Rustic Falls

Yellowstone National Park / Mammoth, Wyoming, USA

About Rustic Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Rustic Falls was an interesting little 47ft roadside waterfall that rippled over a basalt cliff giving the falls a distinctive texture and character to it.

It also had somewhat of an unusual fan shape (or I guess you could also think of it like a bell or bulb shape) adding to its scenic allure.

Rustic_Falls_014_08032020 - Rustic Falls
Rustic Falls

We happened to see the falls in late June 2004 which apparently was pretty close to peak flow, but I’ve read in the literature that this waterfall could go dry not much deeper into Summer.

However, when we came back in early August 2020, this waterfall still had a pretty healthy flow, which led me to believe that it might very well last year-round, especially when it gets rain from Summer thunderstorms.

Anyways, Rustic Falls resided below the western slopes of Bunsen Peak in a section of the Grand Loop called the Golden Gate.

I’m guessing it was so named because passing through this section reminded earlier visitors of going through some entranceway en route to Mammoth.

Rustic_Falls_026_08032020 - Context of the direct view of Rustic Falls with the Grand Loop Road on the right
Context of the direct view of Rustic Falls with the Grand Loop Road on the right

Since the canyon appeared pretty suddenly and abruptly as we passed beneath Bunsen Peak, the road made a pretty steep descent alongside Glen Creek.

This was the creek responsible for both the Rustic Falls and the depth of the canyon itself.

Apparently, these factors also conspired to make the road through here a bit of a challenge for engineers to build.

As for seeing the falls, we had to find one of a couple of pullouts with limited space (see directions below).

Rustic_Falls_049_08032020 - Context of the road shoulder to improve the view of Rustic Falls
Context of the road shoulder to improve the view of Rustic Falls

Then, we ended up having to walk alongside the road until we got the views of Rustic Falls that we wanted from gradually differing angles.

Authorities

Rustic 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 subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: golden gate, mammoth hot springs, mammoth, yellowstone, norris, wyoming, waterfall, rockies, rocky mountains, glen creek



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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.