There are places in the United States that everyone should see at
least once in their lives. Yellowstone National Park is one of those
places. There’s a lot to see – wildlife, waterfalls, Old
Faithful, and, of course, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
NPS Map
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is the major force in the creation of this
V-shaped canyon. Along with wind and earthquakes (1,000-3,000 small
quakes per year), the Yellowstone River continues to carve the
canyon. Statistically speaking, the canyon is about 24 miles in
length and varies from 800 to 1,200 feet in depth and from 1,500 to
4,000 feet in width.
The Canyon Village, Lodge, and Visitor Center are located 1/8 mile
southeast of Canyon Junction. The Visitor Center is always a good
place to get current information on trail, road, and weather
conditions. We spend a little time viewing a film, browsing through the
book/gift shop, and visiting the exhibits which includes a large map
that explains the various aspects of the Park’s geology through the use of lights and narration.
Visitor Center
Exhibit Map with red lights
showing location & size of Yellowstone Caldera
showing location & size of Yellowstone Caldera
After the Visitor Center, our first stop is at the Brink of the Upper
Falls. From the parking area, the paved trail to the Brink of the
Upper Falls is about a tenth of a mile with a slight elevation change
of 75 feet. The Upper Falls drop 109 feet. Just because they are
not as high as the Lower Falls doesn’t mean they aren’t worth
seeing. We’ll see a front view of the Upper Falls later from the
South Rim Drive.
Trail to Brink of the Upper Falls
Yellowstone River
Upper Falls
Upper Falls with Rainbow
The rest
of the view points are accessible from either the North Rim Drive or
the South Rim Drive. We’ll start by taking the North Rim Drive.
It is a one-way paved road offering several stops – Brink of the
Lower Falls, Lookout Point, Grand View Point, and Inspiration Point.
Each of these points has its own unique view of the Canyon.
From the
parking lot, the roughly paved trail to the Brink of the Lower Falls
is about 4/10’s of a mile. A series of switchbacks leads us 300
feet down the side of the canyon wall to an observation platform
offering an excellent view of the top of the Lower Falls.
Trail to Brink of the Lower Falls
Brink of the Lower Falls
It’s
time to climb back up the steep switchbacks to the top. Please use
extreme caution when hiking this (or any) trail in the Park.
Since
the 1880’s, Lookout Point has been a popular viewing point. Lookout
Point is easily accessed from the parking lot by a short trail with a
few stairs resulting in a 25-foot elevation change. At 308 feet
high, the Lower Falls are the highest waterfall in the Park. At the
end of this blog post you will find a link to my post featuring
Yellowstone’s Waterfalls that includes these two and other waterfalls we have seen within the Park.
Trail to Lookout Point
Lookout Point - View of Lower Falls
The
Grand View Point offers a picture-perfect view of the colorful canyon
walls and the Yellowstone River. Now, I am not a geologist; but, I
have to ask myself, "what caused the colors in the canyon?"
According
to Wikipedia, “The colors in the canyon are also a result of
hydrothermal alteration. The rhyolite in the canyon contains a
variety of different iron compounds. When the old geyser basin was
active, the "cooking" of the rock caused chemical
alterations in these iron compounds. Exposure to the elements caused
the rocks to change colors. The rocks are oxidizing; in effect, the
canyon is rusting. The colors indicate the presence or absence of
water in the individual iron compounds. Most of the yellows in the
canyon are the result of iron present in the rock “
Grand View Point
Our last
stop on the North Rim Drive is Inspiration Point (east end of the
canyon). Originally it was called “Promontory Point” because the
point stuck out and offered a panoramic view of the canyon. In 1884,
the name was changed to Inspiration Point because of the inspiring
view and the display of colors found here. In 1975, an earthquake
caused a large piece of the point (and observation deck) to fall down
into the Yellowstone River. As a result, the view has been slightly
altered from its first description in 1878 as “Promontory Point”.
However, Inspiration Point is still aptly named.
It’s a
short walk to Inspiration Point with only 50 feet of elevation
change. We have two options to reach the viewing platforms. The first option is a handicap accessible walkway leading to the first viewing platform. The second choice is to take the 70 stairs to the Lower Viewing Platform. For a little exercise, we take the stairs to the second platform. From this overlook, the Lower Falls are barely visible but
the panoramic view of the colorful canyon is beyond words. I call it
an “aah” or “awe” spot.
