Waterwheel Falls

Waterwheel Falls, on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada, is the largest of the river’s many waterfalls. Rather than a single sheer drop, it is especially notable for upper cascades that send water outward in plumes as it strikes small ledges near the top. In the high-water season of early summer, gusts can blow part of this spray back upward at the first and largest ledge, creating a looping motion that gives the falls their name. The falls stand out within the Tuolumne River corridor for combining large scale with a seasonal display shaped by runoff and wind.

California · United States