Fairy Falls trail at Yellowstone National Park is known for its impressive view of the Grand Prismatic from above. Make no mistake though, the falls in which this trail is named for is another incredible piece of this great national park.
Park in the Fairy Falls parking lot and start your 0.9 mile hike by crossing over the bridge. You’ll walk along with views of the Firehole River for a bit, but your attention will quickly turn to the rising mist in the distance.
Continue along the trail until you come to the Grand Prismatic overlook. Here you’ll have to walk up for the view, but it’s nothing too difficult; a bit of an incline and some stairs. The view is worth every single step.
As you make your way down from the overlook, you are faced with a choice. You can either continue along the trail to Fairy Falls or you can take the same path back to the parking lot. GO TO THE FALLS! You won’t regret it.
YAY! You’ve made the choice to go on to the falls. Shortly after you leave the overlook, you’ll come to the Fairy Falls trail sign. 1.6 miles to the falls. This portion of the hike is wooded and shady. It’s a nice break from the blazing sun as the first part of the trail is pretty wide open. Make sure you bring the obvious hiking necessities: food and water. On this trail, you’ll need another item. BUG SPRAY. Do not forget your bug spray. The mosquitos are legit.
As you hike, you can hear the sounds of the falling water and know you’re close. Then you’ve arrived! The falls almost creep up on you as they seem slightly hidden.
There are several fallen trees which are great for exploring. The kids loved walking over one that had fallen over the stream. They used it like a balance beam to access the other side of the waterfall and get a closer view.
Plan to spend some time around the falls. There are so many things to explore. This is also a great place to eat lunch if you brought it with you.
You’ll return on the same trail you came in on. Another opportunity to see all of the hidden beauties of Yellowstone you may have missed on the way to the falls.
This was our absolute favorite trail at YNP. The variety alone is everything you could imagine and more!
BONUS: 0.7 miles past Fairy Falls is Imperial Geyser. Another beautiful geyser but be careful. This thermal area can be unstable. For more information, talk to a park ranger before you venture there.
Consider the Wonders is not affiliated with Yellowstone National Park.
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