Wraith Falls is a 75-foot sliding cascade on Lupine Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, a short walk from the Grand Loop Road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction. The walk to the overlook is rated easy and family-friendly.
The falls
Lupine Creek spreads over a steep rock slope rather than dropping free, and it only resembles a true waterfall when seen head-on. Lidar surveys measure the fall as a single 75-foot steep sliding cascade, though the top and bottom of such a long slope are hard to pin down. Earlier surveys listed 100 feet, while other records give 79 feet. The creek is small, averaging an estimated 12 cubic feet per second at peak runoff and about 2 cubic feet per second for the rest of the year.
Getting there
The trailhead is on the Mammoth-Tower road almost six miles east of Mammoth Hot Springs, about a mile past the Lava Creek Picnic Area, with a decent-sized parking lot. The trail covers a 1-mile round trip that climbs 79 feet over the half mile out, through sagebrush meadow and some forest. Boardwalks cross marshy stretches, a wooden footbridge crosses Lupine Creek, and the last stretch switchbacks up about 50 feet on stone stairs to a fenced viewpoint. Trail conditions reports confirm the route is clear of downfall and in good shape, with a closure to stock.
Yellowstone admission is $35 per vehicle for seven days, $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or bicycle, plus $100 per person for non-US residents aged 16 and older unless they hold an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass. Vehicle reservations are not required.
When to go
Because the creek is small, the falls are fullest during spring runoff, when the water fans out across the slope.
On site
From the fenced viewpoint, visitors often spot yellow-bellied marmots on the rocks across the ravine. The route is unsuitable for wheelchairs, as the final 245 feet are steep and rocky with steps. Pets are not allowed on the trail, and grizzly bears are active in the area.
History and name
Members of the 1885 Hague geological survey named the falls; the white ribbons of water reminded them of a ghost.
Nearby
Undine Falls on Lava Creek is about 1 mile away, with Lower Undine Falls about 1.1 miles. Osprey Falls on the Gardner River is about 2.9 miles away and Blacktail Deer Falls about 3.9 miles. Mammoth Hot Springs lies to the west along the same road.
Distances are straight-line.