Sight · Yellowstone National Park
Three tiers of Firehole water tumbling into a wooded ravine.
Overview
Kepler Cascades is a three-tier waterfall on the Firehole River, dropping through a wooded ravine in Yellowstone’s Old Faithful area. It’s an easy roadside stop when you want a close look at moving water without setting aside time for a hike.
Parkwolf’s verdictA worthwhile quick stopMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yellowstone National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yellowstone audio tourRecorded for this place
Kepler Cascades“Kepler Cascades is coming up, where the Firehole River drops a hundred and fifty feet through three tiers in a wooded ravine.”
Plays as you drive up to Kepler Cascades in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“First time driving through a national park. We used the Yellowstone tour on grand loop Road and it’s just like having a tour guide in your car with you.”
Guide
From the pullout on the Old Faithful–West Thumb road, a level boardwalk leads to the view. The National Park Service lists accessible parking here. The platform looks down into the ravine, which can feel exposed if you’re uneasy with heights.
The river falls 150 feet over three tiers. From the overlook, you can see the main cascade and the forested gorge below; the view is close enough to appreciate the river’s force without going down to the water.
The falls were described by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870. Park superintendent Philetus Norris named them in 1881 for 12-year-old Kepler Hoyt, son of Wyoming territorial governor John Wesley Hoyt.
There’s accessible parking and a short, level approach, but this is not a food stop. Food, potable water and public restroom availability at the pullout weren’t verified, so make a separate services stop in the Old Faithful area.
Wildlife
713 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
743 sightingsWolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
5,273 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
3,258 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
397 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,494 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingShoshone Geyser Basin Trail17 mi · 8.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayMore than 80 geysers, with no boardwalks and a long hike in.
EasyLone Star Geyser Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayEasy Firehole River walk to a geyser with roughly three-hour eruptions.
ModerateMallard Lake Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayPipeline Hot Springs and a Firehole crossing lead to Mallard Lake.
EasyFern Cascade Loop Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA short woods loop slips down to a hidden cascade.
ModerateHoward Eaton Trail: Old Faithful to Lone Star Geyser6.3 mi · 3 hr · 1.3 mi awayBurned hill, spruce-fir forest, and a geyser at the end.
EasyGeyser Hill Loop Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 1.4 mi awayCompact boardwalk loop past geysers, vivid springs, and steaming runoff.
ModerateObservation Point–Solitary Geyser Loop1.9 mi · 2 hr · 1.5 mi awayA short climb trades switchbacks for Old Faithful from above.
EasyOld Faithful to Morning Glory Pool Trail2.7 mi · 2 hr · 1.6 mi awayA level geyser walk ends at a spring changed by its visitors.
Gas station · 1.3 mi awayOld Faithful Gas and Service Station - UpperA useful in-park stop for fuel, propane, snacks, or repairs.
Store · 1.3 mi awayOld Faithful General Store - UpperA 1929 general store with a huge fireplace and practical supplies.
Lodging · 1.3 mi awayOld Faithful Lodge CabinsA rustic cabin stay within easy reach of Old Faithful.
Lodging · 1.4 mi awayOld Faithful Snow Lodge and CabinsSleep near the basin; the geysers are a short walk away.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayYellowstone Tribal Heritage CenterMeet Indigenous presenters in a historic Haynes photo shop.
Visitor center · 1.4 mi awayOld Faithful Visitor Education CenterWatch Old Faithful indoors, then get the science behind the eruptions.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayOld Faithful GeyserThe eruption is brief; the basin boardwalk makes a longer stop worthwhile.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayOld Faithful InnA six-story log lobby makes this historic inn worth a look.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
