waterfall located on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, east-central California, U.S. It is situated about 5 miles (8 km) above the confluence of the Merced River with Tenaya Creek. One of the park's major falls, it flows year-round and has a drop of 594 feet (181 metres). The fall is the subject of a well-known image by American photographer Ansel Adams (Adams, Ansel).