Wraith Falls

Yellowstone National Park / Mammoth, Wyoming, USA

About Wraith Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Wraith Falls appeared to us like the way an apparition might appear hovering against a cliff.

I wasn’t sure if we thought this way because of the name of the falls or if it was because of the waterfall’s shape.

Wraith_Falls_002_06242004 - Wraith Falls
Wraith Falls

But each time we’ve seen this waterfall (once in June 2004 and another in August 2017), the falls looked more like a white bulb.

According to The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery, the falls was so named by members of the Arnold Hague expeditions in 1885 who apparently thought the falls looked more like a ghost.

In addition, the book said that the cascade was on the order of 100ft tall, and that it was really more of a cascading slide than a steep-inclined waterfall.

In fact, they took a photo from an off-trail scramble such that the gentle inclined slope was apparent.

Wraith_Falls_015_06242004 - This was what Wraith Falls looked like when we first visited it in June 2004
This was what Wraith Falls looked like when we first visited it in June 2004

As you can see in both of the photos above, we settled for the more official view, which was more direct and gave the appearance of a steeper drop than what the reality was.

Hiking to Wraith Falls

To get up to Wraith Falls, we went on a very easy mile round trip hike that was pretty much flat for almost the entire way except for short climb at the end.

The trail started from a fairly wide pullout on the stretch of the Grand Loop Road between Mammoth and Roosevelt (see directions below).

Then, the trail meandered along the wide open Lupine Meadow on a combination of boardwalk and conventional dirt trail.

Wraith_Falls_17_030_08102017 - The hike to Wraith Falls traverses the wide open Lupine Meadow
The hike to Wraith Falls traverses the wide open Lupine Meadow

The vegetation started to increase the further along the meadow we went, and then the trail crossed a bridge spanning Lupine Creek before turning left to do the short climb.

It didn’t take long before we found ourselves at the sanctioned lookout.

While there were social trails going beyond the overlook to get closer to the falls, we pretty much were content with the views and weren’t keen on causing any more impacts to the area.

Since the falls was facing west, the best time of day to photograph the falls would be in the afternoon.

Wraith_Falls_17_012_08102017 - Ascending the steps leading up to the lookout for Wraith Falls
Ascending the steps leading up to the lookout for Wraith Falls

However, as you can see in the photo at the top of this page, we showed up early enough to see the falls before the morning sun breached the neighboring hills.

Authorities

Wraith 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: lupine, roosevelt, mammoth, yellowstone, 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.