Happy Isles

Small group of isles in the Merced River, Yosemite National Park

This article is about the small group of isles in the Merced River , US. For the earthly paradise inhabited by the heroes of Greek mythology, see Fortunate Isles.

Happy Isles

The Merced River in Happy Isles

Topographic map of Happy Isles area

Geography
Coordinates| 37°43′54″N 119°33′31″W﻿ / ﻿37.73171°N 119.558694°W﻿ / 37.73171; -119.558694

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.
Find sources: "Happy Isles" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022)

|

Happy Isles is a group of small isles in the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California, USA. They are located at the easternmost end of the Yosemite Valley floor. This scenic spot is the starting point for the Mist Trail, and is also the northern trailhead for the John Muir Trail.[1] Happy Isles is also the trailhead for popular hiking destinations along the Mist Trail (including Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls) and Half Dome.

Happy Isles is located where the slope of the Merced River changes from the much steeper upper main stem to the essentially flat Valley floor. At Happy Isles, the river gradient is approximately 2%. The gradient of the Merced River at Happy Isles is steeper than in the Valley floor, and the channel of the river is cut into erosion-resistant granitic boulders and talus materials, compared to channel deposits of sands and gravel present on the Valley floor. The steeper gradient and composition of streambed materials together impede meandering patterns from developing in this area.[2]

The area near Happy Isles sustained damage in 1996 during a rockslide. A number of signposts near the Isles are dedicated to the rockfall.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails". NPS.gov. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
2. ^ This article incorporates public domain material from Happy Isles Bridge Removal Project Environmental Assessment. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-10-17.

## External links[edit]

* USGS: Happy Isles Webcam

* v
* t
* e

Yosemite National Park

Attractions|

* Yosemite Valley
* Yosemite Village
* Hetch Hetchy
* Glacier Point
* Badger Pass
* Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
* Tuolumne Meadows
* Tioga Pass
* Wawona Tree
* Chilnualna Falls

| Valley
attractions|

* Half Dome
* Yosemite Falls
* El Capitan
* Films: El Capitan, The Dawn Wall, Free Solo, To the Limit
* Bridalveil Fall
* Happy Isles
* Mirror Lake
* North Dome
* Vernal Fall
* Nevada Fall
* Little Yosemite Valley
* LeConte Lodge
* Bracebridge Dinner
* Yosemite Firefall
* Yosemite Valley Chapel

|
|

Hiking
trails|

* John Muir Trail
* Mist Trail
* Panorama Trail
* McGurk Meadow
* Ostrander Lake
* Taft Point
* Sentinel Dome
* Alder Creek
* Mariposa Grove
* Wapama Falls
* Lembert Dome

Rock
climbs|

* Fairview Dome, North Face
* Half Dome, Northwest Face
* Lost Arrow Spire
* Lost Arrow Spire Tip
* Midnight Lightning
* Royal Arches Route
* Salathé Wall (El Capitan)
* Steck-Salathé Route (Sentinel Rock)
* Separate Reality
* The Nose (El Capitan)

People|

* John Muir
* Stephen T. Mather
* Galen Clark
* Shelton Johnson
* Buffalo Soldiers
* Chief Tenaya
* Ahwahnechee people

Lodging
and camping|

* Yosemite Lodge at the Falls
* The Ahwahnee
* Camp Curry
* Wawona Hotel
* Housekeeping Camp
* High Sierra Camps
* Camp 4

Natural disasters|

* 1938 Yosemite TWA crash
* 1996 Yosemite Valley landslide
* 1997 Merced River flood
* 2013 Rim Wildfire
* 2022 Washburn Wildfire

Transportation|

* Nearby airports
* FAT
* MPI
* MMH
* YARTS
* Route 140
* Route 41
* Route 120

Nearby
municipalities|

* Foresta
* El Portal & Arch Rock Entrance
* Yosemite West & Chinquapin
* Wawona
* Bootjack
* Mariposa
* Briceburg
* Oakhurst
* Midpines
* Lee Vining

Additional
information|

* History of the Yosemite area
* Geology of the Yosemite area
* National Register of Historic Places in Yosemite National Park
* List of waterfalls
* Yosemite Category
* California Portal

This Yosemite-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This Mariposa County, California–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template