Hetch Hetchy (H4)
This glacial valley once rivaled Yosemite in beauty, but was flooded when the O'Shaughnessy Dam was built.
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Hetch Hetchy (H4) Details
The O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923 and the valley was flooded to create the Hetch Tetchy Reservoir to supply water to San Francisco. Just above the Valley is the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River which flows down from Tuolumne Meadows. Hetch Hetchy was part of this canyon prior to being submerged. You can take a number of day hikes in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park, including a five-mile roundtrip to the 1,100-foot Wapama Falls starting at O'Shaughnessy Dam, and a two-mile hike from the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station to Lookout Point, where you'll have a great view of the drowned Hetch Hetchy Valley. Roadside marker: H4
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
Hetch Hetchy
Nearby Parks Around Hetch Hetchy (H4)
Compare nearby parks around Hetch Hetchy (H4) when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Hetch Hetchy (H4)
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Hetch Hetchy (H4) while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Hetch Hetchy View (H5)
Provides a viewpoint of the Valley's waterfalls.
0.1 mi away
Hetch Hetchy View
Provides a viewpoint of the Valley's waterfalls.
0.3 mi away
O'Shaughnessy Dam
A curved gravity dam on the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley of Yosemite National Park.
2.0 mi away
Wapama Falls
The larger of two waterfalls located on the northern wall of Hetch Hetchy Valley.
2.3 mi away
Hetch Hetchy Railroad (HHRR)
A 68-mile standard gauge railroad constructed by the City of San Francisco to support construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam.