Chilnualna Falls Trail

This review is for Chilnualna Falls Trail which was a ~7.7 miles round trip that took ~6 hours to complete in the snow.Chilnualna Falls Trail was located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park; away from the busy Yosemite Valley. Lower Chilnualna Fall was a short ~0.2 miles and gets crowded at this particular spot. For the most part, the trail was a steady incline on dirt and rock with snow at higher elevations. In addition, there were a few downed trees over the trail. Overall, stunning views throughout this hike! There was a ~3 minute walk from the parking to the trailhead. Restrooms available at the parking area.Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/jACscCHBcOg

This is one of the harder trails to hike on account of its steepness and lack of resting places. Attempted it with our tween, my brother-in-law and octogenarian (and extremely fit) father-in-law. We started early in the day (well before 7) and hiked for over an hour before calling it a day, deciding to return another time to finish it. Along the way, there were beautiful views of the falls and water flowing into Chilnualna creek, and the air was clean and bracing. Will be back!

2022 Mar 2: Chilnualna Falls Trailhead, Yosemite National ParkDirections: From the South Entrance, drive towards the roundabout - continue at 12 o'clock. Take Wawona Road. Drive Past Wawona Hotel. You'll soon come to a bridge. After the bridge - turn right onto Chilnualna Falls Road. Keep driving past houses, school, library & market. It takes about 6.7 miles from the gate to parking area.Miles: 8.92-miles (14.35-km) round tripLength of Time: 5.5 hoursElevation: 2,400 ft (732 m) elevation gainEase of hike: Moderate to hard (leaning towards hard). Because of the steep mountainside - there are many switchbacks. The paths can be as narrow as one-foot wide - on a rugged terrain - over and under fallen trees.Waterfalls: The sounds of the first fall can be heard even before you reach the sign to the trail.As you hike up the mountain, the waterfall may sound muffled - but don't give up. The waterfalls are the rewards - the sounds of the waterfalls nudge you on.The views are exhilarating. Here are more adjectives to our feelings... amazing, astonishing, astounding, stunning & breathtaking - to name a few. Every time we climb Chilnualna Falls - my heart sings with joy. I dare say one must do this at least once in their lifetime.

I had my headphones on high as I started to walk this trail. The song that came on was "I Walk Alone" by the supergroup of the underground known as Pinhead Gunpowder. I couldn't have picked something more appropriately fitting to the moment so I will just let the genius of Aaron's words [as chanted by Billie Joe] do their part for this review, as they conveniently did for me on my walk up to this waterfall view: "I walk a crooked twisting path that seems to be leading nowhere. I do what seemed to be the right thing at one time. But now that time has passed, I'm the last one walking down this path."

This is the trail that started it all for me. Over a decade ago I hiked this trail on my birthday, and that began a tradition of birthday hikes that remains a mainstay of my hiking plans each year.That hike, so many years ago, was a different time and place. I was at a family reunion and a group of us snuck away into Yosemite to hike. Without a plan, we crept up the Wawona side and quicky found our way to the trailhead. A few questions, filled water bottles, and we were off.The hike is not for the faint of heart. Especially in the summer temps, it's not as high up as say, the trailheads along Glacier Point Road, so you'll bake in the sun. As you begin climbing, you follow a river and a series of the most crystal clear pools below small cascades. We stopped at several of these and threw little ants in the water to watch the small trout surface and slurp them up.Pressing on, you get some great views as there's not a ton of shade. And then, you come up the rocks and find yourself atop the very first massive fall, looking down from above. On my first trip, we actually stopped here, as it's a steep ascent to the next ledge area high above, but you should press on to that ledge. From there, you can see the upper fall area, and there are lots of rock slabs and shady spots to eat your lunch. It was on that first landing, while having lunch, that I saw someone pass our group. They were pressing on up the rocky hill, wearing a backpack and obviously going in for a long, multi-day trip. I remember that moment so distinctly in my mind; my heart was left with the impression that I, too, would walk that trail someday on my own summer backpacking adventure.That second landing, just above the lunch spot from so many years ago, is where I spent some time this summer. Only this time, I had come all the way down from above, part of a 5-day backpacking trip that represented the fulfillment of that dream. It was the fulfillment of a promise to myself to go out there, chase after your goals, and live the kind of days that you'll remember.Those falls, those rocks, that view -- they're all a part of me now. I've swam naked in the waters of Chilnualna Creek; the cold, glacial runoff all around me reminding me I'm alive. Each birthday I think about this hike, and each day I carry a bit of it with me.

This trail is definitely one for the books. When my family & I first went to Yosemite, we came across this trail & decided to give it a try. Oh my goodness we were not ready! But it was totally worth it. It had beautiful views and most of the trail was covered in shade which was great. Got to the top & stayed up there for a couple of hours. A hike we will never forget.

Not too far from highway 41 in the Yosemite forest you'll find this relatively easy waterfall hike to access. Just park your car & go. Ill be honest tho...We didn't go the full distance. We did however come across 2 small waterfalls in the 1 mile of the 5 mile hike. So that was the easy part and good enough for us. There are small pools of water to get to and set up a picnic or just soak your feet. If you're able bodied the hike should be a piece of cake.There is also a horse trail.Id say the only thing that you should be conscious and respectful of is the coyotes, bears or mountain lions that you may or may not encounter. Always stay vigilant and remember to clean up any trash you leave behind. Remember to just breathe and take in the sights & sounds when here. Have fun!

Went Sunday. August. It just started "cooling down" so perfect weather to be hiking about mid 60s to 70s. About nine miles total from the parking lot. Took the walking trail (there's also the horse trail)... Leads one to a water fall then a couple more turns to the sign that's says 4.1 miles to Chilnualna Falls. Fellow hiker did the entire trail bare footed. Facts! Nice and very clean trail. There wasn't much of a water fall when you go to the the top but there are water holes where you can dip in or even filter water to drink. I had to filter some more water for my camelpack. LOTS of bees up there. So if you are allergic and/or afraid of them DO NOT go to the top. Also, the trail is very easy to find. It's not too far from the entrance of Yosemite... Just follow the signs!Dont forget sunblock, hydration, and a snack!! Happy hiking!!

One of the hidden gems of Yosemite. Reason why is because of the beautiful scenery without all of the tourists. Overall, the hike is hard, but doable. The waterfall and views are well worth the hike. I remember standing at the bottom of the parking and looking all the way at the top and thinking, "omg this is the last time I let my girlfriend choose the hike. That mountain is ridiculously tall". It turned out to be easier than it appears and the incline is actually a lot more gradual than it looks. Oh yeah, we actually did half of this hike in the rain because we forgot to check the weather. Still worth it. The trail is pretty wide, just make sure you do not accidentally go down the "stock trail" and you will be fine. When you see the stone steps, you are close to completing the hike. Good luck!

I really enjoyed this hike. We did the 8 mile route, and it was very rewarding. Throughout this hike there are many different water falls. There are two in the beginning of the hike. It is so refreshing and perfect for the long hot journey. For the most part this trail is empty, besides the few people in this hike. A few downsides are that there are bees on this hike. There are also weird flies that love to bite and swarm you after swatting them away. This is near the top or end of hike however.At the top of the hike, it is so beautiful and worth the journey. I would strongly recommend all hikers to hike this route.