Yellowstone Falls consist of two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, within Yellowstone National Park,
Wyoming,
United States. As the Yellowstone river flows north from
Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the
Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile (400 m) downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point it then enters the
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is up to 1,000 feet (304 m) deep.
Upper Yellowstone Falls:
The upper falls are 109 feet (33 m) high. The
Brink of the Upper Falls marks the junction between a hard rhyolite lava flow and weaker glassy lava that has been more heavily eroded.
Lower Yellowstone Falls:
The lower falls are 308 feet (94 m) high, or almost twice as high as Niagara. The volume of water is in no way comparable to Niagara as the width of the Yellowstone River before it goes over the lower falls is 70 feet (22 m), whereas Niagara is a half mile (800 m). The lower falls descend from the 590,000 year old Canyon Rhyolite lava flow. The lower falls of the Yellowstone is still the largest volume major waterfall in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. The volume of water flowing over the falls can vary from 63,500 USgal/s (240 m³/s) at peak runoff to 5,000 USgal/s (19 m³/s) in the fall.
Viewing the falls:
Today, there are numerous vantage points for viewing the falls. The Canyon loop road skirts the west side of the canyon with several vehicle parking areas. One trail leads down to the
Brink of the Lower Falls, a steep third of a mile (600 m). Another vantage point descends from the east down a series of stairs attached to the cliffs.
The Lower Falls area is located just to the east of
Canyon Village in Yellowstone National Park. A one-way loop drive takes one to the brink of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and offers four views, with the last stop at the trail that leads to the top of the Falls.
