Tower Falls Trail [CLOSED] is a 0.9 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until October.
Yellowstone closes trails annually to reduce encounters between bears and humans during certain times of the year. See here for bear closure info: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/bearclosures.htm Additionally, roads in Yellowstone are closed annually during winter. Before you head out, see Park road closures here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm Yellowstone National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $35 per vehicle or $30 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $20 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $70. SEASONAL CLOSURE: Tower Fall, the Tower General Store, Tower Fall Campground, and Calcite Springs will be open and accessible from Tower-Roosevelt between June 5-September 6, 2020 and June 4-September 26, 2021. In the winters, Tower Fall and trails in the vicinity will be open for skis and snowshoes, snow-permitting, from early November through March. Between the following dates, traffic and pedestrians from Tower-Roosevelt will be turned around at Calcite Springs: September 6-November 7, 2020; April 1-June 4, 2021; and September 26-November 6, 2021. There will be no access to the trails for Mount Washburn from the Tower-Roosevelt side of the closure. See here for info: https://www.yellowstonepark.com/news/grand-loop-road-construction Tower Fall is a 132-foot waterfall in the Tower-Roosevelt region of Yellowstone National Park. This popular waterfall on Tower Creek was named by members of the 1870 Washburn expedition. It first was called "Minaret Creek," but one member objected, stating that the name violated their agreement to naming objects for their friends. He claimed the name was in reference to "Minnie Rhett," a sweetheart of one of the other members. By unanimous vote, the name was reconsidered and the names "Tower Creek" and "Tower Falls" were applied. The 132-foot waterfall plunges as a near-perfect water column until it crashes onto the rocks at its base. Until 1986, a precarious boulder was perched on the lip of the falls, and in the spring of that year, without witnesses, it plunged to the bottom. Tower Creek has cut through the basalt formation, which make up the walls of the gorge. At the brink of the falls are eerie-shaped minarets or towers sculpted from rhyolitic basalt.
Yellowstone National Park PO Box 168 Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168 307-344-7381 (recorded information and an option to speak with someone) Additional info: http://www.nps.gov/yell/contacts.htm
Hydrothermal features are fragile rarities of nature. Yellowstone preserves the largest collection of hydrothermal features on the planet. You have an unparalleled opportunity to view hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles in a natural setting. Change takes place naturally in a hydrothermal area, but people can disrupt these processes and cause irreparable damage. Rocks, sticks, and other objects thrown into a hydrothermal feature may be permanently cemented in place, choking off water circulation and ending all activity. For the sake of all who follow, never throw objects into any feature. Stay on established walkways for your safety and to protect fragile formations that have formed over thousands of years. It is illegal to collect any natural or cultural objects or to remove, deface, or destroy any plant, animal, or mineral in Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas. Bring drinking water; take out all trash. While viewing or photographing the area, protect your camera, glasses, and binocular lenses from hydrothermal heat and stray. Toxic gases exist in Yellowstone. Dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide have been measured in some hydrothermal areas. If you feel sick, leave the location immediately. Help preserve Yellowstone for the future.
Quite a hike to only see the Yellowstone river. Very disappointing.
Trail does NOT take you to additional views of Tower Falls after the overlook. It takes you down to the river.
I went in 2015 and half of the trail had been shut down for matinence. What we could see from the one look out point was nice though! It's entirely downhill, so the way back up was steep, and a struggle because of the elevation (I'm from below sea level so almost 10,000 feet was a bit much for these lungs).
Although you don’t see the falls at the bottom of this trail, the river and view are quite beautiful. The trail is an incline with very little flat areas. The maintained path does end short of the river and you can proceed with caution.
This is a very easy short walk, but we had to park on the street and walk back since the parking lot was completely full with many cars just waiting
Nice views, but doesn't go to the falls. An overlook is available to see the falls, but is extremely crowded with people that don't want to hike but want good pictures. Obstructed views of the waterfall at the overlook. 1/2 mile trek down to the river is nice, but trail is unmaintained after this point. Saw a couple of people attempt the walk down to the river but they struggled.
Upon seeing a trail closed up ahead sign, I hiked the short trail down to the river to see the reason the trail to the foot of the falls was closed. I put my hand in the river at the bottom [which is a nice view in itself as there is a sandy beach] and went to the trail closure point to discover that the trail to the left had been washed out and suspect this happens quite a bit due to rainfall and makeup of the terrain. Still got a really good shot at the overlook.