Why hike to Rancheria Falls?
If you’re a celebrity with an aquaphobic stalker, this trail is sweet relief: you’ll never be out of sight of water on this hike – not even when you’re puddle-hopping through the tunnel at the beginning of the trail. Best time to visit: In the winter, when the crowds are low, and the spring, when the waterfalls are roaring. Because of its relatively low elevation, the Rancheria Falls trail is not at its best during Yosemite’s tourist peak of Memorial Day through Labor Day. Crowd Factor: Higher than you’d expect for a hike in a part of Yosemite that most people have never heard of. The crowd thins out considerably once you pass Wapama Falls, but since there’s a hike-in campsite near the bottom of Rancheria Falls, you’ll probably never be the only one on the trail. Difficulty: Rancheria Falls rates a 6 or 7 on a scale where Washburn Point scores a 0 and Half Dome is a 10. It’s a long hike, and though there’s only a mild elevation change from the trailhead to the falls, there’s plenty of
