 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(May 2024) |
| Waterwheel Falls | |
|---|---|
 Waterwheel Falls | |
 Interactive map of Waterwheel Falls | |
| Location | Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, Yosemite National Park, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 37°55′38″N119°27′32″W / 37.92722°N 119.45889°W |
| Type | Slide |
Waterwheel Falls is a waterfall in the Sierra Nevada of California, located in Yosemite National Park. It is the largest of the many waterfalls of the Tuolumne River. Its upper part contains a series of small ledges, each of which creates a small plume as the water is deflected away from the rock face. A regular phenomenon appears at the first and largest of these ledges during the high-water season of early summer. Strong gusts of wind can lift part of the spray and blow it back upward, causing it to reenter the falls above the ledge. [1] This cyclic "waterwheel" gives the falls their name.
