Day 16 Yellowstone Canyon Hike

Today we ventured back to Yellowstone for our final visit and hike in the Canyon area.  Before reaching our hiking destination we stopped by the Monument Geyser Basin Beryl Spring, hard for Steve to resist that steam coming out of the ground, and then headed to the Visitor Center at Canyon Village to go over our trail choice with the park ranger. 

On to the parking area at Uncle Tom’s Point and the trail head for the Clear Lake Trail.  It was a beautiful trail that meandered through the woods, meadows, and geological mud and steam pots spewing steam, sulfur and lime.   It was amazing to see and experience. 

We passed by Clear Lake then Lily Pad Lake and then on to Artist Point and continued on the Sublime trail.   The trail follows the edge of the canyon, there are no railings along the way, and believe me I have a fear of heights so I struggled a little with this hike. With that caveat, the views along the way are amazing. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is over 20 miles long with steep, rugged walls that drop a thousand feet to a violent river.  We found a great little spot with these breathtaking views and had our picnic lunch.

We Continued our hike back to Artist Point where we had awesome view of the Lower Falls. 

Then  continued on the South Rim Trail back toward Uncle Tom’s Point and descended down Uncle Tom’s Trail. The trail is a series of paved inclines and more than 300 steps that lead you about 500 feet down into the canyon. You can see, hear, and feel the power of the lower falls.

It’s called Uncle Tom’s Trail because in the late 1890s, “Uncle” Tom Richardson was granted a permit to take tourists across the Yellowstone River and into the Grand Canyon. From 1898-1905, Richardson ferried guests across the river and led them along the canyon’s South Rim. There, he installed a series of ropes and rope ladders that offered some security amid the sheer cliffs of the canyon.

“It was a pretty difficult climb for most people. “He would bring pins for the ladies to pin up their dresses to make the hiking easier.”

Richardson operated tours into the canyon until park development killed his business. The completion of Chittenden Bridge in 1903, which allowed visitor access to the South Rim, and the installation of wooden steps along Uncle Tom’s Trail by the Park Service brought with them the demise of his enterprise.

After hiking our journey continued with a drive along the East side of the Park along the Yellowstone River and the Yellowstone Lake before heading back to Big Sky.  Just before leaving the park a huge Elk was just waiting for us on the side of the road. It was a great end to a great day!

We hiked a total of about 4 miles today descended 328 steps to the lower falls and then back up, saw breathtaking views, waterfalls, steam pots, Bison, and Elk.