2006 39c Yosemite Falls, Tallest Falls

U.S. #4050
Yosemite Falls
Wonders of America

Issue Date: May 27, 2006
City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 204,000,000
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforation: Serpentine die cut 10 ¾
Color: Multicolored

Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and the fifth tallest in the world. Located within the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the spectacular waterfall draws thousands of visitors to Yosemite National Park annually.

At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is nearly twice as high as the Empire State Building. Often referred to as a two-stage drop, the falls actually is made up of three distinct sections with a total height of almost one-half mile.

The Upper Falls is formed by the swiftly flowing waters of Yosemite Creek as they drop 1,430 feet. From the sheer drop of the Upper Falls, the water travels through a series of cascades, rapids, and small plunges that stretch for 675 feet. The 320-foot Lower Falls ends in a plunge pool frequented by park visitors and nature photographers.

Snow melt from the Sierra Nevada mountains feeds Yosemite Creek in the spring. An estimated 2,400 gallons of water each second flow over the falls during peak periods of snow melt. Occasionally, the Sierra Nevada mountains experience light precipitation during a mild winter that causes the river and falls to cease flowing altogether in late summer and fall.