# Bridalveil Fall

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bridalveil_Fall
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bridalveil_Fall.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridalveil_Fall
> Source revision: 1339392199
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

For other waterfalls named 'Bridal Veil', see [Bridal Veil Falls (disambiguation)](/source/Bridal_Veil_Falls_(disambiguation)).

Waterfall in Yosemite National Park, California

Bridalveil Fall Interactive map of Bridalveil Fall Location Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California Type Plunge Total height 188 metres (617 ft) Number of drops 1 World height ranking 431

**Bridalveil Fall** is one of the most prominent [waterfalls](/source/Waterfall) in the [Yosemite Valley](/source/Yosemite_Valley) in [California](/source/California).[1] The waterfall is 188 metres (617 ft) in height and flows year round.[2]

## Geology

Base of Bridalveil Fall.

The glaciers that carved Yosemite Valley left many [hanging valleys](/source/Hanging_valley) that spawned the waterfalls that pour into the valley. Most of the waterways that fed these falls carved the hanging valleys into steep cascades, but Bridalveil Creek still leaps into the valley from the edge of the precipice, although that edge has moved back into an alcove from the original edge of the valley. While [Yosemite Falls](/source/Yosemite_Falls) seem to also fall into this category, the original course took the [Yosemite Creek](/source/Yosemite_Creek) down a gorge to the west of its current location.[3]

The primary source of Bridalveil Fall is [Ostrander Lake](/source/Ostrander_Lake), some 16 [kilometers](/source/Kilometre) (9.9 [mi](/source/Mile)) to the south.[4]

In a brisk wind, the falling water is often blown sideways, and when the flow is light, it may not reach the ground directly below. Because of this, the Ahwahneechee [Native Americans](/source/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States) called this waterfall "*Pohono*", which means "Spirit of the Puffing Wind".[5] On August 5, 1856, newspaper editor Warren Baer suggested the name Bridalveil Fall, inspired by its delicate, lacy appearance in late summer.[4]

## See also

- [Yosemite Firefall](/source/Yosemite_Firefall)

- [List of waterfalls](/source/List_of_waterfalls)

- [List of waterfalls in California](/source/List_of_waterfalls_in_California)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** The official name is singular, see [U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridalveil Fall](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/257449).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Things to see"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050831083532/http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/inyose.htm). *Yosemite National Park*. Archived from [the original](http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/inyose.htm) on 2005-08-31. Retrieved 2005-09-20.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Huber, Ph.D., N. King (1987). ["The Geologic Story of Yosemite Valley"](http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/geologic_story_of_yosemite/). *USGS Western Region Geologic Information*. Retrieved 2008-09-16.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hartesveldt1955_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hartesveldt1955_4-1) Hartesveldt, Richard J. (1955). ["Yosemite Valley Place Names"](https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_valley_place_names/). *Yosemite Nature Notes*. Retrieved 28 December 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Kroeber, A.L. (1993). [*Indians of Yosemite*](http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/handbook_of_yosemite_national_park/indians.html). Berkeley: California Indian Library Collections [distributor]. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [58867540](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/58867540). Retrieved 2008-09-16.

## External links

- Media related to [Bridalveil Fall](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bridalveil_Fall) at Wikimedia Commons

- [U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridalveil Fall](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/257449)

- [Story of Bridalveil Fall, Pohono Indian legend.](https://web.archive.org/web/20060813204145/http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node%2F1743)

v t e Waterfalls of Yosemite Valley Bridalveil Horsetail Illilouette Lehamite Nevada Pywiack Cascade Ribbon Royal Arch Cascade Sentinel Silver Strand Snow Creek Staircase Three Chute Vernal Yosemite

v t e Yosemite National Park Attractions Yosemite Valley Yosemite Village Hetch Hetchy Glacier Point Badger Pass Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Tuolumne Meadows Tioga Pass Wawona Tree Chilnualna Falls Valley attractions Half Dome Yosemite Falls El Capitan Films: El Capitan, The Dawn Wall, Free Solo, To the Limit Bridalveil Fall Happy Isles Mirror Lake North Dome Vernal Fall Nevada Fall Little Yosemite Valley LeConte Lodge Bracebridge Dinner Yosemite Firefall Yosemite Valley Chapel Hiking trails John Muir Trail Mist Trail Panorama Trail McGurk Meadow Ostrander Lake Taft Point Sentinel Dome Alder Creek Mariposa Grove Wapama Falls Lembert Dome Rock climbs Fairview Dome, North Face Half Dome, Northwest Face Lost Arrow Spire Midnight Lightning Royal Arches Route Salathé Wall (El Capitan) Steck-Salathé Route (Sentinel Rock) Separate Reality The Nose (El Capitan) People John Muir Stephen T. Mather Galen Clark Shelton Johnson Buffalo Soldiers Chief Tenaya Ahwahnechee people Lodging and camping Yosemite Lodge at the Falls The Ahwahnee Curry Village Wawona Hotel Housekeeping Camp High Sierra Camps Camp 4 Natural disasters 1938 Yosemite TWA crash 1996 Yosemite Valley landslide 1997 Merced River flood 2013 Rim Wildfire 2022 Washburn Wildfire Transportation Nearby airports FAT RMY MMH YARTS Route 140 Route 41 Route 120 Nearby municipalities Foresta El Portal & Arch Rock Entrance Yosemite West & Chinquapin Wawona Bootjack Mariposa Briceburg Oakhurst Midpines Lee Vining Additional information History of the Yosemite area Geology of the Yosemite area List of historic places List of waterfalls Yosemite Category California Portal

Authority control databases International VIAF Geographic World Waterfall

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bridalveil Fall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridalveil_Fall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridalveil_Fall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.