Rancheria Falls

Hike Stats:

Distance: 13 miles RT

Elevation Gain: 800 feet

Date Hiked: February 2020

Location: Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite National Park

Among many areas within the National Park System, the stories about how they came to be protected are fascinating and are often headlined with something along the lines of “Conservationists Win Against Capitalist Greed!” The classic stories I think of are how the Giant Sequoias were protected from destruction via logging or how the river running through Cuyahoga Valley was cleaned up after being so polluted that it caught fire. Looking back, it’s painfully obvious how special these treasures were and are and how close humans were to destroying them forever. But Hetch Hetchy is not one of those stories. It’s a story of how conservationist groups like the John Muir-led Sierra Club fought against government pressure to build a dam...and failed.

On the way into Hetch Hetchy

The story goes like this: Hetch Hetchy was once a stunning valley surrounded by towering granite cliffs, thundering waterfalls, and verdant pastures that had been maintained by the Miwok and Paiute native peoples for millennia. It was a place that challenged even the majestic Yosemite Valley in beauty. However, after the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires that devastated San Francisco, the residents and government officials began to realize that they needed a better water supply, and they needed it badly. The Hetch Hetchy Valley, fed by the Tuolumne River, was determined to be the perfect spot for a reservoir based on its natural architecture. With Yosemite Valley next door, Hetch Hetchy was declared to not be unique and that the valley could be flooded without too much destruction of the scenery. After a bitter seven year battle, Congress passed an act that allowed for the building of the O’Shaughnessy Dam and the subsequent creation of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

As I stood atop the dam, I couldn’t help but try to imagine what the area would’ve looked like had it not been flooded with the deep blue water that hides another 300 feet of granite cliffs and waterfalls. However, the reservoir was still stunning and I wasn’t about to spend my hike wondering about what could have been so I set off...at a clipped pace of course because, as per usual, I arrived a bit late and needed to finish the hike before the gates closed at 5.

View of the reservoir from the dam

The trail took me across the dam and through a dark tunnel filled with puddles that had been cut into the cliffside. Going through the tunnel is pretty much the only time throughout the hike where views of the reservoir are obscured. Coming out of the tunnel, the trail tracks along the left side of the lake for most of the way with shady sections being few and far between.

With unobstructed views of the cliffs surrounding the reservoir, it’s impossible not to make comparisons to its former cousin Yosemite Valley. The rounded Kolana Rock dome was reminiscent of the Valley’s Half Dome, while the dramatically steep cliffs across from it could easily be mistaken for a (slightly) smaller El Capitan.

After wandering across the stone trail for a little over 2 miles, I began to hear the sound of water roaring and knew I was about to come upon the tiered Wapama Falls. During the spring after a good snow year, the falls can cover the bridge with its torrent, nature’s Gandalf if you will. Thankfully I was indeed able to pass and enjoy the view of the falls from several different angles, each one seemingly revealing a new tier to the waterfall.

The trail after the falls was just one great view of the reservoir after the other, and with the relatively low grade of the trail, I could simply hike along enjoying the views instead of watching my feet or stopping every few minutes to catch my breath. I happily complied as the tree-studded granite hills in the distance beckoned me further and further into the backcountry.

Rancheria Falls is not quite as immediately dramatic as some of the other waterfalls in Yosemite, rather, it consists of a series of small falls and cascades that gradually pick up steam as they make their way through a narrow canyon and out towards the reservoir. My first glimpse was that of a cascade that fanned out as the water streamed down a large slab of granite. It was lovely, especially with the cliff and hill-studded backdrop. I was able to scramble down a bit to get a closer glimpse, but apparently there was a turn off by the camping area that would’ve brought me even closer. I would’ve known that had I been bothered to do any research before simply setting off. Ha, oh well!

After leaving my little lookout perch of the falls, I felt my heart begin to race. Not because of the exhilaration of getting to experience being in such a wonderful setting, but because I had almost stepped in a very large, and very fresh, pile of bear poop. Praying that I hadn’t just surprised a momma bear with her cubs (but also secretly hoping I would see the bear), I stepped up my pace and power-hiked the rest of the way to my turnaround point: a small bridge crossing over the top of Rancheria Falls.

Let me tell you, I could’ve sat on that bridge all day. This was by far my favorite spot of the hike. To my left, there was a stream of blue-green water that was stair-stepping down a narrow chute, emptying out into a pool underneath the bridge. To my right, the water rushed out of the pool as it continued on to become part of the rest of Rancheria Falls, and eventually, the reservoir. The sight of the water flowing down between grey boulders with Kolana Rock looming in the background was really something else.

With the sun lowering further in the sky, I forced myself to leave this magical spot and head back to the trailhead so that I could make it out of Hetch Hetchy before the gates closed. There may or may not have been a few sections of the trail that were jogged to try to cut some time. I made it, but barely!

Hetch Hetchy is not something I knew much about before I decided to visit, and it surprised me with its beauty and grandeur, even despite the dam. John Muir was devastated at the loss of this valley, but as he once said, “Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.”

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