Undine Falls – from Two Vantage Points!

A silky waterfall tumbles between trees and rocky cliffs — Undine Falls from the official viewpoint

There are two ways to see Undine Falls in Yellowstone National Park. The first is the official overlook, which requites virtually no hike and has a lovely view of the falls. The second is to start at the Lava Creek Picnic Area, pick up the Lava Creek Trail, and then hike down the opposite side of the gorge until you come to a place where you can see the falls. I’ve done both, and there’s no question that the official overlook has a more accessible, fuller view of Undine Falls. That said, the hike is pretty enough, especially when it’s not a hot and airless summer afternoon (don’t ask me how I know such things).

Quick Stats

Round Trip Length: 100ft. or 1.0 miles Trail Type: Out & back Elevation Gain: N/A or 140ft. Pets: No Fees: $35/vehicle

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A waterfall tumbles in several steps — Closeup of Undine Falls from the not-so-official viewpoint

We’ll tackle the official Undine Falls Overlook first. Park in the parking area, walk to the viewpoint. Sweet and simple.

Silky Undine Falls cascades in several steps — Another picture from the official viewpoint

I visited in the evening, so the falls were lovely for long shutter speed shots, but the gorge didn’t have great lighting.

No zoom photo of Undine Falls. See the meadows to the left atop the cliffs? That’s where the Lava Creek Trail is.

Now for the hike. Begin at the Lava Creek Picnic Area, turn right on the road, and cross the bridge. On the other side, a marked but inauspicious trail heads north (on the opposite side of the road from the picnic area). Once through the first fringe of trees, there will be a sign with an official Yellowstone National Park Issue map. A short distance beyond this, the trail T’s into the Lava Creek Trail. Turn left (toward Mammoth). The views in this section are nice if a little limited, but it was too hot to really enjoy them at noon in September.

A hiker in a blue shirt walks on a narrow trail among sage brush bushes, beside yellow flowers, with trees and mountains in the distance — Hikinng the Lava Creek Trail

After less than half a mile, you will likely hear Undine Falls on your left. You’ll probably have to walk off-trail to see the falls; use care as there are no guardrails or an official viewpoint – you can wander along the top of the lava cliffs that make up the top of the gorge below the falls to find the best viewing point.

A waterfall tumbling into a canyon in several cascades — About the best view I got – and I crept close to the edge of the gorge for this shot

The views here are closer than the official viewpoint, but you can’t see the entire falls. So it’s a little disappointing.

If you keep your eyes open and look in the right place, you can see the top of Wraith Falls, too!

When you’ve finished looking at the falls, retrace your steps to the picnic area, or enjoy even more views by continuing down toward Mammoth!

Hikers and trees in a sage brush covered meadow — Hiking back toward the Lava Creek Picnic Area. The bald spot on the mountain to the left of the closer trees is Wraith Falls.

Round Trip Trail Length: Official Viewpoint is 100ft. I went 1.0 mile via the Lava Creek Trail.

Elevation Gain: 140ft. (6,535ft. to 6,593ft.) for the hike; the overlook has negligible elevation gain.

Facilities: Picnic area and primitive toilet at the trailhead

Fees: $35/vehicle to enter Yellowstone National Park, valid 7 days. America the Beautiful National Park & Federal Public Lands Passes and Yellowstone Annual Passes are accepted.

A butterfly with a furry body sits on a purple aster flower — An Edwards’ fritillary butterfly on an aster flower

Trail Notes: Use care near the cliff edges as it’s a steep drop into the gorge from both viewpoints, and there are no railings along the Lava Creek Trail. Water flow is highest in the spring, but I was quite happy with the autumn flow, as well. Note that the bridge to Mammoth along the Lava Creek Trail has been out since 2022, so research whether or not it’s been replaced before planning a shuttle hike.

Trail

Road

Signs

Scenery

Would I go 100 miles out of my way for this?

Overall Rating:

A trail passes between yellow flowers and green fir bushes heading into the distant mountains — The Lava Creek Trail near Undine Falls

GPS Coordinates for Undine Falls

Official Viewpoint TH: 44.9435560°, -110.6404390° (44°56.61336′, -110°38.42634′ / 44°56’36.8016″, -110°38’25.5804″) (6,598ft.) (0.0)

Official Viewpoint: 44.9436930°, -110.6404550° (44°56.62158′, -110°38.42730′ / 44°56’37.2948″, -110°38’25.6380″) (6,592ft.) (50ft.)

Lava Creek Picnic Area TH: 44.9408960°, -110.6321480° (44°56.45376′, -110°37.92888′ / 44°56’27.2256″, -110°37’55.7328″) (6,564ft.) (0.0)

Undine Falls Viewpoint: 44.9442750°, -110.6387030° (44°56.65650′, -110°38.32218′ / 44°56’39.3900″, -110°38’19.3308″) (6,527ft.) (0.46)

End at TH: 44.9409120°, -110.6321050° (44°56.45472′, -110°37.92630′ / 44°56’27.2832″, -110°37’55.5780″) (6,564ft.) (1.01)

An orange butterfly with brown spots and white coloring sits on a purple flower with a yellow center — Another capture of the Edwards’ fritillary butterfly on the aster

The gpx file for Undine Falls via the Lava Creek Trail can be downloaded – please note that this and the GPS Coordinates are for reference only and should not be used as a sole resource when hiking this trail.

Download GPX File size: 16.7 KB Downloaded 0 times

(Note: I do my best to ensure that all downloads, the webpage, etc. are virus-free and accurate; however, I cannot be held responsible for any damage that might result, including but not limited to loss of data, damages to hardware, harm to users, from use of files, information, etc. from this website. Thanks!)

A trail sign with a map of the Lava Creek Trail in black and the road in red — The map near the Lava Creek Picnic Area – someone had found a huge elk antler and placed it on top of the sign, thus the strange shadow

Getting to Undine Falls

The Official Undine Falls Viewpoint is located on the left, 4.0 miles east of Mammoth toward Tower. It’s also on the right, 14.1 miles west of Tower Junction.

The Lava Creek Picnic Area is on the right, 4.4 miles east of Mammoth toward Tower. It’s also on the left, 13.7 miles west of Tower Junction.

A visual trail map of my hike on the Lava Creek Trail to overlook Undine Falls. The official overlook is on the lower left of the map.

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