Hike to Fairy Falls

A hike to Fairy Falls was on my bucket list for Yellowstone. But it wasn't until Laurel met me in Yellowstone, that I was able to do it. This was a very easy and beautiful hike.

There are two ways to get to the trailhead. We choose the shorter way, parking just south of the entrance to Midway Geyser Basin, then hiked the well-maintained road - now used as a biking trail, to the trailhead. I think the total trip was only 7.4 miles, even though we went on past the falls to visit Spray and Imperial Geysers.

You have to hike a mile on a road that passes just behind Midway Geyser Basin. This area of Geyser Basin looks like a shallow lake, but with the colors associated with the hot features.

The edge of Midway Geyser Basin

The trees die from soaking up the minerals which makes them white

People on the boardwalk across the basin from us

The side trail went through boring woods, so I took no pictures. But the falls and the subsequent part of the hike more than made up for the first part.

The 197 foot Fairy Falls

We both spent a lot of time just enjoying the sound and sight of the falls

I loved how it hit rocks and then formed multiple streams

And the colors on the adjacent hill were marvelous

Laurel tool this picture of me picking my way across the
stream to continue our hike

Laurel walking past the falls on the way to see the geysers

Closeup view of the stream on the way to the geysers

Another colorful stream view

Most of the area was in forest but this was more open and we saw a raptor 

Imperial Geyser

This geyser blows almost continuously