Virginia Cascades
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Virginia Cascades is a waterfall in Wyoming, at a modelled elevation of 2,357 m. Joseph Peak stands 3,176 m to the northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Virginia Cascades Picnic Area, a picnic site 0.7 miles away.
The story
Virginia Cascades (height 60 feet (18 m)), is a cascade type waterfall on the Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park. Virginia Cascades is located just south of the Norris-Canyon road approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of Norris Junction. A one-way road provides access to the north side of the cascades. Virginia Cascades was named in 1886 to honor Virginia Gibson, the wife of Charles Gibson, the head of the Yellowstone Park Association concessions by Ed Lamartine who built the first wagon road between Norris and Canyon. In 1880, then superintendent Philetus Norris had named the cascades, Norris Falls but geologist Arnold Hague, although he did not like to give personal names to scenic features, agreed to the name Virginia Cascades because he thought it useful to name park features after states in the union.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q38247, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 18 m
How to reach it
Named places within 25 miles
- 8041 ft: 0.7 mi
- 8124 ft: 1.0 mi
- 8205 ft: 1.2 mi
- 8271 ft: 1.7 mi
- 8183 ft: 1.8 mi
- Black Pit Spring: 2.7 mi
- Sulphur Pot: 2.8 mi
- Crater Spring: 2.8 mi
- Root Pool: 2.8 mi
- Locomotive Spring: 2.8 mi
- Medusa Spring: 3.0 mi
- Frying Pan Bowl: 4.6 mi
- Frying Pan Spring: 4.6 mi
- Artists' Paintpots: 4.7 mi
- Roadside Spring East (MNCNN031): 4.7 mi
- Virginia Cascades Picnic Area: 0.7 mi
- Norris Meadows Picnic Area: 2.4 mi
- Gibbon Meadows Picnic Area: 4.8 mi
- Caldera Rim Picnic Area: 6.2 mi
- Iron Springs Picnic Area: 7.0 mi
- Steamboat Geyser: 2.8 mi
- Norris Geyser Basin: 2.9 mi
- Porcelain Basin: 3.0 mi
- Back Basin: 3.0 mi
- Clearwater Springs: 6.9 mi
- Crystal Falls: 7.2 mi
- Upper Yellowstone Falls: 7.3 mi
- Gibbon Falls: 7.3 mi
- Lower Yellowstone Falls: 7.4 mi
- Silver Cord Cascade: 9.7 mi
- Obsidian Cliff: 8.4 mi
- Trilobite Point: 12.0 mi
- Sheepeater Cliffs: 15.3 mi
- Midway Bluff: 15.8 mi
- Gull Point: 17.1 mi
- Willow Park: 11.6 mi
- De Lacy Park: 18.8 mi
- Arch Park: 22.1 mi
- Dunbar Park: 22.5 mi
- West Yellowstone Town Park: 22.5 mi
- Norris Geyser Basin Museum: 2.9 mi
- Museum of the National Park Ranger: 3.0 mi
- Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center: 19.7 mi
- Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center: 22.5 mi
- Museum of the Yellowstone: 22.6 mi
- Queen's Laundry Bath House: 15.1 mi
- Honoring Veterans: 22.5 mi
- Yellowstone National Park: 10.0 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 20.6 miles of Virginia Cascades. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Peak | NW 326° | 3,176 m | 20.6 mi |
| Mount Holmes | NW 306° | 3,149 m | 12.6 mi |
| Gray Peak | NW 324° | 3,139 m | 19.6 mi |
| Bannock Peak | NW 318° | 3,137 m | 16.5 mi |
| Mount Washburn | ENE 61° | 3,122 m | 12.0 mi |
| Antler Peak | NW 319° | 3,048 m | 14.2 mi |
| Quadrant Mountain | NW 326° | 3,034 m | 16.0 mi |
| Little Quadrant Mountain | NNW 329° | 3,022 m | 19.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:27 | 18:57 | 19:35 |
| June solstice | 05:38 | 20:28 | 21:13 |
| September equinox | 07:10 | 18:43 | 19:22 |
| December solstice | 07:58 | 15:57 | 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 | 12 | 14 | 21 | 29 | 38 | 47 | 56 | 54 | 45 | 34 | 22 | 13 |
| Precip in | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Yellowstone Lake, 16 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Nov–May — fullest in Apr, leanest in Jul.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Tantalus Creek at Norris Junction, Ynp, 4 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
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/5483100824
Day trips start here
- Yellowstone National Park · 8 mi
- Gardiner · 22 mi
- West Yellowstone · 23 mi
Take the scenic way to Virginia Cascades.
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