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Crystal Falls

Yellowstone National Park / Canyon, Wyoming, USA

About Crystal Falls

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Crystal Falls was an impressive 129ft waterfall that we could imagine would be easily overlooked by its powerful neighbors on the Yellowstone River – Lower and Upper Falls.

Contrasting its more famous neighbors, this waterfall was one of the tall and graceful types as well as belonging to a tributary of the Yellowstone River on Cascade Creek.

Canyon_249_08022020 - Crystal Falls
Crystal Falls

Given how much attention the Yellowstone River waterfalls would get, we had to make somewhat of a concerted effort to look for Crystal Falls.

However, once we found it the first time, we generally knew where we should be looking from that point on.

For the closest vantage point that you see pictured above, we went on a short hike.

From the parking lot for the brink of the Upper Falls (see directions below), we initially walked back along the short road we took to get to the parking lot before finding the Rim Trail on our right.

Canyon_213_08022020 - On the way to Crystal Falls, I walked along the shoulder of the spur road leading to the parking lot for the Brink of the Upper Falls
On the way to Crystal Falls, I walked along the shoulder of the spur road leading to the parking lot for the Brink of the Upper Falls

When we first visited back in June 2004, we followed this trail for a short distance before we saw an unsigned spur trail to our right leading to an unofficial overlook of the Crystal Falls.

The trail looked like it kept going (beyond the closure sign), but we could only speculate whether it went to the base of the falls or to somewhere else since we didn’t bother crossing the barricade.

To my knowledge, the vantage spot looking down at the waterfall from this spur trail was the best place to see the falls from as close as the sanctioned trails would allow on that first trip.

Unfortunately, the view from there was not the most optimal.

Canyon_217_08022020 - Looking at the sanctioned lookout for Crystal Falls. In the past, this area was nothing more than an unsigned use-trail yielding the familiar view of the waterfall with some informal scrambling trails possibly leading lower into the canyon
Looking at the sanctioned lookout for Crystal Falls. In the past, this area was nothing more than an unsigned use-trail yielding the familiar view of the waterfall with some informal scrambling trails possibly leading lower into the canyon

When we came back to visit Crystal Falls in August 2020, it looked like the National Park Service really improved upon this seemingly informal trail with a concrete path leading to a sanctioned overlook at the same spot.

I also noticed signs pointing the way to Crystal Falls so it wasn’t the unsigned, informal attraction that it once was back in June 2004.

Yet even with all this extra infrastructure, I was the only person at this walkway and overlook for the entire time I did this excursion.

Thus, it was refreshingly quiet and free from the commotion just on the other side of the Brink of the Upper Falls Parking lot, which clearly got nearly 100% of the foot traffic.

Crystal_Falls_005_jx_06222004 - Looking across the Yellowstone River towards Crystal Falls from the Uncle Tom's Trailhead
Looking across the Yellowstone River towards Crystal Falls from the Uncle Tom’s Trailhead

Finally, there was one more way to witness Crystal Falls, but it was from across the Yellowstone River.

Indeed, we managed to steal a glimpse of the waterfall from the South Rim Trail by the Uncle Tom’s Point.

Authorities

Crystal Falls resides in Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner in Park County, Wyoming. It is administered by the National Park Service. For information or inquiries about the park as well as current conditions, visit the National Park Service website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: rim drive, north rim, grotto pool, cascade creek, park county, yellowstone, canyon, uncle toms trail, wyoming, waterfall, rockies, rocky mountains



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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.