Ribbon Fall

Ribbon Fall is the tallest single-drop waterfall in North America, plummeting an astonishing 1,612 feet off the west face of El Capitan. When flowing at full strength in late spring, the slender ribbon of water free-falls for nearly a third of a mile before shattering into mist on the talus slope below. The sheer scale is difficult to comprehend until you stand beneath it and crane your neck skyward, watching the water seem to materialize from the sky itself before vanishing into spray long before reaching the ground.

There is no maintained trail directly to the base of Ribbon Fall, and the best views are from the western end of Yosemite Valley along Southside Drive and from the Bridalveil Fall parking area. Photographers often capture it alongside El Capitan for dramatic scale. The viewpoint from Valley View on Northside Drive also offers an excellent perspective where Ribbon Fall appears as a silver thread against the massive granite face.

Ribbon Fall is highly seasonal, fed entirely by snowmelt from the meadows above El Capitan. It typically flows from March through June, with peak flow in May. By midsummer it has usually dried up completely. In heavy snow years, the fall can persist into July, and in exceptionally cold winters, an ice cone builds at its base similar to the one beneath Yosemite Falls. Time your visit for May to see this ephemeral giant at its most powerful.