Vernal Falls is a large waterfall on the Merced River just downstream of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, California. While the official height of the waterfall is 317 feet (97 m), the United States Geographical Survey has measured it at approximately 240 feet (73 m). The waterfall runs all year long, although by the end of summer it is substantially reduced in volume and can split into multiple strands, rather than a single curtain of water.