“... As I took in the scene, I realized my own littleness, my helplessness, my dread exposure to destruction, my inability to cope with or even comprehend the mighty architecture of nature.” - Nathaniel P. Langford, 1870

Step out onto any one of the numerous overlooks ringing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and you’re likely to experience many of the same feelings described by Mr. Langford over 150 years ago. Here, carved over 12,000 millennia, is a colorful gash in the surface of the earth over 1,000-feet deep and 20 miles long. Through it crashes the mighty Yellowstone River, which enters the canyon in dramatically stunning fashion by way of the famous (though somewhat uninspiringly-named) Upper Falls (110’) and Lower Falls (308’). Of the two, Lower Falls is certainly the more famous…it’s arguably the most photographed natural feature in Yellowstone and, when viewed down the canyon from Artist Point, creates one of the most iconic vistas of the entire National Park System.

Surrounding the canyon are a pair of roads, named North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive, which provide access to the numerous overlooks and a fairly large network of trails. This album involves only the most basic of tours of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The first half involves a drive along the north rim, stopping at most of the major viewpoints. We then take a quick walk down to the brink of the Upper Falls, before making the drive along the south rim to a couple more overlooks…all culminating at the aforementioned Artist Point. As with all our stops in Yellowstone National Park, this was an awe-inspiring and far-to-brief visit. Hopefully this album still shares a glimpse of the wonder experienced upon visiting the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This was a fitting grand finale for our 2020 trip to Yellowstone…as always, I hope you ENJOY!!

Location: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (Canyon Village)

Hike Length: 100 yd - 0.3 mile

Hike Duration: varied

Elevation: 7,800'

Waterfalls: Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, Upper Falls of the Yellowstone

Overlooks: Artist Point, Brink of Upper Falls, Grand View, Inspiration Point, Lookout Point, Sunset/Uncle Tom's Point

Yellowstone National Park - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (7-21-20)

