Types of Waterfalls in Yellowstone

Types of Waterfalls in Yellowstone

There are three types of waterfalls: plunge, horsetail, and cascade. The kind of fall depends on how the water drops and how much it comes into contact with the rocks below/behind the water.

Plunge

Water-free falls for some or all of its height without touching the underlying rock, or is nearly vertical in descent.

Lower Falls is a plunge type of waterfalls

Lower Falls

Horsetail

Water descends rapidly down a near-vertical wall while maintaining some contact with the underlying rock.

Gibbons Falls a horsetail falls

Gibbon Falls

Cascade

Water flows over a series of rocks or down a broad rock face with many leaps or segments.

Lewis Falls an example of a cascade type of waterfalls

Lewis Falls

Navigate to: Introduction to Falls or Waterfall Map

All definitions come from the Rubinstein, Whittesey, and Stevens out of print book listed below.

Search the Internet, and you may find a reasonably priced copy of the above book to help you explore Yellowstone's beautiful waterfalls.

Rubinstein, P. W., Whittlesey, L. H., and Stevens, Mike. The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery. (2nd Ed.). Pages 27-28. Eaglewood, CO, 2000: Westcliffe Publishers.