Moose Falls

Wyoming · 30-foot drop · Yellowstone National Park · Last verified 2026-06-26

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Moose Falls is at 532 cfs of flow today, on the upper end of typical conditions.

Right now

Streamflow

532 cfs

SNAKE RIVER AB JACKSON · 19m ago

Overnight

45°F

Clear

Friday

82°F

Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Today's daylight

Sunrise 5:48 AM · Sunset 9:06 PM · 15h 18m

AQI: 43 (Good) · PM2.5 4.7 µg/m³

Other park alerts

Select rivers closed to fishing daily, 2 p.m. to sunrise(Information)
Traffic Delays - Gibbon River Bridge(Information)
Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion(Park Closure)

Snapshot built 7m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS RIW.

Moose Falls — a 30-foot plunge on geothermally-heated Crawfish Creek in Yellowstone National Park, near the South Entrance — Photo: Wikimedia Commons (see image page for full attribution)

Moose Falls is a 30-foot plunge on Crawfish Creek just north of Yellowstone's South Entrance — one of the easiest falls to see in the park. A 75-yard walk from the roadside pullout drops to the base. Named in 1885 by the Arnold Hague Geologic Survey for the moose plentiful in the area. The Crawfish Creek water is geothermally heated from upstream hot springs, so swimming and wading are prohibited. Road closes seasonally in winter.

Moose Falls is a plunge type waterfall on Crawfish Creek in Yellowstone National Park. The waterfall was named in 1885 by members of the Arnold Hague Geologic Survey for the plentiful moose found in the southern sections of the park. The falls are just 75 yards (69 m) west of south entrance road via an easy trail that begins 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north of the south entrance station.
— Wikipedia, “Moose Falls”

A short history

Named in 1885 by members of the Arnold Hague Geologic Survey for the plentiful moose found in the southern sections of Yellowstone at the time.

The trail

0.1 miles each way, rated easy. Roadside pullout on the South Entrance Road, 1.2 miles north of the south entrance station. Small lot for ~5 cars.

Is the water flowing right now?

Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.

USGS gage 13010065 · 3.7 mi away
SNAKE RIVER AB JACKSON LAKE AT FLAGG RANCH WY
View live discharge data →

30-day streamflow

Below 30-day average

2026-06-10 · low 554 cfstoday 554 cfs · avg 978.2 cfs

↻ Same date last year: 333 cfs · 166% of last year — significantly wetter

When to go (from the climate data, not our opinion)

Monthly averages from Open-Meteo's reanalysis dataset (2020–2024). Highlighted months are when we think the waterfall is at its best — but the numbers are the numbers regardless.

Month	High °F	Low °F	Precip (in)	Snow days
Jan	25	10	3.5	20.6
Feb	26	10	3.9	19.8
Mar	34	15	3.6	20.6
Apr	40	20	2.9	18
May	51	29	2.9	15.6
JunBest	64	38	2.4	4.2
JulBest	76	47	1	0
AugBest	74	47	2	0
SepBest	66	40	2.5	2.4
OctBest	50	29	2.9	10.4
Nov	33	14	3.1	17
Dec	28	11	4.5	20.2

Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API · ERA5 reanalysis 2020–2024.

Compare to nearby falls

If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.

Waterfall	Distance	Height	Trail	Dogs	Fee
Moose Falls (this page)	—	30 ft	easy · 0.1 mi	N	$35
Lewis Falls	8 mi	30 ft	—	N	—
Cascade Creek Falls	9 mi	—	—	—	—
Cascade Acres	9 mi	—	—	N	—
Polar Bear	9 mi	7 ft	—	Y	Free
Terraced Falls	10 mi	131 ft	—	N	—

Side-by-side comparisons

Moose Falls compared head-to-head with other documented falls — height, access, fees, dogs, swimmability in one row each.

Related waterfalls

Similar height (~30 ft)

Same best season in Wyoming

Questions visitors ask about Moose Falls

Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.

How tall is Moose Falls?

Moose Falls is 30 feet (9.1 m) tall. Height is sourced from NPS Yellowstone.

Is Moose Falls in a national or state park?

Yes — Moose Falls is inside Yellowstone National Park. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.

Can I bring my dog to Moose Falls?

No — dogs are not allowed on trails here. Most National Park trails prohibit pets to protect wildlife. Service animals are an exception per ADA.

Can you swim at Moose Falls?

No — swimming is not safe or not allowed at Moose Falls. Closed to all swimming, wading, soaking, and water entry — the water is geothermally heated from upstream hot springs and dangerously hot in places. Posted signs enforce this.

When is the best time to visit Moose Falls?

Peak flow is typically June, July, August, September, October. Season-wise: summer, fall. Snowmelt and recent rain affect day-to-day volume.

Is there a fee to visit Moose Falls?

Yes — entry costs around $35. Most Yellowstone National Park entrances accept the America the Beautiful annual pass.

How far is Moose Falls from a major city?

Moose Falls is 2 miles from Flagg Ranch (about 4 minutes' drive).

More waterfalls in Wyoming

Where it is

44.1519, -110.6726

Sources and live status

Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.

Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-06-26

Been there?

Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Moose Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).

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