Tower Fall is one
of the prettiest waterfalls on Tower Creek in the northeastern region of
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in the United States. The fall is about
1,000 yards upstream from the creek's confluence with the Yellowstone River,
plunges 132 feet (40 meters). Tower Fall name comes from the rock pinnacles at
the top of the fall. The breathtaking waterfall plunges a water column crashes
onto the rocks at its base.
In 1870, Samuel
Hauser, the member of the Washburn party, notation the name in his diary. The
Tower Falls and Creek Falls are located just three miles south of Roosevelt
Junction on the Tower-Canyon road. This is more graceful and eye-catching
waterfalls which formations looming over the canyon it was nestled in.
You would love to
hear the rush of the water and the calls of wildlife at this tranquil and
scenic natural area. Tower Fall has enchanted the imaginations of travelers,
explorers, and even legislators for more than 140 years. Further, until 1986,
visitors could see a large boulder perched on the edge of where the fall drops.
Trail of Tower
Falls
It is an easy
little trail, as many people walking it in flip flops. Tower Fall Trail passes
through a lovely pine forest and is well maintained. Some visitor gets the
better view to have a hike down a paved steep ¼ mile trail. Every year
thousands of visitors putting pressure on the unstable streambank undercutting
the paved path.
It is highly
recommended to safely pass the trail when dry, but better not to try during icy
wet and slippery. The Tower Falls is eerie-shaped minarets or towers sculpted
from rhyolitic basalt. The trail is still restoring, but after washouts, so you
can only go about a quarter mile beyond the upper viewing platform for the
falls.
Also, see the rainbow arched across the mist of Tower Falls, adding the majestic beauty. In
2004, the last part of the trail was washed out by rock and mudslides, and the
trail to the base of the waterfall remains closed. Also, sadly the park has yet
to reopen trail to creekside view, it’s been decades now.
When to Go to Tower
Falls
Well, even from the viewing area at the top, you get a sense of how breathtaking the waterfalls in
Yellowstone can be. This is particularly to visit in May and June. When the
snow melts and rain produced some fabulous water flowing in the rivers and over
the falls.
The major drawback
in those months is incredibly busy and you must wait your turn for top view and
take photographs. Many people don’t wait a lot and pushing you, that ultimately
distract your focus on taking photos. Hence, to come early to avoid the rush.
Nearby Attraction
The nearby viewing
point of Calcite Springs also offers scenic vistas of the zone, including the
rare hexagonal basalt pillars, were created by lava flow the cracked as it
cooled. Also note, that during the winter months, the entire tower waterfall is
encased in an ice dome and the frozen falls are accessible via cross country
skies. Moreover, many other marvelous sights and waterfalls in the area.
A Sign Board at the
overlook explains how Tower Fall was Formed?
“Like many of
Yellowstone’s waterfalls, Tower Fall began as a low ledge at the junction of
two different bedrocks. Rock at the brink and underlying the fall is a tough,
volcanic breccia; the weaker downstream rock erodes faster. Where Tower Creek
drops into space, imagine the missing streambed—a channel of softer rock long
since worn away. Just downstream from the base of the Fall, the Yellowstone
River enters a narrow, swift-running gorge. Tower Creek cannot downcut fast
enough to keep pace—and is left hanging high above the river.” Source: CP
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