Upper Falls Viewpoints

Upper Falls Viewpoints is a drive-up overlook complex on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. From across the gorge, you look toward the 109-foot Upper Falls, with the Yellowstone River and Chittenden Bridge in the same view. This is a quick stop focused on Upper Falls; the separate Brink of Upper Falls is reached from another drive. Artist Point is a different South Rim stop for the Lower Falls and a broader canyon view.

The water drops 109 feet over resistant volcanic rock. Large rocks upstream are remnants of a lava flow that has resisted erosion. For a photo, keep some of the canyon walls and the bridge above the falls in frame; they help show how the river cuts through this landscape.

Hydrothermal activity altered and weakened the canyon's rhyolite, and the Yellowstone River keeps eroding it. The canyon's varied colors come from the altered rock and sediments. Dark orange, brown, and green near the river can mark areas of active hydrothermal features.

The Yellowstone caldera formed after a major eruption about 630,000 years ago. The present canyon is much younger: scientists think it began roughly 160,000 to 140,000 years ago. The falls and the steep gorge are part of a landscape still being shaped by the river.

A short paved path leads from the parking area to the overlook. A restroom has been reported by the lot, but its type and seasonal availability are not established. The exact path's accessibility is also unspecified, so do not assume it is step-free. Pets are allowed only in parking areas in this part of the canyon. The South Rim Trail continues toward Artist Point if you want to turn this quick look into a longer walk.