What to bring?
Stroller?
Can be used on handicap accessible trails but not to the best lookouts
Restrooms
Restrooms in parking lot
This is a quick stop but so worthwhile! There’s a Mesa Falls Scenic Byway on the way from West Yellowstone to Jackson that doesn’t add on much to your trip at all. There are two stops, the Upper Falls and Lower falls. The Upper Falls has a lookout right from the road, so we were able to keep the kids in the car and take turns looking.
The best view was definitely yet to come at the Lower Falls. There’s a $5 fee at the entrance of the parking lot and you have to have correct change, which led to us searching through all of our bags for dollar bills! Once you get to the parking lot, there are restrooms and a trailhead map. You will want to unload the kids and follow the boardwalk to the falls. It’s a short walk so they toddler can easily walk it but I strapped on the baby since he was sleeping.
At the end of the boardwalk, you will find yourself at the brink of the falls. If you have a sunny day, you will likely find yourself marveling at the most beautiful rainbow you’ve ever seen. The site rivaled the wonder we saw at Yellowstone! It was definitely our toddler’s highlight as she was excitedly babbling about leprechaun homes and pots of gold.
After we made our way back up the boardwalk, we were back on our way to Jackson Hole for the afternoon. The entire time both stops took was probably about 45 minutes. If you are needing a place for lunch afterwards, check out Fro-Stop in Ashton, about 30 minutes down the road. Great milkshakes & burgers!
One last thing…both at Mesa Falls and along the drive, my husband was obsessed with the size of the dandilions! We picked a few on the side of the highway during an emergency potty break. It was so much fun trying our hardest to blow them, but unlike our dandilions at home, these were much harder!
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