Fairy Falls

The way we did the hike started off from the car park at the Midway Geyser Basin (see below for driving directions). The trail was well developed and quite wide and wide open. To our left was mostly a hill full of burnt trees. However, to our right for a long stretch of this part of the trail was the Grand Prismatic Spring. This part of the trail persisted for roughly 1.5 miles, but after the first mile of this trail, you have an opportunity to get a pretty cool view of the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Basically, there are informal scrambling paths that climb the hill on our left amongst the mostly burnt trees. When you feel like you've gotten high enough on that hill, turn around and take a look behind you towards the flat basin across the main trail. From this vantage point, you'll get a pretty comprehensive view of the massive Grand Prismatic Spring without the need for aircraft. We probably got about 1/2- to 2/3 of the way up the hill before going back down, but I reckon we could've made it to the very top and looked down.

Back on the main trail, you'll eventually get to a signposted fork in the trail where a path veers left through more of the burnt forest for another 1/2-mile or more as it arrives at the base of Fairy Falls. I understand that the view of the falls used to be more difficult prior to the fire, but now your view of the falls is quite wide open (or at least it was for us when we went).

This was the turnaround point of our hike. However, you could extend this hike for another 3 miles to get to the Spray and Imperial Geysers as well as other thermal features. The trail also extends to form a loop encompassing Mystic Falls as well.

If you're coming from Old Faithful, you go north on the Grand Loop Road for about 5.7 miles. The turnoff and short spur to the car park is on your left.

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Julie on the flat main trail getting close to the signed junction

Julie on the spur trail leading away from the main trail and towards the falls

Fairst look at Fairy Falls between burnt trees


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NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Mystic Falls
• Firehole Falls
• Gibbon Falls
• Kepler Cascades

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