Ribbon Falls – California
As one of the tallest waterfalls in the world, Ribbon Falls is located within Yosemite Valley, California. Even though it isn’t regarded as one of the best waterfalls in the surrounding area (and there are quite a few impressive ones), it’s sheer height alone puts in our top list of attractions to see in California.
Ribbon Falls drops over 1,600 feet and is considered an uninterrupted waterfall meaning the cascading water doesn’t stop at any point down it’s decent into things such as a swimming hole. However, the first few hundred feet the waters do hug the cliffside so it can’t be a true “free-falling” waterfall. Even still, the 1,000+ feet it does drop from the sky is more than almost any other waterfall you will find in the United States.
Location of Ribbon Falls
Just to the west of El Capitan, the combining rivers at over 3,000 feet in elevation seem to corkscrew around until it veers off to form this majestic view of natural flowing waters. Ribbon Falls is someone hidden within an alcove which makes it rather hard to see as you visit Yosemite. Because of this most visitors tend to flock towards the more accessible waterfalls in the area such as Bridalveil. To make matters worse, Ribbon Fall is only visible for about half the year when the snowmelt causes enough flowing water. This tends to be in March – July months. If you can catch it at the right time, it’s one of our favorite scenic waterfalls within Yosemite.
If you are in California and want to spend a day chasing waterfalls, be sure to put Ribbon falls on your bucket list. As the tallest one in the United States, during peak season it’s truly a spectacular hidden gem of the state. If it’s not peak season there are still several amazing waterfalls in the area to visit. What do you have to lose!
South Falls