Staircase Falls
California · 1,017-foot drop · Yosemite National Park · Last verified 2026-05-15
Today at Staircase Falls: clear, 59°F.
Right now
Overnight
59°F
Clear
Friday
91°F
Sunny
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:44 AM · Sunset 8:22 PM · 14h 37m
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Snapshot built 5m ago. Sources: NWS HNX.
Staircase Falls is a waterfall in Mariposa County, California. It drops roughly 1,017 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Staircase Falls sits in Mariposa County, California. The falls are inside Yosemite National Park, a US National Park. The base sits at roughly 4,517 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 1 minutes from Yosemite Valley. OpenStreetMap shows a trail within 40 meters of the marked location, though the name isn't recorded. This is one of the more frequently visited falls in the state by our popularity model. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Staircase Falls is a series of waterfalls located on the southern side of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. The falls descend a total of 1,300 feet (400 m) into Yosemite Valley over a series of steps. Staircase Falls is relatively ephemeral and is usually dry by the end of June. The falls are located immediately behind Camp Curry on cliffs below Glacier Point.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staircase Falls (this page) | — | 1,017 ft | — | N | — |
| Royal Arch Cascade | 1 mi | 1,247 ft | — | N | — |
| Sentinel Fall | 1 mi | 1,936 ft | — | N | — |
| Vernal Fall | 2 mi | — | — | N | — |
| Illilouette Fall | 2 mi | 370 ft | moderate · 4 mi | N | $35 |
| Lower Yosemite Fall | 2 mi | 320 ft | — | N | — |
Side-by-side comparisons
Staircase Falls compared head-to-head with other documented falls — height, access, fees, dogs, swimmability in one row each.
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~1017 ft)
- Shoestring Falls984 ft
- Green Lake Falls981 ft
- Tueeulala Falls915 ft
- Berdeen Falls899 ft
- Depot Creek Falls886 ft
Questions visitors ask about Staircase Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Staircase Falls?
Staircase Falls is 1,017 feet (310 m) tall. Height is sourced from OSM.
Is Staircase Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Staircase Falls is inside Yosemite National Park. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Staircase Falls?
No — dogs are not allowed on trails here. Most National Park trails prohibit pets to protect wildlife. Service animals are an exception per ADA.
How far is Staircase Falls from a major city?
Staircase Falls is 1 miles from Yosemite Valley (about 1 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in California
Where it is
37.7350, -119.5749
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staircase_Falls
Wikidata (Q37584)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37584
GeoNames (5398515)
https://www.geonames.org/5398515/
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
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