Tueeulala Falls is located on the north side of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. At roughly 880 feet it is the smaller of two large waterfalls that spill into Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the other being Wapama Falls. It is, however, the larger of the two in terms of greatest free-fall distance, as Wapama is split into two falls. Tueeulala Fall drops free for 600 feet, hits a ledge, then slides steeply down 280 feet further. The hike to the top of the falls is off trail but fairly brush free and straightforward.
The waterfall is highly seasonal and is one of the most irregular waterfalls in the park. This is due to it being located on a channel of Falls Creek, the creek which Wapama Falls is on, that only flows during spring snowmelt when water from the creek overflows the bank. This can turn Tueeulala Falls into one of the most powerful waterfalls in the park during certain times, however it can also lose flow faster than any other waterfall in Yosemite.
Wapama Falls is the larger of two waterfalls located on the northern wall of Hetch Hetchy Valley below Hetch Hetchy Dome, in Yosemite National Park. It flows almost year-round and during peak flow has been known to inundate the trail bridge crossing its base, making the falls impossible to pass. The falls consist of two primary drops angled roughly 60 degrees to each other, and a broad cascade at its base.
Wapama Falls descends just under 1,100 feet. Like Yosemite Falls, it has three distinct parts. The topmost is a free drop of perhaps 300 feet, followed by a steeply-cascading stream which descends 600 feet in a steep-sided gorge, much like the stream between Upper and Lower Yosemite Fall. These cascades cannot be seen in their entirety from the trail: such a view is seen from across the Valley high on Kolana Rock. Finally, the bottom drop, seen from the dam and intimately from the trail, is one of about 200 feet down an escarpment that is not vertical, but in high water the water shoots outward to clear this descent.
Visitors can reach Wapama Falls by hiking 2.5 miles up Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Trail from O'Shaughnessy Dam. Here are two videos found on the internet in 2023:
Wapama Waterfall at Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir
Wapama Waterfall at Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir
On May 31, 1972 I day hiked from the dam at Hetch-Hetcy Reservoir on a five mile round trip to Falls Creek for pictures of the above two waterfalls that are spectacular this time of year.
Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir Waterfalls route 1972
