Scenic Drives
The Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, Island Park drives, and a day at Quake Lake.
The Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
Highway 47 connects Ashton to the Island Park area and is widely considered one of the most beautiful drives in the region. Highlights:
- Upper Mesa Falls, a dramatic waterfall seen from an easy boardwalk (closed for renovation since August 2026);
- Lower Mesa Falls, a quieter overlook with a stunning forest backdrop;
- the historic Big Falls Inn, now the Mesa Falls Visitor Center.
The drive is short, but allow several hours to enjoy the stops. The highway is closed to cars in winter and groomed for snowmobiles.
Island Park drives
Island Park's wide valleys, rivers and forests make for relaxed scenic driving. Favorites include Big Springs and its waterways, the views at Henry's Lake, the landscapes of Harriman State Park, and the open meadows where wildlife is often seen. For big views, the road up Sawtelle Peak looks across three states.
Quake Lake and the Madison Canyon
Just over the Montana line, on US-287 northwest of West Yellowstone, is one of the region's most dramatic sights. On the night of August 17, 1959, a powerful earthquake near Hebgen Lake set off a massive landslide that crashed into the Madison River canyon in less than a minute, burying a campground and damming the river. The water backed up into a new lake: Earthquake Lake, or Quake Lake. Twenty-eight people lost their lives, and their names are on a memorial boulder carried across the canyon by the slide.
The Forest Service's Earthquake Lake Visitor Center overlooks the slide and the lake, with exhibits on the earthquake and a working seismograph. It is open in summer.
Cave Falls
In Yellowstone's quiet southwest corner, Cave Falls is a wide, low waterfall on the Falls River, reached from Ashton by a long road that turns to gravel in the national forest before it enters the park. It makes a peaceful day trip far from the crowds, with a campground near the falls.
Planning advice
Scenic drives are best enjoyed without a rigid schedule. Allow time for photo stops, wildlife delays, short walks and overlooks. Rushing reduces the quality of the experience.
Scenic drive questions
What are Mesa Falls and how do I visit them?
Make the drive part of your stay
Cabins close to the byway and the river.
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