Fairy Falls

Drop everything

Is it plungeworthy?

197feet tall

A horsetail on Fairy Creek.

Scale56/60

Documentation15/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Horsetail
Watercourse: Fairy Creek
Coordinates: 44.52518, -110.87014

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About Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls is a 197-foot horsetail in Wyoming, on Fairy Creek.

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

Plungeworthy rates Fairy Falls 8.5/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

One of Yellowstone's tallest at 197 feet — a slender freefall wavering down a lodgepole cliff — with Grand Prismatic Spring's rainbow overlook sharing the first mile of trail. The best two-for-one walk in the park.

Getting there

Trailhead: Fairy Falls Trailhead south of Midway Geyser Basin
Parking: Trailhead lot off the Grand Loop; overflow fills by mid-morning
Road: Paved, seasonal
Hike: 5.4 mi round trip, 100 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: Flat but long. The Prismatic overlook spur alone is ~1 mile round trip — don't mistake it for the full falls hike.

When to go

June through September. Early starts beat both heat and the Prismatic crowds sharing your first mile.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Yellowstone entrance $35/vehicle
Dogs: Not on trails
Camping: Madison Campground ~9 miles
Warnings: Thermal-adjacent terrain early on — the crust off-trail is not ground.

Researched from NPS — day hikes. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Fairy 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.