Fallspots

Both in Yosemite National Park, 3 mi apart · 3 mi apart

Illilouette Fall vs Middle Cascades

Two waterfalls in our directory, side by side. Same data we use on the individual pages — height, access, what we know, what we don't.

Illilouette Fall — a 370-foot single plunge on Illilouette Creek in Yosemite National Park, viewable from the Panorama Trail descending from Glacier Point

California

Illilouette Fall

Illilouette Fall is a 370-foot single plunge on Illilouette Creek, a tributary of the Merced River, in Yosemite National Park. The fall sits in a small canyon cutting into the south wall of Yosemite Valley directly across from Vernal Fall — but it's hidden from valley view, accessible only via a 4-mile round-trip from Glacier Point on the Panorama Trail. Descent loses 1,400 ft; the return climb is the hard part. Glacier Point Road closes November through May.

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Middle Cascades — the 675-foot middle tier of Yosemite Falls, between Upper (1,430 ft) and Lower (320 ft)

California

Middle Cascades

The Middle Cascades is the 675-foot middle tier of Yosemite Falls, hidden from the valley floor by the rim of the lower amphitheater — most visitors never realize it's there. The full Yosemite Falls system stacks Upper (1,430 ft) + Middle Cascades (675 ft) + Lower (320 ft) for a combined 2,425 ft. To see the Middle Cascades clearly you have to climb the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail.

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SpecIllilouette FallMiddle Cascades
StateCaliforniaCalifornia
Height370 ft675 ft
Typeplunge—
WatercourseIllilouette Creek—
ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park
CountyMariposaMariposa
Elevation1783 m1659 m
Nearest cityYosemite Village (3 mi)Yosemite Valley (1 mi)
Dogs allowedNoNo

About Illilouette Fall

Illilouette Fall is a 381-foot (116 m) waterfall on the Illilouette Creek tributary of the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. It is located in a small canyon that cuts into the south wall of Yosemite Valley directly across from Vernal Fall. The origin and meaning of the waterfall's name has been lost to time.

About Middle Cascades

Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of 2,425 feet (739 m) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. Located in the Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in the park, especially in late spring when the water flow is at its peak.

Where they are

Dashed line shows the straight-line distance (3 mi). Actual drive time depends on the route — neither pin is the parking lot, so use a map app for turn-by-turn.

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Related comparisons

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