Grotto and Palisade Falls

The Rocky Mountains are full of dramatic waterfalls, and I have enjoyed spending my summer exploring many of these. Hands down the two most popular waterfalls in the Bozeman area are Grotto and Palisade Falls both located in the Hyalite Canyon of the Gallatin National Forest.

The Gallatin National Forest is a 1.8 million acre section of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and encompasses 6 mountain ranges. Hyalite Canyon is a 34,000 acre drainage area containing a large reservoir created in the 1940s. It sits about 30 minutes south of Bozeman, MT making it an extremely popular area for outdoor recreation. This area also contains some of the best ice climbing in the country.

Hyalite Reservoir as seen from the top of Palisade Falls

Grotto Falls is a waterfall along Hyalite Creek. It is a little over a mile from the trailhead on a very well established trail. The trail crosses the creek at Grotto Falls and continues to Hyalite Lake following the creek and passing about 10 more falls along the way.

Grotto Falls

Palisade Falls is a skinny waterfall dropping 80ft down a large rock wall. It is also a little over a mile from the trailhead on a mostly paved trail. Both of these trails claim to be handicap accessible. I have seen one person in wheelchair making the journey, however it looked to be a pretty intense trip. The trail basically ends at the falls, but a makeshift trail can be found along the right that will take you to the top of the falls. Be prepared to scramble. There were several climbing anchors set at the top of the falls, however, they looked a little sketchy and like they had seen some winters. My advice would be to avoid those and set your own if you're planning on climbing.

Palisade Falls

The hikes to these falls are far from extreme and you wont get the isolated feel of the backcountry, but they do make for a nice little stroll when you're needing a little time in one of nature's many playgrounds.