6 of the Best National Parks to See Waterfalls

If there’s one sound that stops me in my tracks, it’s a waterfall. Each time I pay a visit to one of the national parks, I’m amazed by the roar of the water and the views as the water drops off over a cliff. It never gets old.

After years of exploring parks all over the country, I’ve finally found my top 6. These, in my opinion, are the best waterfalls in the national parks. They’re the ones I keep coming back to, and while not all of them require a hike, the ones that do are well worth it. 

Before we get into the list, a quick heads-up…

Waterfalls are seasonal. Most of these parks are fed by snowmelt, so timing your trip right is almost as important as picking the right park. I’ll flag the best windows for each one below so you’re not showing up to a trickle.

1. Yosemite National Park, CA

There is no other national park in the country that competes with Yosemite for sheer, dramatic waterfalls. Driving into Yosemite Valley, you’re surrounded by granite cliffs with water pouring off of them from every direction. 

It’s genuinely one of the most spectacular sights in the entire National Park System! 

The star of the show is Yosemite Falls, made up of the upper fall, the middle cascades, and the lower fall, dropping over 2,000 feet total from sheer granite straight into the valley floor. You can take an easy walk to the base of the lower fall, or tackle a much harder hike up to the top of the upper fall.

INSIDER TIP: 
My other favorite way to experience Yosemite’s waterfalls is the Mist Trail, which climbs alongside both Vernal and Nevada Fall. If you time it right, you’ll get misted by the falls as you climb the granite steps beside them.

Plan your waterfall visit to Yosemite National Park

Location: Yosemite National Park, California. 

Open Season: Late May through mid-June is the sweet spot for peak waterfall flow, though Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall generally run into summer. Confirm current road and trail status on the official NPS Yosemite conditions page.

Where to Stay: See our full breakdown here for in-park and gateway-town options. 

Ash’s Recommended Activities: Yosemite Falls Trail (lower fall, easy; upper fall, strenuous), the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Fall, a stop at Tunnel View for the classic valley panorama, or one of these 12 must-sees!

How to Avoid the Crowds: Yosemite Valley fills up fast, especially at Mist Trail parking. Get to the trailhead by shuttle before 8 a.m., and expect Tioga and Glacier Point Roads to be closed until the roads are plowed for the season — check current conditions before you plan around them, or check out our Yosemite Itinerary to map out timing accordingly.

2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC

The Great Smoky Mountains couldn’t feel more different from Yosemite. You won’t find towering, sheer drops here — instead, you get that idyllic mountain setting, peaceful streams, and quiet pockets of forest.

This also happens to be a national park with a high volume of waterfalls  — there are so many to choose from! But some of my favorites are Abrams Falls and Grotto Falls. They both require a hike, but Grotto Falls is a special one — it’s the only waterfall in the park you can actually walk behind. 

Laurel Falls is a great family-friendly option, and Rainbow Falls is longer but absolutely worth it. If you want a quieter corner of the park, the Deep Creek area near Bryson City is full of smaller, less-crowded cascades.

INSIDER TIP:
Watch for “quiet walks” signage in this park. Those paths lead to secluded creeks and small waterfalls that most visitors drive right past on their way to the famous ones.

Plan your waterfall visit to the Great Smoky Mountains

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina.

Open Season: Waterfalls flow year-round here, though spring through early summer brings the fullest water. Main roads are open year-round; check the NPS road status page for secondary road closures.

Where to Stay: Our Where Should I Stay While Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains guide covers Gatlinburg and the other gateway towns.

Ash’s Recommended Activities: Grotto Falls Trail (walk behind the falls), Laurel Falls Trail, the Deep Creek waterfall loop near Bryson City, and Rainbow Falls for a longer trek. See 12 Things You Can’t Miss for more details. 

How to Avoid the Crowds: This is the nation’s busiest national park, so an early start matters more here than almost anywhere else. Weekday mornings and the Deep Creek area are your best bets for solitude. Our Great Smoky Mountains Itinerary will help you time the popular trailheads just right.

3. Olympic National Park, WA

Olympic National Park makes this list of national parks for waterfalls because of how it makes you feel, not just because of the falls themselves. This park is wildly diverse — you can be at the beach one hour, at a lake the next, and up in the mountains the hour after that — and its waterfalls play right into that magic. 

Be sure to check out Sol Duc Falls first. It drops into a ravine in three or four sections, depending on water flow, and it’s a short, family-friendly hike to get there. 

Marymere Falls is another favorite. You can easily follow the stream, cross a couple of bridges, and you’re there. And if you don’t want to hike at all, Madison Falls is just a short walk from the parking area and still worth seeing. 

INSIDER TIP:
String together Madison Falls, Marymere Falls, and Sol Duc Falls in a single day without a single strenuous hike between them — a rare combo for a park this size!

Plan your waterfall visit to Olympic National Park

Location: Olympic National Park, Washington.

Open Season: Waterfalls flow year-round, but late spring through summer brings the strongest flow and the most reliable weather. Check the NPS Olympic current conditions page before you go.

Where to Stay: Where Should I Stay While Visiting Olympic includes lodging in Port Angeles and Forks, the two best gateway towns.

Ash’s Recommended Activities: Sol Duc Falls Trail, Marymere Falls Trail near Lake Crescent, and the short walk to Madison Falls. You can also see our pick for the top 10 things you can’t miss in the park here. 

How to Avoid the Crowds: The Hoh Rain Forest entrance can mean an hour or two wait in peak summer — go early or save it for a shoulder-season visit. Want more insider tips? Our Olympic Itinerary lays out the best order to hit each region of the park.

