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Bridalveil Fall
Bridalveil Fall as seen from Tunnel View on California State Route 41.
Location	Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California.
Coordinates	37°43′00″N 119°38′47″W / 37.716753°N 119.646505°W / 37.716753; -119.646505
Type	Plunge
Total height	188 metres (617 ft)
Number of drops	1
World height ranking	431

Bridalveil Fall is one of the most prominent waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley in California. The waterfall is 188 metres (617 ft) in height and flows year round.

Geology

The glaciers that carved Yosemite Valley left many hanging valleys that spawned the waterfalls that pour into the valley. Most of the waterways that fed these falls carved the hanging valleys into steep cascades, but Bridalveil Creek still leaps into the valley from the edge of the precipice, although that edge has moved back into an alcove from the original edge of the valley. While Yosemite Falls seem to also fall into this category, the original course took the Yosemite Creek down a gorge to the west of its current location.

The primary source of Bridalveil Fall is Ostrander Lake, some 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) to the south.

In a brisk wind, the falling water is often blown sideways, and when the flow is light, it may not reach the ground directly below. Because of this, the Ahwahneechee Native Americans called this waterfall "Pohono", which means "Spirit of the Puffing Wind". On August 5, 1856, newspaper editor Warren Baer suggested the name Bridalveil Fall, inspired by its delicate, lacy appearance in late summer.

See also

• Yosemite Firefall
• List of waterfalls

References

1. The official name is singular, see U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridalveil Fall.
2. "Things to see". Yosemite National Park. Archived from the original on 2005-08-31. Retrieved 2005-09-20.
3. Huber, Ph.D., N. King (1987). "The Geologic Story of Yosemite Valley". USGS Western Region Geologic Information. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
4. ^ Hartesveldt, Richard J. (1955). "Yosemite Valley Place Names". Yosemite Nature Notes. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
5. Kroeber, A.L. (1993). Indians of Yosemite. Berkeley: California Indian Library Collections . OCLC 58867540. Retrieved 2008-09-16.

External links

• Media related to Bridalveil Fall at Wikimedia Commons
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridalveil Fall
• Story of Bridalveil Fall, Pohono Indian legend.

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People	John Muir Stephen T. Mather Galen Clark Shelton Johnson Buffalo Soldiers Chief Tenaya Ahwahnechee people
Lodging and camping	Yosemite Lodge at the Falls The Ahwahnee Camp Curry Wawona Hotel Housekeeping Camp High Sierra Camps Camp 4
Natural disasters	1938 Yosemite TWA crash 1996 Yosemite Valley landslide 1997 Merced River flood 2013 Rim Wildfire 2022 Washburn Wildfire
Transportation	Nearby airports FAT RMY MMH YARTS Route 140 Route 41 Route 120
Nearby municipalities	Foresta El Portal & Arch Rock Entrance Yosemite West & Chinquapin Wawona Bootjack Mariposa Briceburg Oakhurst Midpines Lee Vining
Additional information	History of the Yosemite area Geology of the Yosemite area National Register of Historic Places in Yosemite National Park List of waterfalls Yosemite Category California Portal

• Geology of Yosemite National Park
• Waterfalls of Yosemite National Park
• Waterfalls of Mariposa County, California
• Tourist attractions in Mariposa County, California
• Plunge waterfalls