It is so hard to describe how I felt seeing Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I have been to Niagara Falls and Taquamenon Falls and other countless waterfalls from our travels. This was different though. Niagara Falls is easy to discount; lovely falls with a tourist trap surround. Taq Falls has its charms, certainly. But this place.... the Falls, the canyon, the drive, the whole experience was spectacular. It is definitely a place where I do not think words help; go see it. I was so glad to share this first with my kids!
If you drive straight from West Yellowstone to Canyon Village it will take an hour. We made a few stops on our way to Canyon Village:
Gibbon Falls
There is a decent size parking lot with vault toilets at the stop for Gibbon Falls. The trail is paved and very easy. It is a short walk for a decent view of the falls or walk a few more feet to get a better view with the valley below. Easy to do for all ages and a good quick stop.
Beryl Spring
It is right next to the road. There is a small parking area and a very short boardwalk if you want to get out and take pictures. While quick and easy, there are so many other thermal features you might consider a quick glance as you go by in your car (do not stop traffic to take pictures or take your eyes off the road if you are the driver).
Virginia Cascade
There is a one way road that travels west to east and is not accessible to RVs or large vehicles. I think we took this detour just to have a break from RVs (ha!). Certainly take this off shoot if you are headed from W Yellowstone to Canyon Village. It is quiet, shaded, and the falls are nice. We did not get out of the car, but, as the passenger, I snapped a few pics from the window. Some of the road is perilously close to the edge and slow driving is required anyway.
Canyon Village
I do recommend a stop here because it has real flush bathrooms. In addition, there is a visitor center there. We were able to stamp our national parks passports and pick up junior ranger books. At Yellowstone, the junior ranger books cost $3 each. They give you the badges and expect the parents to police the completion of the books and to administer the oath. Which, we did, by the way. Both kids really enjoyed the activities and have really cared for their badges. In addition, the ranger will give you small maps of the trails and stops in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone area. This is important because they do close trails from time to time. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is commonly recommend and it was closed while we were there.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Gypsy app recommended start with Brink of the Upper Falls, Upper Falls View, Artist Point, Brink of the Lower Falls, Lookout Point, Grand View, and Inspiration Point in that order. We did as we were told and it worked out nicely. We added a picnic lunch at the picnic area at the start of South Rim Drive. You can buy lunch at Canyon Village if that appeals to you.
Brink of the Upper Falls
There is a decent size parking lot here and vault toilets. The trailhead is at one end of the parking lot. From there, it is a short walk to the view points. There are two levels to the view points. If you go to the lower one, the walk up the stairs is a bit longer. We struggled a bit to climb back up to the parking lot because it our first outing and we were still acclimating to the altitude. If you can do stairs, you can do this overlook. There is nowhere in this park that I think a stroller is your best option, but your walking kids will be fine and baby wearing will allow you to see the whole sight as well. The view is different from other areas and it is amazing to see the water rushing over the edge.
Upper Falls View
From Brink of the Upper Falls, you drive over the Yellowstone River and up South Rim Drive. There is a large parking lot and vault toilets at Upper Falls View. You would catch Uncle Tom’s Cabin trail from this parking lot if it is open when you are there. For us, we just took the easy paved path over the viewpoint for the Upper Falls. Easy for all to enjoy.
Artist Point
You can hike up to Artist Point from Upper Falls View or drive up. With kids, we drove up. It is a spectacular view of the canyon. The Falls are far away, but clearly visible and really set off the vista. We did attempt to hike from Artist Point east on South Rim Trail towards Point Sublime. It is a nice hike; you see lots of different colors in the canyon and some forest. Some points on the trail seem awfully close to steep drop offs, so be aware if you take your kids. We, however, did not make it to Point Sublime. Most reviews of the hike say the best views are before actual Point Sublime anyway, but I think we only made it out half a mile and turned back. It was our first hike in elevation and we had to cut it short.
Brink of the Lower Falls
From Artist Point, drive back down the road and over the river. There is a one way road that leads to the rest of the Upper Rim view points and ends at Canyon Village. Along the road, there are four main stops: Brink of the Lower Falls, Lookout Point, Grandview Point, and Inspiration Point. The views are similar in that they are of the same canyon, just the Falls are further and further away as you drive east. You can decide as you like to stop at all or a few. We did two: Brink of the Lower Falls and Inspiration Point.
The first stop on the one way road is Brink of the Lower Falls. This stop is not for everyone. While paved, it is about 600 feet down over three-quarters of a mile and then turn around and come back the same way. Read: VERY STEEP. The way back up is tough. When you get down to the platform, it is a nice view right next to the brink of the falls. You also get a nice view of the valley below. My kids did ok. We stopped several times in the corners of switchbacks (we were not the only ones). The 5 year old got a short piggy-back ride to finish out, but otherwise, made it ok. Again, almost nowhere am I going to recommend a stroller. Here, the trail is paved, but not smooth and it would be a tight fit in two way traffic. Plus, pushing the stroller back up and out would be difficult. Child wearing is definitely doable here.
Inspiration Point
A lovely view of the canyon and the Falls in the distance, Inspiration Point is an easy stop. The walk from the parking lot is short and there are a few viewing platforms with stairs. Easy with kids and in general.
This was a whole day for us. I think we made it to the park about 8:30 am. We had a short wait to enter the park and then hit everything in the order above. We were back to the hotel by 5:00 pm. It was a great day and a phenomenal way to kick off our time in Yellowstone!
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