Lower Chilnualna Fall viewpoint

Most people who drive to the Chilnualna Falls Trailhead near Wawona are headed for the full 8.2-mile round-trip climb to the top of the falls — but you don't have to go nearly that far to see water. The lower cascade comes into view about a quarter mile up the trail, making it one of the easiest waterfall payoffs in this end of the park.

The short walk

The trailhead sits on Chilnualna Falls Road on the north side of Wawona, a short drive from Fish Camp and the South Entrance. The path climbs gently through mixed forest along Chilnualna Creek, and the lower drop is visible well before the trail steepens into the switchbacks that carry hikers up toward the falls' upper tiers. Plan on well under an hour round trip if the lower view is all you're after.

If you keep going

Push past the lower viewpoint and the trail turns into the real challenge: 8.2 miles round-trip with 2,400 feet of elevation gain, rated very challenging by the National Park Service. Flow peaks in spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late summer. There's little shade right at the viewpoint, and rocks near any moving water here get slick — keep that in mind if you step off the main path for a better angle.