Three destinations above Happy Isles
The first decision on Yosemite’s Mist Trail comes before the famous wet steps. From Happy Isles, the path climbs beside the Merced River to the Vernal Fall footbridge. That bridge is a complete short outing: 1.6 miles return and about 400 feet of climbing. Continuing to the top of Vernal Fall changes the day to 2.4 miles return and roughly 1,000 feet of ascent. Nevada Fall is farther again. Route source
Those separate objectives help a mixed group make a useful agreement. Someone who wants a waterfall view can stop at the bridge without committing to the stairway. Someone aiming for Nevada needs to budget for the upper valley and the return, rather than treating every waterfall as another few minutes upstream.
The staircase beside Vernal Fall
Above the footbridge, the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail separate. The Mist route climbs granite steps close to Vernal Fall; the amount of spray varies enormously with the river’s seasonal flow. In spring and early summer, this stretch gives the trail its name. By the October 2026 conditions report, the falls were running low. Route source Route source
More than six hundred granite steps climb beside Vernal Fall. NPS gives the falls themselves heights of 317 feet for Vernal and 594 feet for Nevada. Those are waterfall measurements, not the total ascent from Happy Isles. Keeping the fall height and trail climb separate makes the effort easier to understand. Route source
Beyond Vernal: the upper waterfall
The upper route passes Emerald Pool and Silver Apron, where swimming is prohibited, before climbing toward Nevada Fall. At Nevada’s upper bridge the John Muir Trail offers a return with views toward Liberty Cap. NPS gives 5.4 miles return for Nevada by the Mist Trail; that number does not describe the longer John Muir loop. Route source
Choose the return route while there is still time to understand what it adds. A different descent changes both distance and the terrain remaining. The attraction of the loop is the changing perspective on the upper falls, rather than a shortcut back to Happy Isles.
October repairs and winter routing
The current NPS notice checked on 29 October 2026 still lists repairs through October, with a Monday–Thursday daytime detour via John Muir between the junction above the footbridge and Vernal’s top. Treat that as a dated work notice, and reopen the linked conditions page for a later visit. Winter closures can change both trails again. Route source
Sources & further reading
Sources, dates, or details to query? Read our editorial approach.
