Falls Creek (California)

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Coordinates: 37°57′47″N 119°45′55″W / 37.96306°N 119.76528°W / 37.96306; -119.76528
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the stream in San Mateo County, see Fall Creek (San Mateo County, California).

Falls Creek
One of the several tiers of Wapama Falls
EtymologyNamed for the two large waterfalls that occur at its mouth
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionYosemite National Park
Physical characteristics
SourceDorothy Lake
 • coordinates38°10′10″N 119°35′43″W / 38.16944°N 119.59528°W / 38.16944; -119.59528
 • elevation9,500 ft (2,900 m)
MouthHetch Hetchy Reservoir
 • coordinates
37°57′47″N 119°45′55″W / 37.96306°N 119.76528°W / 37.96306; -119.76528
 • elevation
3,783 ft (1,153 m)
Length24 mi (39 km)
Basin size44.5 sq mi (115 km2)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationTuolumne River
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftTilden Creek

Falls Creek, also known as the Falls River,

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, dropping over two well-known waterfalls. The Pacific Crest Trail
and other national park trails follow the creek for much of its course.

Course

Hetch Hetchy Valley
before flooding

Falls Creek begins at Dorothy Lake, which is located at one of the northernmost points in the national park. The headwaters, at nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation, lie between

Hetch Hetchy Valley, forming two waterfalls, Wapama Falls and Tueeulala Falls, near Hetch Hetchy Dome.[3][4]

Watershed

The Falls Creek watershed drains 44.5 square miles (115 km2)2012-03-29 of the

glaciated, mostly-granite bowls and moraines
of the Falls Creek watershed are home to many lakes, both named and unnamed. These include Dorothy, Mary, Tilden, Wilma, and Vernon lakes. The creek runs year round and is known to produce large amounts of runoff, often flooding bridges that carry the Hetch Hetchy trail over its mouth in the peak of snowmelt.

Recreation

Lake Vernon near the mouth of Falls Creek is located in a basin where many of the trails in the Falls Creek watershed converge

Trails follow Falls Creek for much of its length. From Dorothy Pass at its headwaters to the beginning of the canyon, the Pacific Crest Trail follows the creek southward, but breaks away to the east afterward, near Wilma Lake. From there, a spur trail continues to follow the creek southwest to the end of the canyon, where it climbs to follow the ridge to the west of the creek. Another trail leads from the west side of Hetch Hetchy Valley and climbs above the Falls Creek drainage divide with Eleanor Creek (which flows into Lake Eleanor) and loops down to Lake Vernon. An unofficial trail also leads southwest from Lake Vernon to the brink of Wapama Falls.[5] There are two ranger stations near Falls Creek, one at Wilma Lake and one at Lake Vernon. There are no designated campsites anywhere within the Falls Creek watershed.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data: The National Map". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "Falls Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. January 19, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  3. ^ USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Yosemite National Park (PDF) (Map). Cartography by National Park Service. U.S. National Park Service. 2003. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  5. ISBN 0-89997-383-3
    .
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