Foresta Falls - Yosemite National Park

Foresta Falls and the burned out bridge in Yosemite National Park

This week we’re heading back to one of my favorite places in California, Yosemite National Park, to visit a special waterfall. Join me as we visit Foresta Falls.

History

Sierra Miwok Indians made there home in the Big Meadow area hunting, fishing, and gathering. Miners and settlers began entering the region by the 1850s. Foresta was purchased by the Foresta Land Company in 1912 and a Summer resort on the property was planned, but the project was never completed. However, 80 cabins lined the woods and meadow here until the devastating A-Rock Fire in 1990 (and later the Big Meadow Fire in 2009) destroyed over half of these structures.

Fire damage in Foresta within Yosemite National Park

Location

Foresta is located less than 10 miles from Yosemite Valley. From Northside Drive/El Portal Road at the west end of Yosemite Valley, take Big Oak Flat Road for just over 3 miles (towards Hwy 120). Turn left onto Old Coulterville Road for 2.5 miles, and then park in the small dirt pullout on the right (map pin here).

The old Foresta Road and trail to Foresta Falls in Yosemite National Park

Hike

The hike to Foresta Falls is fairly gentle and easy at 2 miles round trip. You’ll descend down the old dirt Foresta Road alongside Crane Creek and its tumbling cascades. The trail runs through a pine forest which still shows major signs of fire damage all along the way…but if you visit in Spring, the wildflowers have returned along with beautiful birds, bees, and butterflies. You lose over 200 feet in elevation before you reach the burned out bridge and a final 40 foot drop at the end (meaning you’ll be hiking up all the way back). The bridge is a great place to see the waterfall as well as the cascading pools on both sides.

Wildflowers along the trail to Foresta Falls in Yosemite National Park

Crane Creek cascades down alongside the Foresta Falls trail

Know Before You Go

• As with most of Yosemite’s waterfalls, plan your trip in late Spring or early Summer for the most impressive water flow (you’ll only see a trickle here by Fall).

• There are no restrooms, trashcans, water/snacks here, so plan ahead and pack out everything you pack in.

• Foresta Road technically continues to El Portal (dropping over 2,000 feet in 5 miles).

• Be wise when exploring here…there are ticks and poison oak in the area, and the granite along the cascades are slick in many places.

• Always check the NPS website prior to visiting Yosemite for road closures, weather information, and visiting guidelines. At the time of this article, reservations are required to enter the park, which can be obtained here.

• Please remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. Pack out everything you pack in and stay on the designated paths. If you’re not familiar with the Leave No Trace Principles, consider familiarizing yourself with them before your trip. Please help leave this special place better than you found it, so its natural beauty can be enjoyed for years to come.

Other Yosemite Points of Interest

• Firefall
• Sentinel Dome
• Taft Point
• Roosevelt Point
• Glacier Point
• Yosemite Valley
• Tunnel View
• Lower Yosemite Falls
• Cooks Meadow/Lower Falls Loop
• Pioneer Yosemite History Center
• Wawona Swinging Bridge
• Tioga Pass
• Mammoth Lakes
• Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP

Wildflowers in the burn area in Foresta within Yosemite National Park

In Summary & Behind the Blog Video

Thanks so much for joining me on this waterfall hike today. Foresta is one of only a few enclaves of private property located inside Yosemite National Park. This is an often overlooked area, but it’s certainly one of my most treasured spots to visit in Yosemite (when looking at property in Yosemite this is always my dream location). The fire scars here are still prominent and continue to tell the heartbreaking story of loss in this area, but every year more green returns and I cherish escaping the busyness of the valley for the quiet here. For a virtual visit see my Behind the Blog YouTube video below, and until next week I hope you find adventure and encouragement wherever you go.

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