Kepler Cascades is a 60-foot series of steep tiered cascades on the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming, about 2.5 miles south of Old Faithful. The river tumbles through a narrow canyon right beside the Old Faithful to West Thumb road, and a short boardwalk leads from the parking lot to an overlook on the canyon rim.
The falls
The cascades drop 60 feet in four steps, the tallest about 25 feet, with a flow of roughly 105 cubic feet per second in the three high-water months and 40 the rest of the year. Older inventories listed 125 feet in three drops, and Wikipedia gives about 150 feet with a longest drop of 50 feet. From the overlook the river is seen dropping step by step down the rocky ravine below.
Getting there
The Kepler Cascades parking area is on the Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb. There is room for RVs and trailers, but no restroom; the nearest toilet is a vault toilet at the Lone Star trailhead just beyond the lot. The overlook is a few steps from the car.
Yellowstone admission is $35 per vehicle for seven days, plus $100 per person for non-US residents aged 16 and older unless they hold an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass. No vehicle reservation is needed. In 2026 the road from West Thumb to Old Faithful is scheduled to be open to cars from May 8 to October 31, with delays of up to 15 minutes in October for work on the Firehole River bridge south of Old Faithful.
When to go
The cascades can be seen by car only while the road is open, from spring to the end of October. From December 15, 2026 to March 15, 2027 the road carries snowmobiles and snowcoaches only, and skiers can be dropped at the Kepler Cascades parking area for the groomed ski trail to Lone Star Geyser, 6.8 miles round trip.
On site
The boardwalk and overlook sit on the canyon edge; the boardwalk has been described as accessible. Yellowstone rules keep pets off boardwalks and trails and within 100 feet of roads and parking areas.
The Lone Star Geyser Trail starts just past the lot and follows the Firehole River along a road that carried cars until 1971. The park lists it as an easy, wheelchair-accessible 4.8-mile round trip, with 5.1 miles measured by one trail guide; both report about 66 feet of gain. Bikes are allowed on the paved section. Lone Star Geyser erupts up to 45 feet from a 12-foot cone about every three hours.
History and name
Members of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition saw the cascades in 1870. Superintendent Philetus Norris named them in 1881 for Kepler Hoyt, the 12-year-old son of Wyoming territorial governor John Wesley Hoyt, who toured the park with his family that year.
Nearby
Lone Star Cascade is about 1.7 miles away, Fern Cascades about 1.8 miles and Hundred Step Cascade about 2.3 miles. Old Faithful is about 2.5 miles north.
Distances are straight-line.