When people think about Yellowstone they normally think about water shooting up into the air in the form of geysers, like Old Faithful. But there are several places in Yellowstone where you can watch water do the opposite, fall down from great heights. On of the most spectacular of these is in the area known as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Even though it might not be what you were expecting on your Yellowstone trip, it is definitely worth checking out.

How to Get to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a big national park, so you have to do a bit of driving to visit the different areas of the park. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone can be reached a few different ways, but most visitors will probably come in to the park on Highway 191 and then get on Highway 89 (Grand Loop Road) at the Madison Campground. You stay on Highway 89 until you reach the Norris Geyser Basin, where you should get on the Norris Canyon road. Stay on the Norris Canyon road until you reach the Canyon Village.

When you reach the Canyon Junction at Canyon Village you can make a choice. If you continue straight you will get onto the North Rim Drive which will take you to the Canyon Rim Trail and the Lower Falls lookout point. Or you can turn right and head south (on another part of the Grand Loop Road) to get to the South Rim Drive which will take you to the Upper Falls lookout point.

Both the North and South Rim drives are worth doing, so we suggest going on the North Rim first as it will loop onto Grand Loop Road and then you can continue on to the South Rim Drive.

What You Will See at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is not really on the scale of the actual Grand Canyon, which if you have been following us for a while you know is one of my favorite places. But it is very impressive in its own right. It is a very deep canyon and it is very beautiful to drive and hike around. This is where you find out why Yellowstone got its name because the canyon is made up of very yellowish rock.

The most important things to see are, of course, the waterfalls. Waterfalls are always one of my favorite things to see on a hike or a drive. The walks to the lookouts are very easy and mostly accessible, so this is a great place to take kids. Lucy really enjoyed this part of the trip.

Sum Up

Just because it is not a geyser or a herd of wildlife doesn’t mean it isn’t worth seeing in Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a spectacular site to see. Restrooms and amenities are located at the nearby Canyon Village.