4. Yellowstone National Park, WY

Most people think of geysers and wildlife when they think of Yellowstone — but this park is secretly one of the best national parks to see waterfalls. 

Many of the waterfalls in Yellowstone are easy to get to and visible right from the road, with just a short walk from the parking area.

Some of my favorite roadside waterfalls: Tower Fall, dropping over 130 feet into a gorgeous ravine, Gibbon Falls right along the road from Madison, and Kepler Cascades. In the Canyon area, the brink of the Upper Falls is an easy walk with a huge payoff, and the Lower Falls — the more famous of the two — can be seen from Artist Point, or up close if you’re willing to hike down to the brink.

INSIDER TIP:
The easiest place to park is at Old Faithful, thanks to its massive lot — but places like Norris, Midway Geyser Basin, and West Thumb have small lots that fill fast, so plan waterfall stops around those pinch points rather than assuming you’ll find a spot on the fly.

Plan your waterfall visit to Yellowstone National Park

Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Open Season: Most park roads open mid-May through September; peak waterfall flow is in late spring and early summer. Check the NPS Yellowstone road status page for current openings.

Where to Stay: See the best spots for lodging in and around Yellowstone here.

Ash’s Recommended Activities: Tower Fall, Gibbon Falls, Kepler Cascades, the brink of the Upper Falls, and Artist Point for a view of the Lower Falls. Our full roadside waterfalls guide has driving directions to each one.

How to Avoid the Crowds: Hit small-lot stops like Kepler Cascades early in the day, and save Artist Point for early morning or evening light (and lighter crowds). Our Yellowstone Itinerary will help you string these stops together without backtracking.

5. Glacier National Park, MT

Because you’re deep in glacier country here, the waterfalls in Glacier look different from anywhere else on this list. St. Mary Falls is the best example, and if you keep hiking past it, you’ll reach Virginia Falls, with Baring Falls a little closer to the Going-to-the-Sun Road. That’s three waterfalls in one relatively compact area.

Birdwoman Falls is another favorite, visible right from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and if you head into the Many Glacier area, Red Rock Falls is gorgeous (and a great spot for wildlife sightings). Down in Two Medicine, Twin Falls is worth the trip, and Avalanche Lake on the west side has some big waterfalls dropping straight into the lake.

INSIDER TIP:
The blue-green tint you’ll see at St. Mary and Virginia Falls comes from rock flour — fine sediment ground up by the glaciers above — so the color actually shifts through the season as glacial melt changes. Visit later in summer for the most vivid color.

Plan your waterfall visit to Glacier National Park

Location: Glacier National Park, Montana.

Open Season: Full park access typically runs July through September, once the Going-to-the-Sun Road is fully open. Check the current status on the NPS Glacier road updates page.

Where to Stay: Our Where Should I Stay While Visiting Glacier guide covers West Glacier, St. Mary, and in-park options.

Ash’s Recommended Activities: St. Mary and Virginia Falls Trail, Baring Falls, Birdwoman Falls (visible from the road), and Avalanche Lake on the west side. You can see more of the park’s best spots here. 

How to Avoid the Crowds: Logan Pass parking fills before 8 a.m. in peak season — start early or use the free park shuttle along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Our Glacier Itinerary will help you time the drive and the trailheads.

6. Mount Rainier National Park, WA

There’s something almost too-perfect about the waterfalls in Mount Rainier — the kind of view where you catch yourself wondering if it’s real. 

Comet Falls is a longer, harder hike, but it rewards you with a big, dramatic waterfall dropping off the cliffs (and wildflowers, if you time it right). Myrtle Falls is an easier win — you’ll pass it near the end of the Skyline Trail, or you can take a short out-and-back if you don’t want to do the whole trail. Either way, Mount Rainier looms right behind it in the frame.

Silver Falls, over by Ohanapecosh, is a quieter, less-visited option — a fairly easy hike that follows the cascade the whole way. And if you’re driving from Ashford up to Paradise, you’ll pass two great roadside falls, Narada Falls and Christine Falls, without any hiking required at all.

INSIDER TIP:
Myrtle Falls is one of the best places in the park to catch alpenglow on Mount Rainier at sunrise or sunset — arrive early or stay late and you’ll have the view mostly to yourself, since most day visitors clear out by mid-afternoon.

Plan your waterfall visit to Mount Rainier National Park

Location: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.

Open Season: Late July is the sweet spot — many trails, including the Skyline Trail, don’t fully melt out until mid-July. Check the NPS Mount Rainier conditions page before you go.

Where to Stay: Read more about staying in Ashford, the gateway town just outside the Nisqually Entrance — we always base here for a few nights to get into the Paradise Corridor before the crowds.

Ash’s Recommended Activities: Myrtle Falls via the Skyline Trail, Comet Falls (longer, harder hike), Silver Falls near Ohanapecosh, and the roadside stops at Narada Falls and Christine Falls. See 10 Things You Can’t Miss for the full list.

How to Avoid the Crowds: The Nisqually Entrance requires a timed entry reservation during peak season — always double-check current requirements before you go. Splitting your stay between the Paradise and Sunrise sides of the park cuts down on driving and crowd overlap.

Which National Park Waterfall Are You Visiting First?

Six parks, six completely different kinds of magic — but the same simple advice ties them all together: waterfalls are seasonal, so a little timing goes a long way. But once you see these places for yourself, in person, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to get there. 

Your Next Read: Episode 47: Chasing Waterfalls in the National Parks, where we go even deeper on our favorite waterfalls in each of these parks.