Canyon

For 23 miles, the Yellowstone River cuts through soft rock to form the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The canyon features two huge waterfalls named unimaginatively "Upper Falls" and "Lower Falls".

The canyon can be viewed from the north rim and the south rim. We visited the south rim first.

The striking yellows, pinks, reds, and whites that tint the canyon walls have hydrothermal origins. Over thousands of years, steam and hot water have reacted with the chemicals in the rocks and left beautifully colored oxidation stains behind.

Artist Point

The water pouring over the Upper Falls descends 109 feet to reunite with the river below.

What causes a waterfall? If the rocks in this area were homogeneous, they would erode at the same rates. Instead, a volcanic eruption produced a layer of harder rock in the area of the falls. Since water cannot erode it as quickly as the soft rock, so now it tumbles off the edge.

Just outside the Artist Point parking area we encountered this giant elk. Nice set of antlers! It's too bad I didn't get a good shot of his face.

Still on the southern rim, we stopped at the parking area for Uncle Tom's Trail. In 1898, concessioner "Uncle" Tom Richardson laid out a trail that led to the base of lower falls. For five years, he led hikes in and out of the canyon. The man must have had thighs of steel. The current Uncle Tom's Trail takes a different route, but it's still the only way to reach the canyon floor (at the base of the Lower Falls).

As you approach the trail head, you are bombarded by signs warning you about how strenuous it is. It requires a descent of about 500 feet, a good portion of which is accomplished by climbing down a 328-step steel staircase. And then you climb back up. Ma stayed in the car. I got to the beginning of the trail and asked some returning hikers how long it took. Their answers all exceeded the hour I'd allotted myself, so I decided to abstain.

While I was down there, I snapped this photo of the cliff across the canyon. See the switchback trail? I didn't know it yet, but I would be traveling this trail in lieu of Uncle Tom's Trail. It leads to the Brink of the Lower Falls.

We left the south rim and drove upstream over Chittenden Bridge to the north rim. Ma and I walked down the short staircase to see the Brink of the Upper Falls. It was fairly crowded, and vantage points were not great. But you could feel the spray of the water on your face.

We continued on the one-way North Rim Road. Lucky for us, the road's terminus was Canyon Village where we'll spend the night.

Brink of Lower Falls
This viewpoint is reached by taking the 3/8 mile switchback trail pictured above. It's not considered as strenuous as Uncle Tom's Trail, but it has an even larger elevation change: 600 feet. I hiked it solo. It took far less than an hour.

Lower Falls, 308 feet (twice as high as Niagra Falls)

Lookout Point
A north rim viewpoint of the Lower Falls.

If you look closely, you'll see the boardwalk for the Red Rock trail.

Inspiration Point
A north rim viewpoint of the Yellowstone River below the Lower Falls.

The entire area remains geologically active. Hydrothermal features dot the canyon walls and shoreline. Plus, the river continues to erode its banks and its bed. The waterfalls will get higher. Thousands of years from now, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone may be barely recognizable.

It was nearly nightfall by the time we checked into our cabin and ate dinner. We completed the day with an evening ranger talk about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. Tomorrow we'd have the extraordinary opportunity to see one of those wolves in person.

End Day 10.