Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park


Near Canyon Village, this is one of the park's true blockbuster sights. After its placid meanderings north from Yellowstone Lake, the Yellowstone River suddenly plummets over Upper Falls and then the much larger Lower Falls before raging through the 1000ft-deep canyon. Scenic overlooks and a network of trails along the canyon's rims highlight its multicolored beauty from a dozen angles – South Rim Dr leads to the most spectacular overlook, at Artist Point.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yellowstone National Park attractions

1. Lookout Point

0.13 MILES

Popular Lookout Point, near Canyon Village, offers the best views of the Lower Falls. An adjacent 0.5-mile trail drops 500ft to Red Rock for even closer…

2. Artist Point

0.2 MILES

Artist Point is probably the most famous of the canyon’s viewpoints, offering a long overview of the Lower Falls and canyon. It was not, as many people…

3. Grandview Point

0.23 MILES

The one-way North Rim Dr leads to Grandview Point, which offers views north over the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone's colorful smoking walls, though not…

4. Brink of the Lower Falls

0.65 MILES

The first of the North Rim viewpoints leads down a steep 0.75-mile trail, descending 600ft for exciting close-up views of the tumbling white water as the…

5. Inspiration Point

0.73 MILES

A side road branches off North Rim Dr to reach busy Inspiration Point, which offers an overview of the length of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and a…

6. Glacial Boulder

0.82 MILES

Just before Inspiration Point is this huge granite boulder scooped up from the Beartooth Mountains, 15 miles away, by a glacier and deposited here 80,000…

7. Canyon Visitor Education Center

1.08 MILES

This major center is well worth a visit for its innovative and interactive displays on Yellowstone’s geology. The highlight is a room-sized relief model…

8. Point Sublime

1.2 MILES

From Artist Point a trail leads 1 mile (45 minutes) to this viewpoint for more fabulous views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone's colorful walls,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/rocky-mountains/yellowstone-national-park/attractions/grand-canyon-of-the-yellowstone/a/poi-sig/472936/362135",
      "destination": "Yellowstone-National-Park",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Yellowstone-National-Park",
      "position": "superzone"
    }