Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
255.00 ft (77.72 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
1.00 mi (1.61 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

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.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

National Park Pass

Pros

Great views of the Yellowstone River. Nice view from above the falls.

Cons

No access to the base of the falls.

Trailhead Elevation

6,485.00 ft (1,976.63 m)

Features

Waterfalls
Big Game Watching
Wildlife
Big vistas
Old-growth forest
Fishing
Geologically significant
Big Game Watching

Location

Comments

Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.