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Posted by RandalH (69.144.172.99) on 11:53:18 06/14/2009
In Reply to: no solid info posted by Paula
For point of reference, no, I have not been to Fairyland. I have, however, spoken in person with multiple individuals who have attempted - in some cases unsuccessfully - to make it there. That said...
Fairyland is at the confluence of Broad and Shallow creeks on the east side of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It is usually accessed by way of Joseph's Coat Springs and overnighting at the backcountry site that's nearby (relatively speaking).
This is NOT an easy trek and I would put zero credence in any website remotely insinuating that it is. The dangers in this section of the park are real and multiple, and I cannot stress that enough. In their book on waterfalls in Yellowstone, Paul Rubinstein, Lee Whittlesey and Mike Stevens rate every falls in this region of the park as "Dangerous off-trail, not recommended." To get to Fairyland, you would have to go past these locations.
If you've Googled, it isn't hard to find multiple tales of near-disaster from groups that attempted to get to this location. Many of these people put months of prep work into their trips.
In short, if you can't HONESTLY say that you, and every person traveling in your party, have an above-average depth of wilderness experience (off-trail hiking, navigating, route finding, first aid, "crisis" control, etc.) this is NOT the place to be going.
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