Parking
Use the Lookout Point parking area on North Rim Drive. Follow the short paved walkway south to the fork and take the right-hand path for Red Rock Point; the left branch leads to Canyon Overlook.
Overview
About Red Rock Points Trail
Why go
- Close, nearly level view of Lower Falls
- Short route with a big canyon payoff
Heads up
- Steep stairs make the return climb tougher than the distance suggests
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,501–7,765 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yellowstone alerts
- ClosureBiscuit Basin closed after hydrothermal explosionBiscuit Basin’s parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River are closed to all travel.Official details
- ClosureMost Yellowstone roads close to regular vehicles November 1Most Yellowstone roads and the West, South, and East entrances are scheduled to close to regular vehicles November 1, 2026, as the park prepares for winter operations.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Hear Yellowstone as you drive it.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yellowstone National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yellowstone audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Lookout Point and Grand View0:00 / 0:28
“Lookout Point is coming up on North Rim Drive, with a view toward Lower Falls after a short walk from the parking area. I'd stay on the rim here if you want the waterfall view without a steep hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Artist Point
- Brink of the Lower Falls
- Upper Falls Viewpoints and Clear Lake
- Brink of the Upper Falls
- 243 audio storiesacross Yellowstone’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Bison, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 167 trails, 192 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“First time driving through a national park. We used the Yellowstone tour on grand loop Road and it’s just like having a tour guide in your car with you.”
Trail guide
Hiking Red Rock Points Trail
The short way downRed Rock Points Trail is a 0.
Red Rock Points Trail is a 0.6-mile out-and-back from Lookout Point to the boardwalk at Red Rock Point, with about 260 feet of drop and climb. It brings you close to the 308-foot Lower Falls, but the return is steep and stair-heavy. Allow 30–60 minutes, depending on how long you spend at the viewpoint.
Take the right-hand branchStart at Lookout Point on North Rim Drive.
Start at Lookout Point on North Rim Drive. Follow the short paved walkway south to the fork, then take the right-hand path for Red Rock Point; the left branch leads to Canyon Overlook. The descent starts gently, then zigzags down the canyon wall through switchbacks and wooden stairs. A short boardwalk reaches the viewing platform. This is the short Red Rock Point descent, separate from the full North Rim route and the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail.
At the bottom and on the way backThe platform gives a close, nearly level view toward Lower Falls and the canyon walls.
The platform gives a close, nearly level view toward Lower Falls and the canyon walls. The falls are 308 feet high, and from here their sound and scale are the payoff. The way back follows the same stairs and switchbacks, gaining the height you just lost. The National Park Service advises visitors with heart, lung, or other health conditions against this descent and return climb.
Why the point is redRed Rock Point’s rusty color comes from hydrothermally altered rhyolite and exposed iron oxides.
Red Rock Point’s rusty color comes from hydrothermally altered rhyolite and exposed iron oxides. The rocks are part of the larger canyon story: this is a close view into the cut made by the Yellowstone River, with the colorful walls right around the platform.
A painter’s viewpointAlbert Bierstadt painted from Red Rock Point in 1881.
Albert Bierstadt painted from Red Rock Point in 1881. On the boardwalk, keep some of the canyon wall in the frame with the falls; it gives the 308-foot drop a sense of scale.
Access and rulesThe rim trails are listed as year-round.
The rim trails are listed as year-round. In winter, parts of the canyon are reached by snowmobile and guided snow coach, so check winter access to North Rim Drive before adding this stop to your plans. Pets are allowed only in parking areas, not on the trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yellowstone
713 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
743 sightingsWolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
5,273 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
3,258 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
397 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,494 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
