Tenaya Canyon is a dramatic and dangerous canyon in

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, that runs from the outlet of Tenaya Lake 10 miles down to Yosemite Valley, carrying water in Tenaya Creek through a series of spectacular cascades and pools and thence into a deep canyon below Cloud's Rest, a giant granite mountain adjacent to

Half Dome Half Dome is a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smoo ...

. Waterfalls on the creek inside the canyon include

Pywiack Cascade The Pywiack Cascade is a waterfall in Yosemite National Park within the U.S. state of California. It is located a few miles downstream from the outlet of Tenaya Lake on Tenaya Creek at the head of the steep and rugged granite gorge, Tenaya Canyo ...

(named for

Pywiack Dome Pywiack Dome is a prominent 600 foot granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located north-east of Tenaya Lake, west of Tuolumne Meadows and from the Tioga Road. It is quite near Harlequin Dome, and North and South Whizz Domes are north. Jo ...

) and

Three Chute Falls Three Chute Falls (also known as Hidden Falls or Tenaya Creek Falls) is a waterfall on Tenaya Creek in Yosemite National Park, in the U.S. state of California. The waterfall is located in lower Tenaya Canyon, around a half mile upstream from Mirr ...

, near Mirror Lake. The top of the canyon can be seen from Tioga Pass Road ( Route 120), which goes through

Tuolumne Meadows Tuolumne Meadows () is a gentle, dome-studded, sub-alpine meadow area along the Tuolumne River in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park in the United States. Its approximate location is . Its approximate elevation is . The term ''Tuolumne Me ...

and

Tioga Pass Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park, at the Tioga Pass Entrance Station. It is the highest elevation ...

. From

Olmsted Point Olmsted Point is a viewing area off Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite National Park which offers a view south into Tenaya Canyon, giving, in particular, a view of the northern side of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and a view of Tenaya Lake to the east. The gra ...

(a roadside viewing area), Clouds Rest and Yosemite's signature

dominate the canyon. At the bottom of the canyon, in

Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Hal ...

, lies Mirror Lake, accessible by shuttle bus and a short walk. The Quarter Domes are not far, up Tenaya Canyon. The canyon has no foot trail and is notoriously difficult to navigate, particularly in spring and summer when water levels are high. Signs warn against hiking in the canyon. The American Canyoneering Association gives Tenaya Canyon a rating of 3B V. The 3 is an "intermediate" rating on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 most difficult; B is a measure of water volume on a scale of A to C; and the V indicates that the trip will take one and a half days. The canyon has achieved notoriety because of a curse Chief Tenaya reportedly invoked in the 1850s as a result of the death of his son at the hands of a battalion intending to forcibly displace the

Ahwahnechee The Ahwahnechee are a Native American people who traditionally lived in the Yosemite Valley and still live in surrounding area. They are the seven tribes of Yosemite Miwok, Northern Paiute, Kucadikadi Mono Lake people. As one of the most documen ...

people of Yosemite Valley. Those who believe in the curse cite accidents, mysterious deaths, and disappearances. For example, in 1996, two hikers died in the canyon. Some park rangers have reportedly referred to Tenaya Canyon as the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite. Tenaya canyon (8024291171)

Hiking the canyon involves dangerous exposure to heights, and even if there is minimal water in Tenaya Creek, mandatory swims, dangerous waterfalls, and cascades. Wet and slippery glacially polished granite adds to the likelihood of falling.

References

External links

* {{cite gnis , id = 252478 , name = Tenaya Canyon , accessdate = 2008-11-26
A Trip Account
Canyons and gorges of California Landforms of Yosemite National Park Landforms of Mariposa County, California Climbing areas of California