Directions to Trailhead: To get to the Tower Falls Hike, drive about 2.5 miles south of Tower Junction or 16 miles north of Canyon Junction on the Grand Loop Road toward the Tower Fall's Store. The trailhead starts at the Tower Fall's Store. Parking at this location can be limited due to the popularity of this area. Click Here for an interactive map of Yellowstone National Park. There is plenty of parking available at the Towers Falls Store for this hike. There is an entrance fee for Yellowstone National Park, but no permit is required to hike to Tower Falls.
Description of Trail: The hiking trail to Tower Falls is well maintained and is heavily used during the summer months as the Tower Fall's Store is a popular stopping spot for people going around the park. The hiking trail begins at the Tower Falls Store parking area, near the restrooms. There are signs indicating the start of the trail. A paved path takes you from the Tower Falls store to an overlook, which provides a great perspective of the 132 foot waterfall. The trail from there takes you all the way down to the Yellowstone river via several switchbacks to get a closer look of the river and the waterfall. The hike from the scenic vista to the Yellowstone River is approximately 1/3 a mile each way and the overlooks is approximately 300 feet above the Yellowstone River. This is an out and back hike.
Further Thoughts: Ashley and I really enjoyed this hike. It was a little crowded just due to the popularity of this area, however the was plenty of water cascading over Tower Falls. Most of all after the hike we enjoyed a some huckleberry ice cream at Tower Store after our hike. It also appears they are doing construction by the parking area and will be adding additional parking at this location. The scenic overlook is the best spot to see the waterfall. The view at the bottom of the hiking trail to Tower Falls is obscured by the pine trees that grow beneath the overlook. If you are hoping to catch more views of Tower Falls by continuing down on the hiking trail to the Yellowstone River, you will be disappointed. Bottom-line, this is a fun short hike in Yellowstone National Park that is great for the whole family to enjoy together.
Rating: Elevation Gain: 300 ft. (Easy), Distance: 1 Mile Roundtrip (Easy).
Time to Complete Hike: 30 - 45 minutes.
MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON TOWER FALLS
July 19, 2013 (This Post)
MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
View Tower Falls Trail Map (Yellowstone National Park) in a larger map
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