I love waterfalls. And I love hot springs. When I found out about a route in Yellowstone National Park that involved a campsite near a large waterfall with numerous hot springs immediately downstream of it, I knew I had to put it on my priority list. Like all backpacking in Yellowstone, a permit was required but I was able to get my desired itinerary by applying early in the year before they switch over to processing permit requests in the order they are received.

Located in the southwest corner of the park, this trip was uncrowded and my group enjoyed several solitary soaks in the hot springs beneath the waterfall during the two nights we camped there. Some folks came in during the day, but since Yellowstone backcountry sites are limited to one group at a time (this was especially cool, as I’m used to shared backcountry sites like at Olympic, Glacier, Great Smoky Mountains, North Cascades, etc.) we had it all to ourselves in the evenings and mornings.

I’m tempted to make this an annual trip, but the window of opportunity is a bit narrow since it is very buggy earlier in the year and cold temperatures come early in the fall in this area. But I can say for certain this won’t be my last time to this lovely corner of the park!