Tower Falls

Tower Falls

Tower Falls fed by Tower Creek plunges 132 feet about a 1,000 yards upstream from the creek’s confluence with the Yellowstone River.  Its name comes from the rock pinnacles at the top of the falls.  From the Tower Falls overlook where this image was captured, the trail to the bottom is one-mile round trip. The trail descends about 300 feet in a half mile. The hike back up is steep and strenuous.

Undine Falls

Undine Falls

Undine Falls is four miles east of Mammoth in Yellowstone NP.  It’s one of the the few waterfalls in Yellowstone visible from the roadway and accessible by a short hike.  The falls, along a section of Lava Creek, is approximately 60 feet in height, descending over two tiers of basaltic rock.  Undine received its present name in 1885 from geologist Arnold Hague. Undine was named for wise, female water spirits from German mythology who lived around waterfalls.

Lower Falls at Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Lower Falls at Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Lower Falls at Grand Canyon of Yellowstone  At 308 feet, the Lower Falls is the tallest waterfall in Yellowstone. It’s more than twice as high as Niagara Falls. The amount of water flowing over the falls varies greatly from 63,500 gal/sec in the spring to 5,000 gal/sec in the fall.  Getting a photograph closer to the base along the Yellowstone River requires a fairly strenuous hike down to the river bed.  Someday, I’ll take the time to hike down and, oh yes, back up.