Chilnualna Falls Trail Hiker Reviews

We went up with groups of school kids last week. It was raining and snowing which made the hike extremely challenging but it was very satisfying in the end. Yes, please pack plenty of water and make sure you are dressed well for the weather in case you are going in colder times.

We decided to try something new and challenging. Little did we know what we were in for. We thought the first 1/2 mile was the worst, however we were very wrong. We made that right turn somewhere along that trail and were looking straight up at this insane "hill"! The views were AMAZING, and the weather was great as well! We were just unprepared for the strenuous nature of this trail! When they say the elevation increases 2300 feet, they are NOT kidding and it seems like it increases all at once! We will most definitely be doing this trail again when A) we are in much better shape and B) we get walking sticks. They are a MUST on this trail! All in all, it is a great trail, just bring plenty of water and be prepared for a very intense hike!

This hike was so much fun. Bring plenty of water and leave early in the morning. Up hill is hard, down hill is much easier (obviously). The views and the pools below the upper fall are well worth the effort but it is not an easy stroll by any means.

I love this hike! I have done it at least 5 times. Better in Spring before the falls dry up. It is a great mixture of different hiking "microclimates" - there is the beginning steep stair step, a nice meadow section, knarly switchbacks at the top and much pleasant scenery the entire way. I highly recommend it if you are in good shape, breathing toward the top requires frequent rest stops for me, but you can get downhill in half the time it takes to go up. Take plenty of water and a picnic for the top. You will want to stay for awhile - it is so beautiful!

Well so far I've done this hike twice, once in August and the other in June. I found June to be the better of the times as there is so much more water making the falls that much better! When I did go in August it was neat as well because you could actually see the pools of water at the upper falls and stick your feet in after the hike. I love the hike as well just because it's enough to give you a good workout but totally worth it in the end! It's a good warm up hike to get you back in shape before tackling some of the other hikes in Yosemite. You'll love the fact that there isn't as much of a crowd but it still has wonderful waterfalls. I will always continue to make this hike a part of my routine when hiking in Yosemite!

My wife and I wanted to hike to Upper Yosemite Falls but needed to get in shape. We found that this hike is just what is needed to build our endurance and test our fortitude. The first part of the hike (spring) is spectactular with crashing waterfalls and steep climbing. After getting past the initial climb the trail climbs to a plateau area with plenty of kick back areas next to the river feeding the forementioned waterfalls. You could easily stop here and go back and have a great time and a fairly short hike of a couple of hours. If you continue up to the upper falls the hike becomes a relentless climb with another nice fairly flat area just before the long part. Be prepared for a long day. Bring plenty of supplies. Once on top you will have a sense of accomplishment as this hike is fairly challenging. Now you gotta come down.

Great hike, because it includes both a great view of the waterfall at multiple points and has many parts of the trail that are just wilderness. My son and I did this last year (2011) but we only made it 1/2 way up because it was getting dark. Looking forward to doing the whole hike this year. Also, we went in July when parts of the park are very crowded and we only saw 4 people the whole time.

Went on this hike mid September 2011. Group of 8. Ages 20-32. Weather was perfect. Started at about 11:30am. Stopped for snack about 1 3/4 miles into trail. Had planned to eat lunch at the falls but took too long going up. Ended up eating on trail. Well appointed trails. Not crowded at all. Could have stopped to swim at a pool on the way but decided to keep going. Had never been on this hike before. There was a point where my hubby said "See that waterfall? That's our destination." Everyone was like "yeah right". Hubby was jk but little did we know that it really was. Hard getting up but it was totally worth it. The falls were small but beautiful. Water was not high so we were able to navigate the rocks and get to the small waterfall at the backside of the falls. A couple of us went swimming. Navigated our way back to the trail to go back down and there was a tiny pool with a tiny cascade just before the 240 ft drop. So appealing. It looked like a little spa. So we all got in again. It was about 4:30 pm when we started back down. We hustled on the way down. Didn't want to get caught on the trail after dark. The trek down was killer on the joints. Easier on the muscles. Overall it was a great hike. I like the time of year we chose. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much earlier in the year with high water.

Recommendations:

-go at this time of year

-take more water or take water bottles with filter and fill up at the falls or take water cleansing tablets for your bottles if you decide to refill at the falls

-start earlier in the day

-take extra clothing and socks in case you decide to take a dip in the pools

-take hiking poles, think this would have been helpful on the way down

My friend Richard Hedges and I did this hike on Sunday June 26, 2011. A wonderful hike and it will be beautiful to have it done when there is gashing water.....it depends on the winter of the previous year you can determine when to hike this trail. It took us 4 hours to hike up there and 2 hours to hike down. It is difficult yet it is a pleasant hike. Lots of wild flowers and beautiful scenery. Enjoy if you do this hike.