Near Tower Fall Trail
Near Tower Fall Trail
Near Tower Fall Trail
Near Tower Fall Trail
Near Tower Fall Trail

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Hike Route

Tower Fall Trail

No rating
1
mi
Distance
305
ft
Gain
easy
Difficulty
ViewsWaterfall

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
0.98mi
Distance
305ft
Elevation Gain
305ft
Elevation Loss
45%
Max Grade
6,458ft
High Point
6,185ft
Low Point
Path Type
There and Back
Description
The name of this trail is a bit deceiving, since the portion of the trail that accesses the bottom of the falls has been closed since 2013, but it is a worthwhile trail nonetheless. Most people only hike the 150 yards to the small overlook with a view of Tower Falls from above, which is a nice but not overwhelming view. A few make the complete trek down to nearly river level, and the rewards for going this extra mile are well worth it. After the short climb to the Tower Falls Overlook, it is pretty much a continual set of switchbacks for a half-mile down to a nice area just above the Yellowstone River with great views both upstream and downstream. The closed section of trail that leads to the bottom of the is quite tempting, but it is not safe. The Tower Falls area was popular with early visitors to the area, and paintings of Yellowstone features, including Tower Falls by Thomas Moran, were instrumental in building momentum for the establishment of the park.

Route Conditions

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Contributors
Denis LeBlanc