Cascades, The

The Cascades can be found 2.8 miles east of the Arch Rock entrance station or 1.7 miles west of the junction with the Big Oak Flat Road, along Highway 140 in Yosemite National Park. The upper section of the falls is seen from the bridge over the creek along the Big Oak Flat Road, while the main part of the falls is visible from Highway 140. Cross-valley vistas of essentially the entire falls can be obtained by hiking out onto the granite slopes above The Rostrum where the Wawona Road bends around Elephant Dome and heads south from the valley. There are no trails in the area and drop-offs are sheer and unprotected, so proceed at your own risk.The Cascades is the first major waterfall one encounters when entering Yosemite Valley via the Arch Rock entrance to Yosemite National Park. The falls are found along Cascade Creek between the Big Oak Flat Road and the El Portal Road, and occur immediately as Cascade and Tamarack Creeks merge. Cascade Creek plunges into the Merced Gorge via a shallow sluice-like notch in the cliff, while Tamarack Creek partially pours into Cascade Creek just above the falls, and during the spring melt season also partially funnels directly toward the cliff and creates a second segment of falling water at the top of the falls. The collective flow of both creeks then bounces down several small ledges that jut outward from the cliff, causing the falls to bounce eastward as it descends into the narrow alcove at its base.
The total drop of the falls is approximately 545 feet, and while it may not look like it from certain angles, it is effectively all one single drop. Viewed from the El Portal Road and the base of the falls, only about half of the drop can be seen due to the way it falls down the alcove. Because this eye-catching display is the first major waterfall seen in Yosemite Valley, first time visitors who don't know better have been known to mistake it for Yosemite Falls itself.
There are addional waterfalls and cascades along Cascade Creek upstream from the Big Oak Flat Road that can be seen from various points along the road, however these are separated by enough distance that they should be considered entirely independent waterfalls and not part of The Cascades themselves.The Cascades were named by Lafayette Bunnell, who deliberately chose to use the plural form of the word in attempt to draw attention to the fact that as Tamarack and Cascade Creeks drop into the main part of the fall, they appear to fall in twin form (at least during the spring months).