Brink of the Upper Falls Trail

Brink of the Upper Falls Trail is a short out-and-back from the lower Brink parking lot, about 0.3 mile round trip. Follow the paved North Rim Trail briefly, turn left at the signed junction, then descend 58 stone steps to the fenced overlook beside Upper Falls. Allow about 20 to 30 minutes; the same steps climb back out. It is a quick, close look at the waterfall, with a real stair climb on the return.

The Brink spur road leaves Grand Loop Road 1.6 miles south of Canyon Junction. Use the lower of the two Brink lots; Upper Falls Viewpoints on South Rim Drive is a different stop and a different angle. The National Park Service also identifies an accessible route from parking to Upper Falls viewpoints, but its description does not say whether that route includes these steps. Check the signed access if you need a step-free route. Pets are not allowed on Yellowstone hiking trails; trained service animals follow the park’s service-animal rules.

Upper Falls drops 109 feet. Yellowstone River flow is much stronger at spring runoff than in autumn, so the amount of whitewater and spray changes through the year. Sunshine can catch a rainbow in the mist, though it is never guaranteed. Lower Falls is not visible from this brink; visit a rim overlook separately if you want both waterfalls. From the fenced platform, leave some of the rocky wall around the whitewater in your photo so the canyon's depth reads on a phone screen.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone stretches about 20 miles from Upper Falls toward the Tower Fall area. The river carved it as it worked through layers of rock with different resistance. This short walk puts you close to the place where that erosion is still at work.