Canyon Visitor Education Center -- 7,930'
The Canyon Visitor Center is (or, rather, would be) a great place to gather information on this part of Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately, being the year of COVID-19, it was closed when we visited...
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Area Map
Just a handy trail sign for locating where we are at different points in the album...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Lookout Point) -- 7,800'
Lookout Point is located along the North Rim Drive and provides a postcard-classic look at the Lower Falls. The falls, 1/3-mile away at this point, is 308-feet tall and is the highest in Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River itself is 500' below the overlook...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Lookout Point) -- 7,800'
Lookout Point is located along the North Rim Drive and provides a postcard-classic look at the Lower Falls. The falls, 1/3-mile away at this point, is 308-feet tall and is the highest in Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River itself is 500' below the overlook...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Lookout Point) -- 7,800'
Lookout Point is located along the North Rim Drive and provides a postcard-classic look at the Lower Falls. The falls, 1/3-mile away at this point, is 308-feet tall and is the highest in Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River itself is 500' below the overlook...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Lookout Point) -- 7,800'
A short vid of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, as seen from Lookout Point on North Rim Drive...
Lookout Point -- 7,800'
Looking northeast from Lookout Point you get this awesome view of the canyon. The yellow coloration (from which Yellowstone was derived) is due to the sulfuric content of the rocks in this area...
Lookout Point -- 7,800'
Looking northeast from Lookout Point you get this awesome view of the canyon. The yellow coloration (from which Yellowstone was derived) is due to the sulfuric content of the rocks in this area...
Grand View -- 7,800'
Grand View, on North Rim Drive, doesn't have an angle on the Lower Falls but rather looks directly down the canyon to the east. The river, at this point, is 600-800' below where we were standing...
Grand View -- 7,800'
The view southwest from Grand View is a bit limited...the narrowness of the canyon hides its depth. The colorful cliffs are as beautiful as ever though...
Grand View -- 7,800'
The view east, down the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, from Grand View on North Rim Drive. The river, at this point, is 600-800' below where we were standing...
Grand View -- 7,800'
The view east, down the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, from Grand View on North Rim Drive. The open, rocky point at the top center is Inspiration Point which you'll see pictures from next...
Glacial Boulder (Inspiration Point) -- 7,900'
Inspiration Point is reached via a short spur road off of North Rim Drive. Just before reaching the parking area you'll pass this gigantic boulder sitting all by itself among the pine. It was dropped here as the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age...
Inspiration Point -- 7,780'
This canyon has been a work in progress for at least the last 12,000 years. After the last caldera forming eruption 640,000 years ago, this are was covered by a series of lava flows. Rising hot magma caused the earth to dome and erosion to occur at a faster rate. This heat also drove superheated water through the hardened lava, altering it to the reds and yellows around you. As the river flowed through this softer rock, a V-shape was eventually carved, forming a canyon. This process may have had a little help though. It is possible that ice dams formed up river near the end of the last glacial period. When these dams melted or broke, a giant torrent of water would have washed downstream, resulting in the immediate and catastrophic erosion of the present canyon. This may have happened more than once. The Yellowstone River continues the process in a slower manner today." -- NPS Interpretive Sign
Inspiration Point (Lower Overlook) -- 7,780'
Inspiration Point actually consists of three overlooks, along a series of boardwalks and stairs, which each provide slightly different views of the canyon to the west. The canyon is between 800-1,000 feet deep here and the colors adorning the cliffs are incredible...
Inspiration Point (Mid Overlook) -- 7,780'
The Mid Overlook is simply an opening in the trees between the Lower and West Overlooks. It offers a similar view as the others with one exception...look carefully between the far cliffs at the upper end of the canyon and you'll just barely make out a portion of Lower Falls peeking through...
Inspiration Point (Mid Overlook) -- 7,780'
The Mid Overlook is simply an opening in the trees between the Lower and West Overlooks. It offers a similar view as the others with one exception...look carefully between the far cliffs at the upper end of the canyon and you'll just barely make out a portion of Lower Falls peeking through...
Inspiration Point (West Overlook) -- 7,780'
The West Overlook is fairly restricted as well, due to trees and the angle of the view, but you can hardly say it isn't still incredibly beautiful...
Yellowstone River @ Brink of the Upper Falls -- 7,640'
A short spur off the Grand Loop Road (between North & South Rim Drives) provides access to a short path leading down to the brink of the Upper Falls on the Yellowstone River. This is a shot of the river, just before arriving at the brink, looking upstream. I cannot adequately express in writing the sheer power exuded by the water flowing by here. It seemed to literally shake the rocks beneath our feet...
Brink of the Upper Falls -- 7,620'
The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River are 110-feet high, though you wouldn't know it from this angle. The incredibly powerful river erupts over the brink with a fury that all but obscures the drop in foam and mist...
Brink of the Upper Falls -- 7,620'
A short vid from the brink of the Upper Falls on the Yellowstone River...this is POWER...
Uncle Tom's Point (Canyon Overlook) -- 7,750'
Uncle Tom's Point is the first major overlook along South Rim Drive. The Canyon Overlook, seen here is only a hundred yards from the parking lot and provides a pretty look at the 110-foot Upper Falls through the pines...
Sunset Point -- 7,700'
From Uncle Tom's Point it's a paved 1/3-mile downhill walk to reach Sunset Point, located alongside and just above the Upper Falls. We were a bit underwhelmed by the view here as it was a bit obscured. The Brink of the Upper Falls viewpoint, which was visited a few photos back, is located where you see the crowds atop the falls across the river...
Sunset Point -- 7,700'
A wider-angle shot of the view from Sunset Point...Upper Falls gleams in the sun while the Yellowstone River below rushes towards the far bend, immediately after which it will tumble over the Lower Falls...
Artist Point -- 7,650'
Artist Point is located at the end of South Rim Drive, and involves a short, paved, downhill walk to one of the most iconic viewpoints at Yellowstone National Park. The trail hugs the very edge of the south rim as it departs the parking area, offering views like this one into the colorful depths of the canyon...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Artist Point) -- 7,650'
The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone appears through the spruce as the trail drops to Artist Point...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Artist Point) -- 7,650'
The 308' Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, as seen from Artist Point, is arguably the most photographed in Yellowstone National Park...and is possibly one of the most iconic viewpoints in the entire National Park System. Even from a distance of almost a mile, the power of the river as it erupts into the canyon is palpable...and the multi-colored cliffs rising from the frothing waters below is stunning. Nature's infinite palette is certainly on display in all its glory here...
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (Artist Point) -- 7,650'
A short vid of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, as seen from Artist Point...
Artist Point -- 7,650'
The 308' Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, as seen from Artist Point, is arguably the most photographed in Yellowstone National Park...and is possibly one of the most iconic viewpoints in the entire National Park System. Even from a distance of almost a mile, the power of the river as it erupts into the canyon is palpable...and the multi-colored cliffs rising from the frothing waters below is stunning. Nature's infinite palette is certainly on display in all its glory here...
Artist Point -- 7,650'
A final, awe-inspiring panorama as we say farewell to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It was certainly a fitting finale for our trip to America's first National Park.