Parking
Start at Tower Creek Trailhead at the rear of Tower Fall Campground; parking is limited there. Vault toilets are in the campground. This is a point-to-point route, so arrange transport from the Roosevelt corrals or retrace the route.
Overview
About Roosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail
Why go
- The switchbacks open onto views of Tower Fall and the river narrows.
- The corridor links the campground and Roosevelt Lodge area.
Heads up
- The one-way route needs a ride or a 5.3-mile return walk.
- The climb after the creek bridge is steep.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,302–6,795 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yellowstone alerts
- ClosureBiscuit Basin closed after hydrothermal explosionBiscuit Basin’s parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River are closed to all travel.Official details
- ClosureMost Yellowstone roads close to regular vehicles November 1Most Yellowstone roads and the West, South, and East entrances are scheduled to close to regular vehicles November 1, 2026, as the park prepares for winter operations.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Hear Yellowstone as you drive it.
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 area
Tower Fall0:00 / 0:33
“Tower Fall is coming up, a quick waterfall stop with jagged volcanic pinnacles around its brink. Walk about a hundred and fifty yards from the parking area to the overlook.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Calcite Springs Overlook
- Tower Fall on a Printed Page
- Specimen Ridge Trailhead
- Yellowstone River Picnic Area and Narrows
- 243 audio storiesacross Yellowstone’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Bison, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 167 trails, 192 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Roosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail
The through-hikeRoosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail is a 2.
Roosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail is a 2.6-mile, one-way walk from the Tower Creek Trailhead at the back of Tower Fall Campground to the Roosevelt corrals. The first 0.2 mile follows Tower Creek to a bridge; after that, a steep climb gains about 300 feet over the next half-mile. Allow about two hours one way. At the Lost Lake junction, continue downhill another 0.6 mile to the corrals; that spur is included in this route. Without a ride at the far end, retrace the route for about 5.3 miles.
The view above the riverThe switchbacks open to the Yellowstone River Narrows and Tower Fall below.
The switchbacks open to the Yellowstone River Narrows and Tower Fall below. Past the climb, the path crosses rolling meadow and burned spruce-fir forest, with occasional northwest views toward Pleasant Valley and Hellroaring Mountain. Tower Fall drops 132 feet, but this walk stays high above it rather than going to the base.
Access and footingStart at Tower Creek Trailhead, near the rear of Tower Fall Campground.
Start at Tower Creek Trailhead, near the rear of Tower Fall Campground. Parking is limited in the campground, where vault toilets are available. The route gains about 400 feet and descends about 650 feet overall. The steepest grade is the half-mile stretch after the Tower Creek bridge. Pets are not allowed on Yellowstone hiking trails; trained service animals are allowed under park rules.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yellowstone
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.
