Nevada Fall, Waterfall in Yosemite National Park, California, US

Nevada Fall is a 594-foot (181 m) waterfall on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, below the granite dome Liberty Cap at the west end of Little Yosemite Valley. The water free-falls for about the first third of its height, then strikes a steep slick-rock slope, so the fall bends and turns to whitewater, throwing mist across a wide radius. In the photograph a thin white ribbon drops down a dark, shadowed rock face, screened at its base by green trees.

The name was given by an early explorer who drew a connection to the Sierra Nevada mountains, where early scouts encountered snow. This naming reflects 19th-century exploration, when the area was first documented by newcomers to the region.

The Native American name for the fall was Yo-wy-we, meaning the twist or squirm of the falling water. Lafayette Bunnell proposed "Nevada", Spanish for "snowy", because the white foaming water looked to him like a vast avalanche of snow coming down from the Sierra Nevada.

The Mist Trail to the top starts at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and runs 4.4 km one way, climbing 610 m; allow 5–6 hours for the 8.7 km round trip. The John Muir Trail offers an alternative approach from the south side. A footbridge at the top links both trails, and a viewpoint on the north edge looks down the drop.

The pool above the fall is a popular swimming spot with no park restrictions, but its edge has proved deadly: in June 2018 an 18-year-old fell to his death while taking a selfie there, and in June 2026 a man drowned after going into the water despite a rescue attempt by a former lifeguard, Freesia Gaul.