Lehamite Falls

Lehamite Falls is a small-volume waterfall in Yosemite National Park. Immediately to the right of Yosemite Falls and visible from above Yosemite Village, the falls are situated in a little gap in the north wall of Indian Canyon. Similar to Sentinel Fall, it consists of an extensive network of steep falls that descend deep into Yosemite Valley.

Le-ham-i-te, a phrase the local Native Americans used to describe Indian Canyon, is said to mean "arrow wood," according to Lafayette Bunnell, one of the discoverers of Yosemite Valley. When the name India Gorge was adopted, the title "Lehamite" eventually drifted to the falls and adjacent creek, Lehamite Falls and Creek.

The falls start out as rocky portions with individual steps, and finally descend in a ponytail, dropping a total of 1,130 feet through a fissure in the granite cliffs. The intricacies of Lehamite Falls' shape and characteristics are unknown outside of what can be seen from the meadows of Yosemite Valley since access to the bottom of the waterfall is so difficult. Furthermore, being located near Yosemite Falls and appearing only in early spring or after a heavy rainstorm, Lehamite Falls is also rarely seen and is the lesser-visited large waterfall in Yosemite National Park.

In short, Lehamite Falls:

• A small-volume waterfall in Yosemite National Park, located in a tributary of the Indian Gorge, near Yosemite Village.
• The term "Lehamite" is known as arrow wood.
• Consists of sections of rock with individual steps, and descends in a ponytail for a total of 1,130 feet through a fissure in the granite cliff.