Mist Trail Hike Guide (Vernal & Nevada Falls)
Mist Trail hike is one of Yosemite National Park’s most popular hikes and for good reason. The hike starts near Curry Village and works up to both Vernal and Nevada waterfalls – both of which are some of the park’s most accessible. The Mist Trail hike is often combined with the John Muir trail to form a loop that includes Clark Point. This guide will assume that hikers are tackling the aforementioned loop, however, it will also include information on the Mist Trail on its own.
Mist Trail Quick Facts
Mist Trail Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Virtual Trail Guide: Mist Trail Hike (Vernal & Nevada Falls)
Distance: 6 Miles Total – (1.5 Miles, one way, to top of Vernal Falls, 2.8 miles, one way, to top Nevada Falls)
Elevation Start: 4,018ft
High Point: 6,001ft (top of Nevada Falls)
Total Elevation Gain: 2,086ft (1,000ft top of Vernal Falls, 2086ft top of Nevada Falls)
Estimated Time to Complete: 4-5 Hours for Full Loop
Difficulty: Moderate – What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: April – November: Waterfalls are at their strongest in May and June. The Mist Trail may lose its mist after July.
Crowds: Highest Possible
Directions to Mist Trail
Trailhead: Mist Trail and John Muir Trailhead (Shuttle Stop 16)
Getting Here: There are two main ways to get to the start of the Mist Trail hike: parking at the Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking Lot (allegedly reserved for backpacking permits – but did not see enforcement of that) and using the free Yosemite Shuttle and getting off at stop 16. Either way works but the shuttle option saves you about a mile of additional hiking (roundtrip).
Parking: The closest option to park for Mist Trail is at the Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking lot. It’s about a half mile away from here to the Mist Trail hike start. There are no restrooms here but there are some at the trailhead. This lot can fit about 50-75 vehicles and will absolutely fill up on most weekends and busy periods in the park (around holidays especially). There are of course other lots in Yosemite to park at but this is the closest option.
Park Shuttle: Shuttle stop 16 provides access to the Mist Trail and John Muir trail as well. The shuttle runs from 7AM to 10PM so just keep that in mind if you plan on using it.
Permits/Fee: Admission to Yosemite National Park requires a $35 week pass or use of a National Parks Pass. In addition to the Yosemite Park pass, Half Dome requires a reservation which is $10. I will talk more about those options below.
Permits: No permit or reservation is required to hike the Mist Trail as of 2026.
Summary
Dogs: Dogs are not allowed in any US National Park. Please do not bring your dog on the Mist Trail.
Camping: Yosemite has a variety of different lodging, camping and backcountry options however there are no good camping options on the Mist Trail.
Water: There is a spot to fill up your water right after the first river crossing.
Make it a Loop: The Mist trail is most commonly linked with the Muir trail and the Clarke Point cutoff trail to form a 6 mile loop. If you decide to take the Muir trail all the way down, it’s about 6.5 miles. However, for those who want to continue on adding Half Dome or Clouds Rest is also common.
Hike Tip(s): Rainbows, Time of Day to Hike and Loop
I was lucky enough to see both Vernal and Nevada falls with beautiful rainbows beneath them. For your best chance to see these, hit both falls in the later afternoon when the sun is the Western hemisphere of the sky.
The Mist trail can get EXTREMELY crowded. If you don’t like to share the trail with hundreds of your closest friends, hit the Mist Trail in the early evening or early morning.
Finally, yes, this post focuses on the Mist Trail but I would strongly recommend doing the loop I described above (start on Muir Trail, take Muir Trail to Clark Point Connector and then back down Mist Trail). This will give you the best views of both waterfalls and the stunning valley above along with Half Dome.
Trail X Factors: Time of Year
Although both Vernal and Nevada Falls are fed by the Merced River so they will not dry up like Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, the current does slow down significantly in late Summer and Fall months. Visit the Mist Trail in late April, May and early June for the strongest and loudest versions of these beautiful waterfalls.
Best Views: The Mist Trail is truly stunning from start to finish. However, for the best views of Vernal and Nevada Falls, you will want to hike the Muir trail to Clark Point Connector trail. This version of the loop will give you the best overhead vantage point of these powerfall waterfalls.
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Cyklon
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- Backpack (Winter)
- Backpack (Summer)
- Sunglasses
- Base Layers
- T Shirt
- Mid Layer
- Rain Jacket / Shell
- Pants
- Shorts
- Socks
- Food & Water
- Optional: Gloves – you can use climbing gloves or simple garden gloves but something to protect your hands is nice on the cables themselves.
- Optional: Climbing Harness
- Optional: Anchor System or Via Ferrata System
- Optional: Helmet – likely a bit of overkill but always good to protect your head!
- Optional: Water Filter
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro Max 2 , Drone, Insta360
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you
Mist Trail Hike Route
My Mist Trail hike was part of a bigger backpacking trip, hopefully this .gpx file will help someone out.