Inspiration Point Sign
First Viewing Platform
Inspiration Point
Canyon Walls at Inspiration Point
After we leave Inspiration Point, we stop at the Glacial Boulder (left side of the road) for a quick photo. This giant boulder measures 24 x 20 x 18 feet and weighs more than 500 tons.
Glacial Boulder
Next, we
begin the South Rim Drive which includes stops at Uncle Tom’s Trail
and Artist Point. Uncle Tom’s Trail parking area has a trail that
will take us to see the full view of the Upper Falls. The other trail here includes a long stretch of stairs offering an outstanding view of the
Lower Falls.
First, we walked the trail to Uncle Tom’s Point for a view of the
Upper Falls and the 120-foot long Chittenden Memorial Bridge.
Originally built in 1903, it was replaced in 1963 with the current
bridge.
Upper Falls & Chittenden Bridge
Uncle Tom's Trail is short (less than 3/4’s of a mile round trip)
but steep trail (500 feet) down the canyon wall for a “feel the
power” view of the Lower Falls. This trail does involve climbing
more than 300 stairs down to the observation platform. Before hiking this trail (or any trail in the Park) factors to consider include the time of day, temperature, and your personal capabilities. We take our time going up and down this stairway system. The view at the bottom is rewarding and it is worth the effort.
From 1898 to 1903, adventure awaited those early visitors who
followed Uncle Tom to the base of the Lower Falls. He ferried them
across the river (before the Chittenden Bridge was built) and then
led them down into the Canyon using the rough trail he built (and rope ladders) to the
base of the Lower Falls.
The Story of Uncle Tom
Today, a paved trail takes us to
the metal stairway where we go down, down, down ....
Uncle Tom's Trail
At the
bottom of the stairs is a viewing platform. During our visit, we were the
only ones here. This allowed us to really enjoy the quiet wild and natural beauty of the falls and the view downstream. Anytime you are near a
waterfall, watch for rainbows!
Uncle Tom's Trail - View of the Lower Falls
Uncle Tom's Trail - Yellowstone River
Uncle Tom's Trail - Rainbow
Oh, boy
… time to tackle those 308 steps … There are places to rest
along the way. We take our time climbing the stairs at a slow but
steady pace.
Our last
stop along the South Rim is at Artist Point. This area has been
known by this name since 1883. It was erroneously thought that this
was the viewpoint Thomas Moran used for his painting “The Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone” which was one of numerous exhibits used
to help convince Congress to create our first National Park. FYI …
Thomas Moran’s famous painting was from the Lookout Point location.
The
trail at Artist Point is 2/10’s of a mile (round trip) with 50 feet
of elevation change.
View from Artist Point
Canyon Wall at Artist Point
If you are seeking some solitude from the hustle and bustle of the
popular overlooks, the South Rim Trail to Sublime Point is a good
place to go. The three-mile trail (round trip) begins at Artist’s
Point and has about 300 feet in elevation change. The trail follows the edge of the
canyon and there aren’t any guardrails. Please be careful when
hiking this (or any) trail. There are nice views along the entire trail. At the end of the
trail is a small fenced area with the view of Sublime Point. You
won’t find a view of the Lower Falls but the colorful canyon walls
streaked with evergreen forests creates an outstanding view.
Sublime Point View
We retrace our steps back to Artist’s Point and drive to Canyon
Village. There are more hikes and views in the Canyon area. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see them. It gives us
another reason to return here.
No matter how many times I visit Yellowstone, I never get tired of
seeing its ever-changing scenery. I invite you to view my other blog
posts on Yellowstone National Park by clicking on the following
links:
Yellowstone: Mud Volcano - Stop and Smell the ... Sulfur?
Hiking Yellowstone: NW Corner - More Space; Less Crowded
Hiking Yellowstone: NW Corner - More Space; Less Crowded
Planning a visit to Yellowstone? Food and lodging options are
available inside the park and in the towns just outside the park (West Yellowstone, Gardiner, and Cooke City/Silver Gate - all in Montana). I highly recommend making lodging reservations in advance. Yellowstone
is a popular destination and “No Vacancy” signs are common
especially during the peak summer months. Since opinions,
preferences, and budgets vary, I suggest checking a trusted travel
source for current reviews.
My best advice is this - don’t just drive through Yellowstone –
experience it!
The National Park Service has created a series of short videos titled
“Inside Yellowstone”. It’s a fast and fun way to learn about
the Park. Click on the following link to begin this Yellowstone
experience.
Family vacations created some of my favorite memories. To start
planning your memorable trip to Yellowstone, please click on the
following link:
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