Wapama Falls and Kolana Rock

About Wapama Falls and Kolana Rock

Wapama Falls and Kolana Rock face each other across the water of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, tucked away in the quiet northwest corner of Yosemite. The Wapama Falls tumble a granite wall straight into the reservoir all year round (a lot of the other Yosemite waterfalls dry up seasonally). Kolana Rock is a rugged dome of pale grey granite coming up out of the water with nothing in front of it. You can capture both of them in one frame from the Hetch Hetchy/O'Shaughnessy Dam with the falls on the left, Kolana on the right, and the reservoir stretching away between them. A long lens from the dam will tuck the falls tight against the cliff and pull out the texture in Kolana's face. If you want closer views the Wapama/Rancheria Fall Trail winds along the edge of the reservoir taking you through a short tunnel blasted through the rock, then along the north shore for about 3.5 km to the base of the falls. You can easily pause along the trail to experiment with various views and compositions using the water as the foreground and both landmarks in the frame. A little bridge carries you over the falls and gives a unique view with the tumbling water as a foreground to pair with Kolana standing tall in the background. The snowmelt in spring increases the falls so they almost thunder down the granite and the spray carries across the trail. (Sometimes the trail closes if the falls are running quite high and the bridge becomes unsafe.) By late summer the water thins out and the granite becomes part of the composition instead. Evergreen Road is only open from sunrise to sunset, so there is no option for sunrise or sunset photography here. Ideally try to plan your shooting adventure for a weekday, since the lot is small and fills up quickly on weekends. (Yosemite National Park, California, United States)

Where to find Wapama Falls and Kolana Rock

Nearby Photo Spots