Canyon Village, Wyoming, United States
One of the star attractions of Yellowstone National Park is
the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone where about15 miles downstream from
Yellowstone Lake, the Yellowstone River flows over two waterfalls and then
through a steep-sided 600 to 1,200-foot deep canyon. Not to be confused with the even grander real
Grand Canyon in Arizona, which is its own national park, the Grand Canyon of
the Yellowstone was famously depicted in many paintings by American West artist
Thomas Moran during the late 19th century.
There are enough different viewpoints and trails around the
canyon to spend an entire day in the area.
I spent about half the day and got to the major viewpoints but didn’t
hike the trails along the canyon rims in their entirety. With Yellowstone being so huge, I am certain
I got to spots around the canyon this time that I did not make it to on previous
trips, definitely not in 2010 when I merely drove the North Rim and stopped at
the viewpoints. I did so again this
time, and also walked down the trail and wooden stairs from Lookout Point into
the canyon for a closer view of the Lower Falls.
I also do not recall having been to the South
Rim before or walking the short trail from the last parking area to Artist
Point, maybe the most famous view of the falls and the canyon from which Thomas
Moran painted. Oh, and the Upper Falls –
have I seen those before? I don’t remember
them but this time got to the viewpoints at Uncle Tom’s Point and the Brink of
the Falls on opposite sides of them for some truly amazing views.
Hayden Valley in between Yellowstone Lake and the falls and
canyon is often one of the best places in Yellowstone to see wildlife. Most of the bison and elk were either being
shy or on strike, though. Traffic jams developed on the park loop road not
because of animals crossing but rather just people searching for spots to pull
over and park for animals in the distance.
As many bison and elk as I’ve seen, if they’re so far away that people
are using their binoculars to see them….well they’re not worth my time. It is the case that wildlife becomes more
concentrated in lower valleys in the winter where the snow isn’t as deep and
then disperses in summer. Then toward
the end of the day as I was parked outside the Lake Hotel, I spotted a doe elk
grazing a few feet away and had her all to myself.
deb Sherer
2020-08-14
You have some very nice pictures here of the Falls & River