Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Osprey Falls Trail

3.8 mi of trail, end to end · about 900 ft of climbing · 6,265 ft–7,199 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · bike, hiking

6,413 ft 7,114 ft · 2.6 mi high 7,114 ft

Osprey Falls Trail the Park Service's write-up

4-6 Hours · no dogs · Summer, Fall

Start Mammoth Hot Springs

A hiker stands at the base of a large waterfall.
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank

Follow Old Bunsen Peak Road through grassland and burned forest 3 miles (4.9 km) to Osprey Falls Trail. Descend 700 feet (213 m) into Sheepeater Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in Yellowstone National Park. Osprey Falls, on the Gardner River, plunges 150 feet (46 m) over the edge of a lava flow. Return by the same route.

Safety notes: Grizzly bears frequent this area. Follow Old Bunsen Peak Road for 3 miles (4.9 km) to Osprey Falls Trail. Hiking and biking allowed on Old Bunsen Peak Road. No bikes allowed on Osprey Falls Trail.

Trailhead: 5 miles (8 km) south of Mammoth on the Grand Loop Road. Park in the gravel lot just south of Golden Gate, across from the Glen Creek trailhead.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 473 trails in Yellowstone National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.