Our list of favorites we’ve personally visited from the World’s First National Park
During our 2018 summer work camping experience in Yellowstone, we had the opportunity to see many of the amazing waterfalls within the Park. Even where geysers, colorful pools, wildlife and a Grand Canyon of it’s own all compete for your attention, these five waterfalls we visited were epic.
After spending over three months at Grant Campground, we are finally in a position to name the best waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park we visited. This meant some of the bigger waterfalls in the backcountry didn’t make the list because we didn’t get the chance to backpack or hike deep into Yellowstone’s wilderness.
It was also a tough task to pick the five best as impressive waterfalls such as Crystal Falls, Kepler Cascades and Silver Cord Cascade were outside our comfort zone.
So which ones made the list? Read on and find out!
#5 UNDINE FALLS
One of the easiest to experience, all it took was a short drive east of Mammoth Village , where we were able to easily park and visit a lookout peering right into the multi-tiered waterfall on Lava creek.
Although a short trip made it tempting to explore more of the area each time we visited, we were happy with the views as Yellowstone had more to see on this side of the park. With its easy access to a view, it was just enough to make our list of Yellowstone’s best waterfalls.
#4 FAIRY FALLS
Be prepared for this 5 mile round-trip hike through a recovered forest badly burnt by the 1988 wildfires. The trail begins just past the Grand Prismatic Spring, which with the newly built sanctioned spur trail and lookout, has created easy viewing access and an increase in popularity (especially finding a parking space near the trailhead.)
Don’t be deterred as most visitors rarely venture past the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook spur. Once you reach Fairy Falls, you will be greeted by a calm and serene magical place. With a height of 197ft and plunging almost all the way, it has a wispy and thin appearance. Take your time and enjoy the Outward view before your return trip back down the same trail you took to get here.
Why you should visit the Grand Prismatic Springs Overlook
# 3 Cascades of the Firehole
Firehole Falls is located 1/2 mile from Madison Junction, and runs alongside the Firehole Canyon Road. Entering the road, the steep canyons are narrow and you can view the river as you drive along. Firehole Falls can be viewed from below before the parking lot. The falls themselves are 40ft tall and impressive during the spring and early summer.
We enjoyed the Cascades of the Firehole more due to the fact that after the cascades the river widens and flattens out to provide an excellent opportunity to relax in the water.
Swimming Areas inside Yellowstone National Park
# 3 Lewis Falls
Located roughly 11 miles inside Yellowstone’s south entrance, and two miles south of Lewis Lake, Lewis Falls is easily accessible from parking lots on each side of the Lewis River bridge. These falls are about 40ft tall and form the Lewis river which travel under the bridge and alongside the S. Entrance road. Just downstream was a favorite spot to fish as it was a short 20 minute drive from Grant Campground and the views were amazing.
Last year, more than 700,000 visitors passed through the South Entrance gates and many of these visitors stopped to walk the Lewis Falls Trail, picnic near the falls, or fish in the river. The trail is also very near to the popular Lewis Lake campground where more than 15,000 campers stay each summer.
# 2 Mystic Fall
On this family-friendly hike to Mystic Falls in Yellowstone, you’ll pass through Biscuit Basin, home of the stunningly blue Sapphire Pool and Jewel Geyser, before following a trail along the Little Firehole River to the falls. From Mystic Falls, there’s an option to make the trail a loop and catch views of Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful.
The hike to Mystic Falls can range from 2.4-miles roundtrip if you plan to do an out-and-back just to see the falls, or 3.4-miles roundtrip if you choose to do a loop and see the Upper Geyser Basin overlook. The trail to the falls gains 250 feet in elevation, making it an easy hike.
# 1 Lower Falls of Yellowstone River
The Lower Falls area is located just to the east of Canyon Village. A one-way loop drive takes you to the brink of the Grand Canyon and offers four views, with the last stop at the trail that leads to the top of the Falls.
Lower Falls, the biggest waterfall in Yellowstone, is the most famous in the Park, hands down. In fact, the 308-foot tall waterfall it is most likely the second most photographed spot in Yellowstone, with Old Faithful Geyser being the first. There are numerous views of the Falls from both the east (Inspiration Point, Grandview Point and Lookout Point) and west (Artists Point) sides of the Grand Canyon, most of which require only a short walk or virtually no walk to see. The trail to the top of the Falls (3/4 of a mile roundtrip, but steep with many switchbacks) is a must, as the experience of standing atop the Falls is one of the most breath-taking experiences in the entire Park.
The canyon’s colors were created by hot water acting on volcanic rock. It was not these colors, but the river’s yellow banks at its distant confluence with the Missouri River, that occasioned the Minnetaree Indian name which French trappers translated as roche jaune, yellow stone. The canyon has been rapidly downcut more than once, perhaps by great glacial outburst floods. Little deepening takes place today.
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