WaterfallNear Me

Rancheria Falls

Tuolumne County, California

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height
Not recorded
Location
Tuolumne County, California
Access status
Official NPS trail; long day hike or overnight
The walk
About 13 miles return (NPS figure)
Ground & access
Moderate ups and downs along the reservoir with about 1,900 feet of total gain and loss. Exposed and hot in summer.
NPS: Wapama and Rancheria Falls Trailhead
Rancheria Falls, CA
Rancheria Falls, CA
Photo creditPhoto: Richard Wood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Start at O’Shaughnessy Dam. Cross the dam and pass through the short tunnel, then follow the trail along the reservoir shoreline past Tueeulala and Wapama Falls and on to Rancheria Falls. Return the same way. It can be done as a long day hike or an overnight trip.

Plan your visit

O’Shaughnessy Dam, through the tunnel and along the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir shoreline past Wapama Falls to Rancheria Falls

NPS lists Rancheria Falls at 13 mi (21 km) roundtrip with 1909 ft (581 m) of gain and loss; 6.5 miles each way.

Moderate ups and downs along the reservoir with about 1,900 feet of total gain and loss. Exposed and hot in summer.

Where to start

Trailhead at O’Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy. The NPS pages read do not describe the parking area.

Timing & water

One of the longest hiking seasons in the park. Waterfalls are strongest in spring and early summer.

Before you go

Yosemite entrance fee applies ($35 per private vehicle per NPS). Overnight trips need a wilderness permit. Pets are not allowed on the dam or hiking trails.

Visitor information
Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore California

Waterfall location

Tuolumne County, California.

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