Hiking to Carlon Falls (Yosemite National Park, CA) - Trip Report
Carlon Falls is a popular hike/swimming spot just outside the 120 West entrance of Yosemite National Park (near Hetchy Hetchy). The trailhead starts outside of the park boundary, but shortly into the hike, there’s a gate with a sign indicating that the trail is now in the Yosemite Wilderness. It can be busy during the summer time, but there are so many areas to swim that everyone is generally spread out enough. My family & I headed here for my mom’s birthday to get away from the Valley heat for the day.
Hiking Information
Location: Yosemite National Park (Tuolumne County - near Groveland, California)
Trailhead & Parking: Google Maps
Date Hiked: August 1, 2020
Trail Type: Out & Back
Elevation Change: 281 ft
Distance Roundtrip: 2.8 miles
Nearest Restrooms: Carlon Falls Day Use Area
Fees: Day hiking this area does not require a permit and has no fees.
Season Accessibility: Year round (as long as 120 West is open, this hike is accessible)
Trail Tip: A hot summer day would be best to enjoy the swimming pools
The Drive/Parking
To get to this trailhead, you’re going to head towards the 120 West Entrance (Big Oak Flat) of Yosemite National Park. It is just outside of the National Park near Hetchy Hetchy. Here is the trailhead, there is a small parking lot with room for about 6 cars, then the overflow parking is along the road and near the Day Use area. The road is wide enough that it shouldn’t be an issue to park along the road, that’s where we parked.
The Hike
My mom, little brother, and I headed out on the hike on a Saturday afternoon, which is probably the busiest day and time of day for this trail, but we didn't mind. The trail follows along the South Fork of the Tuolumne River through a very shaded forest. About 5 minutes into the hike, we reached the gate which indicated we were now in the Yosemite Wilderness. Fun fact, day hiking into Yosemite… no fees or reservations needed (most of the time).
After passing through the gate, the trail is pretty flat with lots of shade, making it a very family friendly hike. There are sections of this hike that are burnt from the Rim Fire. Minus the few burnt trees, the trail was surprisingly green even though it was the middle of summer. I expected to see the heat to take more of a toll on the vegetation, but I’m assuming being along the river helped keep everything green.
After about a mile into the trail, more hill-like terrain replaces the mostly flat trail. These hills are moderate, but are more exposure and often dusty because of the dry summers. The hill sections are a bit narrow so usually groups take turns letting people down before they went up. After a few hills, we could see the falls ahead. The main waterfall is Carlon Falls, but there were plenty more waterfalls (on the smaller scale) and water pools further along the trail.
I stopped taking photos after Carlon Falls because the dirt trail fades away and the only way to navigate to the further water pools is to go through the water. I tucked my camera away and went about 2-3 pools back with my family. Each little group had their own little water pool which was nice. We enjoyed the cool waters for a few hours, slowly exploring a few more pools further up. My mom even spotted the cutest little garter snake getting some water. It was so friendly and hung out on the rocks near us. Overall, even for being a busy trail, there’s plenty of room for your own little area to enjoy some swimming in this beautiful part of Yosemite National Park. Happy Trails!
VIDEO OF MY ADVENTURE
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Tiare Kirkland
Hi! My name is Tiare, but you can just call me ‘T’. I’m a California based hiker and I spend most of my free time taking photos and videos of some of my favorite hikes. You can usually find me ‘Out Hiking’ in the Sierra Nevada mountain range or road-tripping to new areas. Read more about me here and follow along with my adventures by subscribing below!