Silver Cord Cascade
Silver Cord Cascade is a waterfall in Wyoming, at a modelled elevation of 2,327 m. Cathedral Peak stands 3,215 m to the east-southeast, 20 miles off. The nearest named place is Lower Yellowstone Falls, a waterfall 2.3 miles away. Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway passes 27 miles off.
The story
Silver Cord Cascade is a horsetail type waterfall on Surface Creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Surface Creek flows out of Ribbon Lake off the South rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and plunges 1,200 feet (370 m) to the Yellowstone River. It is considered the tallest waterfall in Yellowstone. Silver Cord Cascade was first described by members of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition as Silverthread Falls.
the wild, floating stories about falls 1,000 feet in height are no doubt exaggerations as applied to the main stream. That there are small streams...that fall the distance of 1,000 feet or more, perpendicular, is true and such were seen by some of our party. Samuel Hauser and Benjamin Stickney, members of the Washburn Expedition are credited with the name Silverthread Falls. In 1883, Philetus Norris, then park superintendent, renamed the falls Sliding Cascade. However, in 1885 the official name, Silver Cord Cascade, was bestowed on the falls by the Arnold Hague Geological Survey. The brink of the falls can be reached via the Clear Lake-Ribbon Lake trail, while the falls can be viewed from the North rim of the canyon off the Sevenmile Hole trail.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7515928, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 370 m
How to reach it
- 27.4 mi off the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
- 29.2 mi off the Beartooth Highway, National
Named places within 25 miles
- Hedges Peak: 3.8 mi
- Dunraven Peak: 4.0 mi
- Crater Hills: 4.9 mi
- Mount Washburn: 5.0 mi
- Sulphur Mountain: 5.5 mi
- Turbulent Pool: 6.8 mi
- Dragon's Mouth Spring: 7.0 mi
- Mud Caldron: 7.1 mi
- Sizzling Basin: 7.3 mi
- Porcelain Springs: 12.3 mi
- Grizzly Fumarole: 7.2 mi
- Churning Caldron: 7.3 mi
- Sour Lake: 7.4 mi
- Medusa Spring: 12.7 mi
- Frying Pan Spring: 13.5 mi
- Cascade Lake Trail Picnic Area: 2.5 mi
- Dunraven Road Picnic Area: 2.7 mi
- Chittenden Bridge Picnic Area: 2.8 mi
- Otter Creek Picnic Area: 3.2 mi
- Nez Perce Ford Picnic Area: 7.5 mi
- Canyon Horse Corral: 2.4 mi
- Mud Volcano Area: 7.2 mi
- LeHardys Rapids: 8.9 mi
- Devil's Den: 11.9 mi
- Norris Geyser Basin: 12.4 mi
- Overhanging Cliff: 12.2 mi
- Storm Point: 13.6 mi
- Gull Point: 13.9 mi
- Obsidian Cliff: 15.1 mi
- Holmes Point: 15.1 mi
- Lower Yellowstone Falls: 2.3 mi
- Crystal Falls: 2.6 mi
- Upper Yellowstone Falls: 2.6 mi
- Virginia Cascades: 9.7 mi
- Tower Fall: 12.0 mi
- Willow Park: 17.2 mi
- Frank Island Bay North: 21.5 mi
- Frank Island Bay South: 21.9 mi
- De Lacy Park: 23.3 mi
- Arch Park: 24.5 mi
- Museum of the National Park Ranger: 12.1 mi
- Norris Geyser Basin Museum: 12.4 mi
- Yellowstone National Park: 7.6 mi
- Queen's Laundry Bath House: 23.5 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 21.5 miles of Silver Cord Cascade. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Peak | ESE 123° | 3,215 m | 19.9 mi |
| Pyramid Peak | ESE 114° | 3,179 m | 20.7 mi |
| Mount Holmes | WNW 288° | 3,149 m | 20.9 mi |
| Mount Washburn | N 10° | 3,122 m | 5.0 mi |
| Little Saddle Mountain | E 94° | 3,114 m | 21.3 mi |
| Mount Chittenden | SE 132° | 3,075 m | 18.5 mi |
| Mount Hornaday | NE 45° | 3,049 m | 21.2 mi |
| Antler Peak | WNW 298° | 3,048 m | 21.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:26 | 18:56 | 19:34 |
| June solstice | 05:37 | 20:27 | 21:12 |
| September equinox | 07:10 | 18:43 | 19:21 |
| December solstice | 07:57 | 15:56 | 16:45 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 13 | 15 | 23 | 30 | 40 | 49 | 57 | 56 | 48 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip in | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Lake Yellowstone, 12 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Nov and Mar; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/261084420
Day trips start here
- Yellowstone National Park · 9 mi
- Gardiner · 25 mi
Take the scenic way to Silver Cord Cascade.
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