This vintage postcard dated January, 1910 shows Vernal Falls in Yosemite Valley, and claims that it is “On the Line of the S.P.R.R.” or Southern Pacific Railroad. It may have been a railroad advertisement of one of the many exciting places one could travel to in early 1900s America.
Vernal Falls is not visible from the main valley of Yosemite National Park, but it is an easy walk, just 1.3 miles to the top of the falls from Happy Isle Nature Center near Curry Village and one of the shortest trails in the park. The trail is called the John Muir Trail and winds through woods north of the Merced River. Small, whitewater rapids and cascades can be seen in the river at this point from along the trail.
Vernal Falls is another of the many natural wonders in Yosemite National Park. Although not the largest waterfall in the park, it is in a very beautiful setting and well worth the short hike.