Address
Hetch Hetchy Rd
Groveland, CA 95321
Experience Type
Nature & Wildlife
EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION
The Wapama Falls Trail begins at O’Shaughnessy Dam and traces the northern shore of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir through granite-walled terrain that John Muir called the equal of Yosemite Valley. Round-trip is about five miles with modest elevation gain, ending at twin waterfalls that plunge over 1,000 feet of cliff face into the canyon. In spring, snowmelt sends Wapama’s flow over the trail bridges with enough force that rangers sometimes close the crossing. Hetch Hetchy sees a fraction of Yosemite Valley’s visitors, making it one of the most accessible genuinely remote experiences in the park.
OPERATOR STORY
Hetch Hetchy Valley was once described by John Muir as a twin to Yosemite Valley. Muir spent the final years of his life fighting to prevent its flooding for San Francisco's water supply. The O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923 over his fierce opposition. The trail to Wapama Falls runs along the reservoir's northern shoreline, tracing the edge of the original valley floor.
