different geology, see the Angel Falls 3D Explorer, a single 807 m free-fall off a table mountain, and the Victoria Falls 3D Explorer, a wide curtain dropping into a narrow gorge.
This relief model runs on the vendored three.js engine, loaded once and cached by your browser so a return visit skips the download. Your seasonal-flow and tier-marker toggle choices are saved locally too, so the view you set up is still there the next time you open this page.
This is an educational approximation - the cliff shape, bench profile, and water columns are schematic teaching cues, not a survey-grade hydrological model.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Yosemite Falls?
About 739 m (2,425 ft) in total across three tiers, making it the tallest waterfall in North America: Upper Yosemite Fall (about 436 m), the Middle Cascades (about 206 m), and Lower Yosemite Fall (about 98 m).
Why does it drop in three tiers instead of one?
The granite cliff in Yosemite Valley has two natural benches partway down. Yosemite Creek falls freely off the top bench as Upper Yosemite Fall, crosses a bench and continues through the Middle Cascades, then makes a final drop as Lower Yosemite Fall to the valley floor.
Why does the flow change so much by season?
Yosemite Creek is fed almost entirely by high-country snowmelt, not a glacier or large lake. Flow typically peaks in May or June as the snowpack melts, then drops through the summer and can shrink to a trickle - sometimes running nearly dry - by August or September.
Where is Yosemite Falls?
In Yosemite Valley, within Yosemite National Park, California, USA - a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Is Yosemite Falls the tallest waterfall in the world?
No. It is the tallest in North America. Taller waterfalls exist elsewhere, including Angel Falls in Venezuela, which drops about 979 m in total with a single 807 m free-fall segment.
Is this a scientific hydrological model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the cliff shape, bench profile, and water columns are schematic teaching cues, not a survey-grade model.