Mist Falls
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The rocks around Mist Falls are perpetually slick from spray, and the park has documented multiple serious injuries from people slipping near the base. Stay off wet granite surfaces entirely — what looks like solid footing becomes a water slide without warning.
Highway 180 into Cedar Grove closes for winter in mid-November and typically reopens the fourth Friday in April, so this trail is effectively a late-spring-through-fall destination only. Check with CalTrans before making the drive.
There is no reliable water filtration point along the trail — carry all the water you need for the full eight-mile round trip, especially on hot summer days when the exposed first section will drain you faster than you expect.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Start by 8 AM from the Roads End parking area — the lot fills completely by mid-morning on summer weekends, and the first three exposed miles are significantly more pleasant before the sun climbs overhead.
The trail is wheelchair accessible for the initial flat section along the river, but the final push to the falls involves rocky, uneven terrain with significant elevation gain — plan accordingly and bring trekking poles for the descent, when tired legs meet wet rock.
For the best photographs of the falls, arrive when morning light hits the cascade directly — the mist creates reliable rainbow effects between roughly 10 AM and noon. Position yourself on the rocks to the left of the falls for the classic composition, but stay behind the obvious wet line on the granite.
Photos
NPS
