Yellowstone’s waterfalls are gorgeous and rivers are flowing full. It is so good to be back! May in Yellowstone is the time for bison babies, returning birds, ducks/grebes/swans returning and migrating through, bears coming out of hibernation, and springtime flowers. Coming back feels like returning home. Come on along as we explore the rivers and waterfalls around the park.
Undine Falls is one of my favorites. It is about four miles from Mammoth Hot Springs on the road to Roosevelt/Tower. This 60-foot falls is on Lava Creek which flows into the Gardner River (also called Gardiner River). The Gardner River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, joining it outside the town of Gardiner (North Entrance to the park). I also love the hike to get here–about 6 steps and 10 feet to this picture. OK, for lazy days only 🙂 .
Following the road west out of Mammoth area takes you to Norris Geyser Basin (20 miles). About five miles from Mammoth though, is Rustic Falls. The falls is along Glen Creek where it enters Golden Gate Canyon then continues on to join the Gardner River.
Continuing past Norris Geyser Basin and before reaching Madison Junction, there is a pullout to view 84-foot Gibbon Falls.
The Gibbon River begins in Grebe Lake in north central Yellowstone, traveling 25 miles to its confluence with the Firehole River forming the Madison River. The Madison travels 183 miles north becoming a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, along with the Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers, in Three Forks, Montana.
Back in Yellowstone, just past Madison Junction, there is a one-way side road, Firehole Canyon Drive. The road follows the Firehole River and takes us to Firehole Falls.
The Firehole River begins on the Continental Divide in southwest Yellowstone, traveling 21 miles to join the Gibbon River forming the Madison River. The Firehole travels through many thermal areas and has thermal features along its banks. The water in this river is warm and rarely does it freeze.
Now let’s head to the mighty Yellowstone River and the fabulous falls in its Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone has three falls, although many folks only take the time to see the iconic Lower Falls. The year I left for Colorado Springs, the Park Service was building a paved trail to the Upper Falls and improved the overlook to see not only the Upper Falls, but the third falls, Crystal Falls, on the far side of the Canyon.
Crystal Falls is on Cascade Creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone River. The 129-foot waterfall is between the two superimposing falls in the Canyon, but is an easy walk on the North Rim Trail to get a better look.
The Upper Falls, 109-feet high, from the new overlook.
Following the new trail down toward the base of the Upper Falls we have a surprise!
And of course the majestic Lower Falls, 308-feet high, almost twice as high as Niagara Falls and the largest volume waterfall in the US Rocky Mountains. My favorite place to photograph the Lower Falls is Lookout Point on the Canyon’s North Rim Drive. The rainbow in the Lower Falls is best seen in June, so I was surprised and delighted to have it show today!
As we leave the Canyon area, let’s stop at the new Inspiration Point overlook–looking north. They say the canyon is rusting, the iron in the rock walls turning red.
We’ll head to our last falls on this trip, Tower Falls. There is one problem though. Instead of 17 miles over beautiful Dunraven Pass on Mount Washburn, we have to drive 55 miles back through Mammoth. The mountain road is closed for another week or so. Well, here we go!
Tower Falls, Tower Creek’s big drop before joining the Yellowstone River, is 132-feet high. There is no longer any access to the base of the falls due to erosion. There had been a steep 1/4-mile paved trail, but thousands of visitors each year putting pressure on the unstable stream bank undercut the paved trial. It was finally closed in 2004 after rock slides and mud slides washed out the last part of the trail. Erosion continues and although there is a steep dirt trail to the Yellowstone River bank, it is dangerous attempting to get close to the bottom of Tower Falls. Darn!
See the “towers” after which the creek was named? The ancient volcanic activity along with millions of years of erosion left us with these geologic wonders along with more in this area’s canyon.
Walking town to the confluence of Tower Creek and the Yellowstone River the landscape is different–and beautiful.
As we head back toward Mammoth, this stop reveals the brink of Tower Falls. Tower Creek comes down out of the mountains at right. The falls is at left near the spire.
From where Tower Creek joins the Yellowstone River, the next mile north is ancient lava forming a fascinating canyon called the Narrows. The Park Service geologists say it better than I can so here you go.
Basalt “fence post” columns at top. See any hoodoos?
Our last look from the Tower area. The river heads north continuing its journey to the Missouri River just over the Montana border in North Dakota. The Yellowstone River is the longest free-flowing river in the continental US, covering 671 miles. It is considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri.
Guess you can tell we’ve had some winter weather today.
Well, good weather or bad, always remember: There’s never a bad day in Yellowstone!
Until next time my friend . . .
