Lower Yosemite Falls Trail view of Yosemite Falls

The featured image was taken on Lower Yosemite Falls Trail and is of the Yosemite Falls. The closest parking for this spot is at the Yosemite Valley Lodge at 9006 Yosemite Lodge Drive, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 or Shuttle Stop 8 for those riding the shuttle. Once you park, the waterfall should be visible. Head north towards the fall, cross the street and continue heading towards the waterfall. In about two minutes you will come to a junction in the trail. Looking north towards the waterfall you will see this view. Have fun capturing!

In the summer months Yosemite Falls dries up, but if the falls are running this a great shot no matter the season!

For similar conditions as the featured image, visit for nice full light during the morning thru late-afternoon, but honestly the Yosemite Falls are beautiful to photograph anytime. Well, not so great at night as you would need a really wide-angle lens to capture the night sky. The trail is often very crowded, so arriving early morning or later in the evening makes it easier to compose the photograph without people in it.

I used a Sony 28‑70mm f/3.5‑5.6 lens for this photograph but it’d also be great to photograph with a wide-angle lens.

There is a path that runs directly underneath the waterfall — having a subject walk on the path adds scale to the massive fall.

The trees in the foreground add a nice framing element to the waterfall. Experiment to find your own perfect composition!