Shell Falls

Bighorn National Forest / Sheridan, Wyoming, USA

About Shell Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Shell Falls was a gushing waterfall seemingly set in an arid area where the presence of the powerful Shell Creek fed this rather miraculous waterfall.

In addition to its unusual terrain and paradoxical climate, this 75ft waterfall also formed a bit differently than most waterfalls that we’ve seen in Nature.

Shell_Falls_027_iPhone_07312020 - Shell Falls
Shell Falls

Typically, most waterfalls consist of watercourses that would cut into soft rock layers much faster than more erosion-resistant hard rock layers.

And as we’ve discussed on our article discussing how waterfalls form, this difference in erosion rates ultimately gives rise to waterfalls.

Many of the taller waterfalls occur in hanging valleys where glaciers may have directly depressed or even sheared these hard rock layers supporting their watercourses.

However, in the case of Shell Falls, it was formed by a fault line where one side thrusted up while the other side dropped down.

Shell_Falls_072_iPhone_07312020 - Context of an overlook and the former location of Shell Falls before Shell Creek went down a different fault-aided crack in the bedrock at its current course
Context of an overlook and the former location of Shell Falls before Shell Creek went down a different fault-aided crack in the bedrock at its current course

We’ve seen an example of this at Maruia Falls in New Zealand’s South Island, which was formed after 1929 Murchison earthquake.

In addition to witnessing this powerful waterfall from an overlook, we also did a short 1/8-mile developed loop walk that took around 10-20 minutes in total.

During this walk, we got to see geology in action, which included the former site of Shell Falls, deep gorges, and even a bonus waterfall called Brindle Falls.

Speaking of the gorges, the cliffs were said to harbor fossilized shells (which was how the waterfall got its name), which suggested the crust here may have once been under an ocean.

Shell Falls Trail Description

Shell_Falls_058_iPhone_07312020 - Looking towards the Shell Falls Visitor Center fronted by interpretive signs and backed by a quickly-growing thunderstorm
Looking towards the Shell Falls Visitor Center fronted by interpretive signs and backed by a quickly-growing thunderstorm

Our visit to Shell Falls was a pretty straightforward affair.

After walking up past a bunch of interpretive signs and towards the Shell Falls Visitor Center, we then went down a series of steps on our right.

These steps took us on an out-and-back path that ended right at a direct view of Shell Falls.

After having our fill of the Shell Falls view, we then went back up the steps and walked the 1/8-mile loop in a counterclockwise direction.

Shell_Falls_019_iPhone_07312020 - Descending the steps to the main lookout for Shell Falls
Descending the steps to the main lookout for Shell Falls

Along the way, we first descended to a lookout of the old Shell Falls site, which also peered back towards the current Shell Falls lookout.

The next lookout along this counterclockwise loop walk looked right into the deep Shell Canyon, where the rushing Shell Creek dropped vigorously over intermediate cascades in the floor of the canyon.

Then, the loop walk went to a broad lookout area looking downstream at where Shell Creek continued to cut through the Bighorn Mountains.

We also managed to get a partial view of the smaller Brindle Falls nestled among the trees within the depths of Shell Canyon.

Shell_Falls_096_iPhone_07312020 - Looking towards Brindle Falls as we were wrapping up our loop walk at the Shell Falls Interpretive Site
Looking towards Brindle Falls as we were wrapping up our loop walk at the Shell Falls Interpretive Site

Beyond the Brindle Falls Lookout, the walkway looped back to the Shell Falls Visitor Center to end our short but very informative and restorative visit.

Authorities

Shell Falls resides in the Bighorn National Forest between Greybull and Sheridan in Big Horn County, Wyoming. It is administered by USDA Forest Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: sheridan, wyoming, bighorn national forest, big horn county, bighorn mountains, interpretive site, shell canyon



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.