Top waterfalls
WaterfallGibbon Falls
WaterfallKepler Cascades
WaterfallLewis Falls
WaterfallMystic Falls
WaterfallFirehole Falls
WaterfallUnion Falls
WaterfallBechler Falls
WaterfallTerraced Falls
WaterfallIris Falls
WaterfallHidden Falls
WaterfallShoshoko Falls
WaterfallColonnade Falls
WaterfallMoose Falls
WaterfallBroken Falls
WaterfallBannock Falls
WaterfallCleft Falls
WaterfallColumbine Cascade
WaterfallGlacier Falls
WaterfallRibbon Cascade
WaterfallSpalding Falls
WaterfallWilderness Falls
WaterfallCascades of the Firehole
WaterfallCascade Canyon Turnout
WaterfallAlbright Falls
Map
How to photograph waterfalls
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.