Customer Reviews

The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery

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The authors of this book have tracked down, and provided color photos, of no less than 250 waterfalls in Yellowstone. While some were previously well known, many are new discoveries or re-discoveries of falls not seen in many years. That so many notable falls could occur in one area (even as large as Yellowstone)is remarkable; that so many significant falls could have remained to be discovered is downright ming-boggling. The authors provide interesting histories and excellent photos of each fall, and the book will be a joy to read and look at for any waterfall lover. My slight quibble is that while they provide coordinates and category of access for each fall, they don't provide directions or hiking distance. (In fairness, it can well be argued that if the information isn't readily available elsewhere for a given fall then the trek is one that should only be undertaken by a hardcore hiker.) Despite the quibble, this is a great book for any waterfall lover, and especially for one planning a trip to Yellowstone.



Waterfalls are one of natures natural high producers. Do a search on negative ions and you will find that falling water creates an abundance of negative ions in the air. Breathing in this charged air mixture gives a body a natural, invigorating, temporary high. In their book, the authors have obviously been infected by this condition as evidenced by there irrepressible quest to seek out more and more sources of the negative ion producing waterfalls.

This book scores high marks on many fronts. With three different authors contributing, the book does a marvelous job of providing a general education on waterfalls. By clarifying the terms and classes of the waterfalls described, author Rubenstein helps to give personality and color to each individual plume.

Author Whittlesey's extensive historic perspective of the park gives each of the known waterfalls a vivid background description. When the authors caution you not to lean over the trail barrier too far to view a particular waterfall, they then follow up with the details of the tourist that died falling down that very cliff at the same site. As a drive guide to Yellowstones' waterfalls this book cannot be beat. All of the easily accessed falls are covered and described in detail including seasonal variations. For the typical tourist driving through the park, this book will appeal immediately because of the revelation that many more falls are visible with just a short car stop and walk to a viewpoint.

As a hikers guide to the Parks waterfalls this book will have even more appeal. Having spent over 15 years researching the back country for this book, author Mike Stevens has been to many of the falls on repeat occasions under a variety of conditions. In this aspect the book becomes a must for anyone hiking in the back country of Yellowstone. All of the standard trail recommendations are detailed along with accurate descriptions of how to find the falls and experience them in their best display. There are so many falls in the Yellowstone region that this book will certainly add color to almost any hike in the park.

Yellowstone Park is like a huge treasure chest of wild gems. By revealing and putting names to some of the previously `unknown' falls the authors have dug a little deeper into the treasures and helped us realize there is a lot more value in this park than any of us realize. For the experienced Yellowstone back country explorers this book is a must. The authors even give GPS coordinates to many falls that have previously not been written about. Many of the falls have no trails and require at least an overnight stay in the back country. Others are so inaccessible that the authors honestly suggest that the strenuous hike is not worth the effort. The authors even give suggested locations for other waterfalls that have yet to be discovered.

Being a Yellowstone park fan myself I give this book my highest rating and only wish it would have been available when I was employed in the park. The authors show a true enthusiasm for the whole park not just the waterfalls. This book will make you want to get out and get some of those negative ions from the cascading waters. From the text and photos it is apparent that the authors have already had a healthy dose of their own!

It is remarkable that in the 1990s, in a place as frequently visited as Yellowstone Park, the authors could discover (and rediscover) nearly 300 waterfalls. And some of the discoveries are amazing: 400-foot-high flumes, waterfalls that begin at a cliff-face and disappear thirty feet later, cascades that twist 180 degrees in their descent.

The photographs range from adequate to stunning, and the descriptions of locations--complete with UTM grid coordinates--make the guide useful to hikers. A summary description explains the place, type, and height of each waterfall, along with a quick evaluation of the effort involved to find each one. As a result, it's a useful guide for everyone from tourists to car campers to serious trekkers.

But the main impact of The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls is to reinforce the majesty of Yellowstone Park. Anyone who has spent any time in Yellowstone knows its unique combination of serenity and wierdness: it is a land of oxymorons--and waterfalls.

This is a truly amazing book on Yellowstone. I have not seen one like it. Although much of the book is devoted to newly discovered waterfalls, all the famous ones are in here too. Like Lower Falls, Tower Falls, and the Gibbon Falls. It makes this a great book for any lover of Yellowstone. Whether you've been to the park for a day or visited every year since childhood like myself you will enjoy this book. Even if you just want information on a beautiful part of America.

It has so much information. Waterfall heights, locations, streams and much much more. The hundreds of photos, which are all color, are beautiful; and the numerous maps are very helpful.

If you love Yellowstone, waterfalls, or just great natural scenery you'll want to add this classic to your collection.

As a photographer that loves to photograph waterfalls, I bought this book to show me where I could find more waterfalls to photograph. With over 300 waterfalls listed, this is a must have for any waterfall lover. Even though most of the listed waterfalls are in the backcountry of Yellowstone, it is a great resource to plan trips to see these magnificent wonders. The book lists the location of the falls, most of the time what USGS topo map to use, the difficulty of getting to the falls, and a little history of the falls. The only thing I wish the authors would have included was a brief description of the hike to the falls so that you could know what to look forward to while hiking to the falls.

This is an amazing book. I've been to Yellowstone 12 times and have seen the usual list of waterfalls that are close to the roads many times. But last year we started to take day hikes and this book provides great incentive to do more of that to see some of the lesser known falls in the park.

The sheer number of waterfalls pictured in this book that are located in the back country where there are no trails is amazing - some of which have only recently been discovered. The photos alone are worth the price of the book.

This book is logically organized and well written with clear descriptions of the terrain and great directions for finding the falls. Highly recommended even for the armchair explorer who wants to know more about the hidden wonders of Yellowstone.