Yellowstone Grand Canyon

This area of the park opens the most dramatic views of Yellowstone. Canyon has its geological origins in the same gigantic eruption, which created Yellowstone Lake six hundred thousands years ago. Lava carved the canyon, which subsequently was blocked by glaciers. When all the ice melted, floods re-carved each end of the canyon, deepening it and removing sand and gravel. As a result of these combined forces of nature - the canyon is 20 miles long, 1200 feet deep, and 4000 feet wide, it has two waterfalls, one of which is twice as high as Niagara falls.

Yellowstone River, which name gave the name to the whole park, begins its 671-mile journey to the Missouri in the southern mountains of the park.
	Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

In its current look canyon was created only fourteen thousand years ago, after all glaciers melted. Several viewpoints along the canyon allow nowadays to enjoy the dramatic scenery (though some of them are not very easy to rich). If you follow the map direction and go from through all (or most) of the observation decks from Inspiration point to the Artist point, then every subsequent trail opens more an more interesting side of the canyon.

	To get to the viewpoints you have to walk away from the road. The first, and easiest to rich, is Inspiration point. Though it does not allow you to see the waterfalls, the view of the canyon is worth the time. Some of the viewpoints, which allow visitors to see the waterfalls, are located pretty deep in the Canyon - so one has to really work to get there.
View from the Inspiration point

Lower Falls

Lookout Point, which opens an excellent view of the Lower falls, is located on the end of the steep 150 feet trail. Red Rock point road drops 500 feet in about 3/8 mile! It is not a big deal to get down, but to get back...
	Lower Falls

Next observation deck is located right at the brinks of the 308 feet high Lower falls. The deck could be found in the previous pictures (maybe screen resolution does not really allow it though) - but it is so tiny compared to the canyon and the fall, that it does not ruin the view. Every second about 37 400 gallons of water plunges over the Falls, and from this point you get a different prospective of this incredible waterfall!

Brinks of the Lower Falls

View of the canyon from the brinks of the Lower Falls viewpoint

All the previous viewpoints were "arranged" on the trail as if coming to more and more interesting views. But this one - the view of Upper Falls, does not fall to this line. And it is too bad - maybe the Upper Falls should have been put before the Lower Falls, to make sure that it is appreciated as well as it deserves to be. Upper Halls (109 feet) is impressive in its own way, but because it is located on the turn on the river it did not get such good viewpoints, as Lower Falls.

Upper Falls

Observation deck in the end of the Uncle Tom's trail, opens of the the most magnificent views of the Lower Falls. The deck is located on the side from the Falls, such that you still can see whole waterfall, and at the same time you are so close, that you may even feel the drops of the falling water. Sunlight, shining through that cloud of drops, spreads into beautiful rainbows! There is just one bad news for those who wants to see all of that: this trail taking you 500 feet deep into the Canyon, consists of more then 300 steps!

Lower Falls from Uncle Tom's Trail

Lower Falls and rainbow

	The last observation point of our trip was Artist point. From here Tomas Moran pained his famous picture of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, to convince the Congress that this place, with its rear beauty, deserves to become the first national park.
View form the Artist Point

View from the Artist Point

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Last updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2001