Yosemite's Waterfalls Prepare for Their Major Moment

THE WORD "MOMENT"? It's really straight from the eye-of-the-beholder, that's-your-opinion files. A moment to one person might be quite brief, while for someone else it lasts considerably longer, more than a few seconds, maybe even a minute or two. However you define it, it seems almost comical, or at the very least somewhat questionable, to apply it to the natural wonders of Yosemite Valley. Rather than speaking in the language of mere "moments," we need to think in eons and eras when rhapsodizing about the great granite walls and sky-high falls that are synonymous with the Sierra Nevada-based national park. Sometimes, though? Saying an eternal element located within Yosemite National Park is having its moment feels right, especially if you're talking about the booming waterfalls of springtime.

SO MUCH OF THAT DROPLET-DAZZLING BOOM... is dependent on a snowy winter, which didn't exactly materialize over the 2020-2021 season. And yet? Run, the waterfalls do and shall, and powerfully, too. If you're seeking to bask in some of that timeless power and splendor, the moment of waterfall wonder is nigh at the national park, for May and early June are on fast approach. And as spring turns to summer? Waterfallians in California and beyond look to Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Falls, and the other gushers for inspiration, beauty, and, yes, a moment of profound joy. Some of the falls around the valley reach well over 1,000 feet high, and a few surpass 2,000 feet, but even the smaller spill-overs are breath-takers. But before you're in place, ready for the blissful taking of your breath by some of the greatest H2O-oriented sights on the planet?

AN ENTRANCE RESERVATION IS IN ORDER, if you're visiting Yosemite National Park from May 21 through Sept. 30, 2021. There are some asterisks to this, like if you have a lodging reservation in the park, so do take an all-important moment now and review all of the new information on Yosemite's official NPS site.