Firehole Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

40feet tall

A block on Firehole River.

Scale39/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Block
Watercourse: Firehole River
Coordinates: 44.63071, -110.86401

Get directions →

About Firehole Falls

Firehole Falls is a 40-foot block in Wyoming, on Firehole River.

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

Plungeworthy rates Firehole Falls 7.3/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

A 40-foot punch of whitewater in a lava-walled canyon on the one-way Firehole Canyon Drive — the geyser basins' overlooked side show. The famous warm swim area sits a half-mile further down the same drive when open.

Getting there

Parking: Pullouts along the one-way scenic drive, off the Grand Loop south of Madison
Road: Paved one-way loop, seasonal
Hike: 0 mi round trip (easy)
Heads up: The swim area is a separate feature — closed through 2025 with no confirmed 2026 reopening; check the park's swimming page before packing towels.

When to go

May through September with the drive; June carries the biggest water.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Yellowstone entrance $35/vehicle
Dogs: Leashed at pullouts
Camping: Madison Campground ~3 miles
Warnings: Some pullouts have no barrier above the canyon; the river's current is serious even where swimming is allowed.

Researched from NPS — swimming in Yellowstone. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Firehole 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.