Moose Falls is a 26-foot plunge waterfall on Crawfish Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in the park's southwestern Cascade Corner. It sits just west of the South Entrance Road, a short drive inside the south gate, about 75 yards from the pavement.
The falls
Crawfish Creek pours over a single ledge into a pool on its way to the Lewis River. Current records list the drop at 26 feet, though earlier surveys listed 32 feet and other accounts give 30 feet. Geothermal features warm the creek. An old stone bridge carries the main road over Crawfish Creek.
Getting there
The trail starts from the South Entrance Road about 1.2 miles north of the South Entrance station. The route is an easy walk of about 0.1 mile out and back with almost no climb; a dirt path and stone steps lead from the brink down to the base.
Yellowstone admission is $35 per private vehicle for seven days, plus $100 per non-US resident aged 16 and older unless covered by an eligible annual or America the Beautiful pass. The Park Service projects the South Entrance to West Thumb road open to cars from May 8 to October 31 in 2026, depending on weather.
When to go
Access follows the South Entrance road season, roughly May through October. Flow and ice conditions through the year are not documented.
On site
There are two viewpoints: the brink, which looks upstream, and the base, where the falls make a backdrop for photos. A posted sign closes the creek to swimming, wading, soaking and any other entry to the water, and jumping from the brink into the pool, once common, is no longer allowed. Posted signs also warn of dangerously hot water and prohibit off-trail travel. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
History and name
Members of Arnold Hague's survey party named the falls in 1885 for the moose that were plentiful in the southern part of the park.
Nearby
Serendipity Falls is about 3.8 miles away, Forbidding Falls about 3.9 miles, and Lewis Canyon Lower Falls on the Lewis River about 4.8 miles. The nearest town is Driggs, Idaho, about 36.8 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.