Ousel Falls

If you're passing

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A 2-tier tiered on South Fork West Fork Gallatin River.

Scale12/60

Documentation20/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 2 drops
Type: Tiered
Watercourse: South Fork West Fork Gallatin River
Coordinates: 45.23996, -111.33956

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About Ousel Falls

Ousel Falls is a tiered in Montana, on South Fork West Fork Gallatin River. The water falls in 2 distinct tiers.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Ousel Falls 5.2/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Big Sky's town waterfall: the South Fork of the West Fork Gallatin pouring over a broad ledge in a spruce gorge, reached by a groomed 1.6-mile trail with benches and bridges. Open and worth it in every season — the winter ice-sculpture version may beat summer's.

Getting there

Trailhead: Ousel Falls Trailhead at Big Sky Community Park, Ousel Falls Road
Parking: Small paved lot; weekend spillover
Road: Paved
Hike: 1.6 mi round trip, 340 ft of climb (easy)
Heads up: Free community trail, stroller-tolerant to the overlooks.

When to go

Year-round by design: May–June for runoff roar, January for the frozen amphitheater (microspikes).

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: None
Warnings: Wet rock at the viewing area; winter ice wants traction.

Researched from Outside Bozeman — Ousel Falls Trail. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Ousel Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.