Urlătoarea Waterfall

About Urlătoarea Waterfall

At a glance: Waterfalls in Bușteni, Prahova County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: 10 lei. The visit takes 2 – 2½ hours. Information verified on 30 September 2026.

Urlătoarea Waterfall is where the Urlătoarea stream, gathered from two valleys below the Jepii Mari, tumbles over a rock wall of about 15 m into a small clearing at the edge of the forest, at roughly 1,100 m. The name means "the howling one": you hear the roar of the water long before you see it, especially in spring and after rain, when the flow is strong and the curtain of water sprays the people on the platform at its foot. It is the best-known waterfall in the Bucegi Mountains, within the Bucegi Natural Park, and a Romsilva panel beside it presents it as a hydrological natural monument.

Above the main drop, on the two streams that feed it, Urlătoarea Mare and Urlătoarea Mică, there are a few smaller steps hidden in the forest. A legend on the panel at the waterfall tells of a shepherdess loved by two brothers at once, who threw herself from the rocks and has wept in the falling water ever since.

What made it famous is above all the access: from Bușteni, at the end of Strada Telecabinei, the red-dot trail first climbs a forestry road and a few switchbacks, then runs almost level along the contour through beech and spruce forest to the waterfall. With 200–300 m of ascent and about an hour's walk, it is one of the easiest hikes in the Bucegi and, for many families visiting the Prahova Valley, their first taste of the mountains.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: Bușteni is on the DN1 (Prahova Valley), ~135 km from Bucharest (~2h30, longer at weekends), ~40 km from Brașov (~50 min) and ~65 km from Ploiești. In town follow the signs for the cable car along Strada Telecabinei; the trail to the waterfall (red dot) starts at the end of the street, by the cable car station, on the forestry road to its left. It is ~3 km and 45–75 minutes' walk to the waterfall, with 200–300 m of climb concentrated in the first switchbacks. Alternative: from Poiana Țapului, along Strada Urlătoarei and the forestry road, then the blue-dot path, ~2.7 km and ~45 minutes.

Public transport: Bucharest – Brașov trains stop at Bușteni (regional and interregional, ~2h–2h30 from Bucharest, ~40 min from Brașov); from the station it is ~15 minutes on foot to the cable car along Strada Telecabinei. Poiana Țapului halt, one stop away, is at the end of the other trail, so the loop is easy to do by train.

Where to park

The large car park by the cable car station on Strada Telecabinei cost ~25 lei a day according to recent visitor reports and fills up on summer weekends and in the holidays; there are more paid spaces on the surrounding streets. In Poiana Țapului you park on the roadside at the edge of the village. The waterfall itself cannot be reached by car.

Fees & discounts

The waterfall itself has no fee, but it lies in the Bucegi Natural Park, where visiting is charged: 10 lei per person aged 14 and over, the ticket being valid for 90 days; children under 14 go free. Buy it online on the park's website or in cash from rangers in the field. Parking in Bușteni is paid separately.

Rules

You are in a natural park: stay on the marked trail, do not pick plants, light fires or camp outside designated places, and take your rubbish with you. Do not climb on the wet rocks by the waterfall. Dogs on a lead; sheepdogs have been reported on the trail. Bears often come down into the area: walk in a group, make noise and do not feed the animals. Wear shoes with good grip, light crampons in winter; a rain jacket is useful at high flow.

Facilities

Wooden footbridges, benches and a viewing platform at the waterfall · park information panels · kiosk with snacks and drinks at the waterfall in season (not always open) · toilets, shops and restaurants in Bușteni, by the cable car · no access for pushchairs or people with reduced mobility · park visitor centre at Str. Telecabinei 54, weekends only, May–October