# Urlătoarea Waterfall

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Prahova County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/prahova) › [Bușteni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/busteni)

> A roughly 15 m waterfall on the eastern slopes of the Bucegi Mountains, an hour's easy forest walk from Bușteni; the most visited waterfall in the massif and a classic outing on the Prahova Valley.

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**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.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The waterfall is in the open air, on a trail accessible all year; visit in daylight, and in winter only with suitable footwear. The park's visitor centre in Bușteni (Str. Telecabinei 54) is open Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00–15:00, from May to October.
- **Ticket:** 10 lei — park ticket, valid 90 days
- **Visit duration:** 2 – 2½ hours — there and back from Bușteni
- **With kids:** Yes — easy path, not for pushchairs
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — ~25 lei/day, at the cable car
- **Best season:** April – October — strong flow in spring
- **Address:** Urlătoarea valley, about 3 km from the Bușteni cable car station (end of Strada Telecabinei), on the red-dot trail, Bușteni, Prahova County
- **Coordinates:** 45.3962, 25.5157
- **Phone:** +40 245 772 640
- **Website:** https://www.bucegipark.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascada_Url%C4%83toarea
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12723584
- **Categories:** [Waterfalls](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascade), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Urlătoarea Waterfall

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.

### What you can see

The waterfall appears suddenly, after the last bend of the path: the moss- and fern-covered rock wall with the water split into two or three streams, and the small amphitheatre of boulders at its foot, with wooden footbridges, benches and a platform for photos. If you come at high flow, bring a jacket: the spray reaches the platform. On the way, as the path leaves the forest edge, there are a few windows towards Caraiman and the Heroes' Cross.

From the waterfall, the blue-dot trail descends in about 45 minutes to Poiana Țapului along the Urlătorilor valley, and the Jepii Mari trail linking Bușteni to the Bucegi plateau passes nearby; this makes a loop Bușteni – Urlătoarea Waterfall – Poiana Țapului possible, returning on foot or by train.

### Good to know

The path is easy, but has muddy stretches and roots, and in winter ice under the packed snow makes it slippery; it is not suitable for pushchairs. On summer weekends it is as crowded as the centre of Bușteni, so set off in the morning. Bears frequent the area: walk in a group, make yourself heard and leave no food on the trail. Visiting the Bucegi Natural Park is subject to a fee (ticket online or from rangers).

## Don't miss

- The 15 m curtain of water seen from the platform at its foot, with the spray reaching you when the flow is strong.
- The panel with the shepherdess legend and the Romsilva sign declaring the waterfall a hydrological natural monument.
- The windows towards Caraiman and the Heroes' Cross on the path climbing from the edge of Bușteni.
- The smaller steps on the Urlătoarea Mare and Urlătoarea Mică streams, hidden in the forest above the waterfall.
- The loop down the blue-dot trail to Poiana Țapului and back to Bușteni by train.

## 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

## Details

- **Protected area type:** natural park
- **Part of:** Bucegi Natural Park
- **Drop height:** 15 m
- **Watercourse:** Urlătoarea stream
- **Altitude:** 1,100 m
- **Walk to the waterfall:** ~3 km from the cable car

## Frequently asked questions about Urlătoarea Waterfall

**How much is a ticket to Urlătoarea Waterfall?**

A ticket to Urlătoarea Waterfall costs 10 lei (park ticket, valid 90 days). 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.

**What are the opening hours of Urlătoarea Waterfall?**

Opening hours at Urlătoarea Waterfall: daily open 24 hours. The waterfall is in the open air, on a trail accessible all year; visit in daylight, and in winter only with suitable footwear. The park's visitor centre in Bușteni (Str. Telecabinei 54) is open Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00–15:00, from May to October.

**How long does a visit to Urlătoarea Waterfall take?**

A visit to Urlătoarea Waterfall takes about 2 – 2½ hours (there and back from Bușteni).

**Can you visit Urlătoarea Waterfall with kids?**

Yes, Urlătoarea Waterfall is suitable for children (easy path, not for pushchairs).

**Where can I park at Urlătoarea Waterfall?**

There is paid parking at Urlătoarea Waterfall (~25 lei/day, at the cable car). 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.

**How do I get to Urlătoarea Waterfall?**

Urlătoarea Waterfall is located at Urlătoarea valley, about 3 km from the Bușteni cable car station (end of Strada Telecabinei), on the red-dot trail, Bușteni, Prahova County. 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.

**When is the best time to visit Urlătoarea Waterfall?**

The best season for Urlătoarea Waterfall: April – October (strong flow in spring).

## Nearby attractions

- [Caraiman Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-caraiman) — Waterfalls · Bușteni, PH · 10 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · 3 km
  A waterfall on the rock step at the head of the Jepi valley, below the Caraiman chalet in the Bucegi; it only flows in full in late spring and early summer, hence its nickname of the ‘ghost waterfall’.
- [Heroes' Cross on Caraiman Peak](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/crucea-caraiman) — Monuments and historic sites · Bușteni, PH · 10 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 · 3 km
  A 39 m steel cross raised in the 1920s on the edge of the Caraiman escarpment, at 2,291 m, in memory of the heroes of the First World War; it can be seen from all over Bușteni.
- [Cantacuzino Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-cantacuzino) — Castles and palaces · Bușteni, PH · 85 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 · 4 km
  The Neo-Romanian summer residence of the 'Nabob' Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, with a ballroom lined with coats of arms, a terrace facing the Bucegi Mountains and the Nevermore Academy exterior from Wednesday.
- [Transbucegi](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transbucegi) — Scenic roads · Dâmbovița County · 10 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · 5 km
  The DJ713 climbs from the DN71 near Sinaia over 16 km of tarmac to 1,925 m at Piatra Arsă: the only road that takes you by car onto the Bucegi plateau.
- [Babele](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/babele) — Mountains and trails · Moroeni, DB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 5 km
  The stone mushrooms of the Bucegi plateau, at ~2,200 m: conglomerate rocks worn by wind, frost and rain, a few minutes from the Bușteni cable car and the Sphinx.
- [The Bucegi Sphinx](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sfinxul-din-bucegi) — Mountains and trails · Moroeni, DB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 5 km
  An 8 m conglomerate rock shaped by wind, frost and rain that, from certain angles, looks like a human head; it stands on the Bucegi plateau at 2,216 m, next to Babele.

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Last updated: 30 September 2026
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