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Hike the Mystic Falls Loop

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

5.0/5
based on 1 reviews

Details

Distance

3 miles

Elevation Gain

500 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Jon King

Make this easy day hike to a 70 foot Yellowstone Waterfall.

Mystic Falls is located in the Biscuit Basin area of Yellowstone National Park. Biscuit Basin’s parking lot is approximately 2 miles north of Old Faithful along Grand Loop Road.

Start your hike along the Biscuit Basin boardwalk. The boardwalk provides access to several thermal features including the popular Sapphire Pool. The actual trail for Mystic Falls begins near Avoca Spring at the west end of the boardwalk. Here the trail turns to dirt and enters a pine forest. You’ll quickly emerge into a beautiful canyon and follow the Little Firehole River until you reach the falls (approximately 0.7 miles from the boardwalk).

Once you reach the falls you can either return the way you came (2 mile out and back) or continue and make a loop hike (3 mile loop). If you’re going to loop, continue the incline above the waterfall until you reach the junction for Fairy Creek Trail. Turn right and the junction. Here you’ll descend to Biscuit Basin Overlook. This is a nice destination to rest, eat a snack and take in the view. Continue on the trail until you meet back up with the boardwalk at Biscuit Basin.

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Hiking
Bathrooms
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
River
Scenic
Waterfall
Wildlife

Reviews

The majority of tourists who visit Yellowstone will only see the main attractions the park has to offer, and for good reason, because this incredible place has so much to offer and it's impossible to see it all on a short trip! That means that hikes like this one are the perfect way to break up your day from the highlights that everyone else will see. Mystic Falls sits in a beautiful little canyon, and it's a lot of fun to hike up to and scramble over the rocks near the falls. If you continue hiking up past the falls, you can go another mile or so to a nice overlook that looks down on the Biscuit Basin area, with Old Faithful visible in the distance.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

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Upper Geyser Basin Old Faithful Observation Point Loop

Old Faithful

Cross-Country Ski around Old Faithful, Yellowstone

Hike above Grand Prismatic Spring

Fairy Falls

Let Adventure be your Destination in Wyoming

Wyoming’s wide-open spaces make it easy to get off the grid and on a trail, through a park, into a forest, up a mountain or down a river. During your journey through Wyoming’s Black to Yellow Region, discover geologic marvels, dense evergreen forests and sprawling prairielands.

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