Bridal Veil Falls, Waterfall in Yosemite Valley, US
Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall in Yosemite Valley, California, dropping straight down a vertical granite cliff at the valley's western end. A paved trail leads visitors to a viewpoint close to the base, where the spray can be felt on calm days.
Glaciers carved out Yosemite Valley during the last ice age, leaving behind the steep cliffs that make waterfalls like this one possible. The name Bridal Veil Falls was given by the first group of non-Native Americans to enter the valley, in 1851.
The Ahwahneechee people, who originally lived in the valley, called this waterfall "Pohono", meaning the spirit of the wind. That name still makes sense today: on windy days, the water is pushed sideways by gusts before it ever reaches the ground below.
The waterfall flows strongest in spring, when snowmelt feeds it from above, though it runs year-round. A short paved trail from a nearby parking area leads directly to a viewpoint close to the base, so no strenuous walking is needed.
By late summer, the flow can shrink to almost nothing in dry years, leaving only a thin trace of water on the rock face. This means that visitors who come in summer hoping for a full waterfall may find something far less dramatic than expected.
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