📷 Forest Service Photography, Public domainShell Falls
Shell, WY
A waterfall pouring through a granite chasm in Shell Canyon, right beside US-14. A short paved interpretive trail leads to the viewpoints, and the lot is easy for all vehicles; the site is staffed in summer.
Shell Falls is a waterfall in Shell Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming, about halfway through the canyon. Here Shell Creek is squeezed through a narrow gorge and drops about 120 feet (37 m). According to Scenic USA, the fall carries up to roughly 3,600 gallons per second depending on the season (about 13,600 liters); you hear it before you see it. The canyon walls are sandstone and granite.
The fall lies on the Bighorn Scenic Byway, the name for US Highway 14 through the Bighorns. The region is significant to the history of the Crow, Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho.
Important for your planning: according to the Forest Service, the Shell Falls Interpretive Site has been fully closed since May 15, 2025, under an order running to December 31, 2026. The reasons are a failure of the power and waste systems and construction work; according to the Lovell Chronicle (May 21, 2026), no reopening date has been set. The order does not say whether the highway itself is open (as of October 2026). Check the status with the Bighorn National Forest beforehand.
- Nearest town
- Shell, WY
- Category
- Nature & parks
- GPS
- 44.5846, -107.6212
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and October. Cold, short days in December–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Sources
Featured in these trip guides
.jpg){kind=link}
Nearby
© brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark
Photo by Judy Beth Morris on UnsplashFort Phil Kearny State Historic Site
Photo by Trevor Vannoy on UnsplashDevil Canyon Overlook, Bighorn Canyon
© Carolschmidt333 · CC BY-SA 4.0Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Campsites nearby
- Shell Creek CampgroundCampsite6 mi from Shell Falls
- Ranger Creek CampgroundCampsite7 mi from Shell Falls
- Owen Creek CampgroundCampsite10 mi from Shell Falls
- Dead Swede CampgroundCampsite11 mi from Shell Falls
- KOA HolidayMotorhome stopover22 mi from Shell FallsMotorhomes
- Little Goose CampgroundCampsite24 mi from Shell FallsFree
All campsites in Wyoming · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Shell Falls?
Shell Falls is in Shell, WY, at GPS 44.5846, -107.6212. It is about 22 mi from Greybull.
Can you camp near Shell Falls?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Shell Creek Campground, about 6 mi away; within 25 mi there are 21 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Shell Falls?
Shell Falls is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Bighorn Mountains: Medicine Wheel and Bighorn Canyon and High mountains of the prairie – by camper over the Bighorn Mountains to Devils Tower.
What is there to see near Shell Falls?
Places worth a stop nearby: Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark (22 mi), Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site (39 mi), Devil Canyon Overlook, Bighorn Canyon (44 mi) and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (69 mi).
When is the best time to visit Shell Falls?
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and October. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)