Waterfalls

Popular Yellowstone Waterfalls

Frontcountry Waterfalls
(Those along the road or within a very short hike)

1. Rustic Falls:  47-foot horsetail waterfall located along the Golden Gate section of the road between Mammoth and Norris (approximately 4.7 miles south of Mammoth).  [Photo]
2. Undine Falls:  60-foot, three-tiered waterfall located right off the road 4 miles east of Mammoth [Photo]
3. Wraith Falls:  100-foot cascading waterfall located off the road 1/2 mile down the Wraith Falls Trailhead (4.9 miles east of Mammoth).  [Photo]
4. Lost Creek Falls:  40-foot plunging waterfall located 3/10 of a mile southwest of Roosevelt Lodge.  Short hike required.
5. Tower Fall:  132-foot plunging waterfall located adjacent to the Tower Fall General Store.  [Photo]
6. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone:  308-foot plunging waterfall located 1.5 miles south of Canyon Junction.  Several different viewpoints along the Canyon Rim Drive and South Rim Drive.  [Photo]
7. Upper Falls of the Yellowstone:  109-foot plunging waterfall located 2 miles south of Canyon.  Best view is from Uncle Tom’s Trail parking lot.  [Photo]
8. Crystal Falls:  129-foot, three-tiered plunging waterfall, located 1.8 miles south of Canyon Junction.  Best view is from Uncle Tom’s Trail parking lot [Photo]
9. Virginia Cascades:  60-foot cascading waterfall located along Virginia Cascades Drive (1.5 miles east of Norris Junction).
10. Gibbon Falls:  85-foot horsetail waterfall located along the Madison to Norris road (approx 4.7 miles north of junction).  [Photo]
11. Firehole Falls:  40-foot plunging waterfall located along Firehole Falls Road, the entrance to which is 1.5 miles south of Madison Junction.  [Photo]
12. Kepler Cascades:  150-foot tiered cascading waterfall located along the West Thumb-to-Old Faithful Road (approximately 2.7 miles east of Old Faithful).  [Photo]
13. Talus Falls :  100-foot cascading horsetail waterfall located along the East Entrance Road, approximately 19 miles east of Fishing Bridge in Sylvan Pass.  Typically disappears in late June.
14. Lewis Falls:  30-foot cascading waterfall located along the South Entrance Road, 9.6 miles north of the South Entrance Station.  [Photo]
15. Moose Falls :  30-foot plunging waterfall located 1.2 miles north of the South Entrance Station.  3/10 mile hike required.  [Photo]

Backcountry Waterfalls
(Those requiring a bit of a hike to see)

1. Osprey Falls:  150-foot plunging waterfall located on the Osprey Falls Trail (off the Bunsen Peak Loop).
2. Little Gibbon Falls :  25-foot cascading waterfall, accessed via the Little Gibbon Falls Trailhead, located on the west end of Virginia Meadows on the Canyon-to-Norris Road.
3. Fairy Falls:  Gorgeous 197-foot plunging waterfall, accessed via the Fairy Falls Trailhead, located just south of Midway Geyser Basin on the Madison-to-Old Faithful Road.  Easy trail is approximately 2.1 miles. [Photo]
4. Mystic Falls:  70-foot, multi-tiered cascading waterfall is accessed via the Mystic Falls Trailhead, located in Biscuit Basin. Easy one-mile hike.
5. Ouzel Falls:  230-foot horsetail, plunging waterfall, reached via the Bechler River Trail, with a 1/2 mile off-trail hike, requiring a ford of the Bechler River.  Can be dangerous for the inexperienced hiker.
6. Dunanda Falls:  150-foot plunging waterfall on Boundary Creek, accessed via the Boundary Creek Trail.  Requires fording of Bartlett Slough, a mid-calf to mid-thigh deep pool of stagnant water, and Bechler Meadows, which may be covered with 1-2 feet of water in the early part of the season.
7. Colonnade Falls:  102-foot, two-tiered waterfall on the Bechler River, accessed via the Bechler River Trail (moderate to difficult).
8. Morning Falls :  60-foot plunging waterfall (100-feet wide) on the north fork of Mountain Ash Creek.  Requires a multiple day hike, and can be reached via a partially maintained trail north of Union Falls.
9. Union Falls:  250-foot plunging, fan-shaped waterfall on Mountain Ash Creek.  Can be reached via trails from the Cave Falls, Fish Lake, or Grassy Lake areas.
10. Cave Falls :  250-foot wide, two-tiered plunging waterfall (20 feet tall) located on the Falls River along the southern boundary of the park near the Bechler Ranger Station off the Cave Falls Road .   Parking and overlook are available.  [Photo]

Recommended Reading:  The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery