Tower Fall and Calcite Springs

Tower Fall is Yellowstone's most graceful waterfall: Tower Creek drops 132 feet in a single ribbon, with eroded volcanic spires standing guard on either side, the sort of scene that nineteenth-century painters loved. It sits in the Tower-Roosevelt area of the northern park, an easy short walk from a roadside parking area to a viewing platform with the fall in front of you and the canyon beyond. The area has a general store and a nearby campground, and Roosevelt Lodge and the Lamar Valley are close, which makes Tower Fall a natural stop between Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar or between the northeast and the canyon. A few minutes along the road, Calcite Springs Overlook looks down into the Yellowstone River gorge, where columns of basalt stand over steaming vents on the canyon wall, a completely different view of the same volcanic story. Together they make a satisfying half-hour to hour on the northern loop. Wildlife is frequently near here: bighorn sheep, black bears, bison and elk all turn up around Tower-Roosevelt, so scan the slopes and keep your distance. Entry is the park fee. The road over Dunraven Pass toward Canyon is seasonal and closed to cars in winter; the stretch near Tower Junction links to the northern road that stays open year-round.

The waterfall is the draw, and the walk to it is gentle. From the parking area a short, paved path leads to the viewing area, where the creek plunges over a lip of rock into a narrow gorge, flanked by the hardened volcanic spires from which the fall takes its name. Spring and early summer are best, when snowmelt makes the creek full and the spray is heaviest. By late summer the flow thins, but the setting still holds up.

Give the surroundings a little time. Calcite Springs Overlook, reached by a short drive along the river, shows the canyon from above: a wall of tall basalt columns, sulphur-yellow stains and thin streams of steam where hot water seeps through the rock. It is a quieter, stranger place than the waterfall and a good reminder that the Yellowstone River canyon is volcanic all the way through.

The general store at Tower Junction offers supplies, and Roosevelt Lodge, a short drive away, is a rustic, old-fashioned place for a meal, with a western feel that suits the area.

Plan around the seasons. The Tower-Canyon road over Dunraven Pass opens in late spring and closes before winter, so confirm road status before you drive it; Tower-Roosevelt itself is on the northern route that serves Mammoth, Lamar Valley and Cooke City. Go early or late for easier parking and better wildlife, and stay behind the barriers at viewpoints, since the cliff edges are unforgiving. Fit: first-timers, photographers, families with older children and anyone who wants an easy scenic stop in the northern park.

If you are building a northern-range day, a sensible order is Mammoth in the morning, Tower Fall and Calcite Springs at midday, and Lamar Valley for the evening wildlife hours, with a meal at Tower Junction or Roosevelt in between. Carry water and snacks, because services in this part of the park are limited, and remember that cell coverage is patchy, so download directions before you leave town.