 NPS The Canyon Through TimeAbout 630,000 years ago, a huge volcanic eruption occurred in Yellowstone, emptying a large underground chamber of magma (partially molten rock). Volcanic ash spread for thousands of miles. The roof of this chamber slowly collapsed, forming a giant caldera 30 miles (45 km) across, 45 miles (75 km) long. The caldera began to fill with lava and sediments. Infilling of lava flows continued for hundreds and thousands of years. Scientists think the oldest Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone formed in rock and sediments about 160,000 to 140,000 years ago. This paleocanyon was not as deep, wide or long as the canyon you see now. Past and current hydrothermal activity altered and weakened the rhyolite, making the rocks softer. The Yellowstone River eroded these weakened rocks to deepen and widen the canyon, a process that continues today. The current canyon begins at Lower Falls and ends downstream from Tower Fall. The 308-foot (93 m) Lower Falls may have formed because the river flows over volcanic rock more resistant to erosion than the downstream rocks, which are hydrothermally altered. The 109-foot (33 m) Upper Falls flows over similar rocks. The large rocks upstream from Upper Falls are remnants of a lava flow resistant to erosion. The multi-hued rocks of the canyon result from the hydrothermally altered rhyolite and sediments. Look closely at dark orange, brown, and green areas near the river for still-active hydrothermal features. Their activity—and that of water, wind, and earthquakes—continue to sculpt the canyon.
NPS/Jim Peaco Wildlife on the PinnaclesLook carefully among the rugged pinnacles—you may see a flash of wings or a thick pile of sticks. Soaring over the Yellowstone River or perched on their nests, osprey intrigue and delight those who spot them. Six to ten osprey nests are usually occupied in the portion of the canyon near the Canyon Village developed area. Adult osprey migrate here between mid-April and early May. Within a few weeks, osprey pairs have mated, the female has laid a clutch of two to four tan eggs with brown specks, and incubation has begun. The eggs hatch in about six to eight weeks. Osprey chicks are born featherless, and need much care. They must be sheltered from heat and cold and fed small amounts of fish often. After one week, the young are covered with downy feathers. After three weeks, their plumage resembles that of an adult but with speckles of white at the edge of each feather. By mid- to late August, the young are nearly the size of their parents and become increasingly independent. Typically, the entire family abandons the canyon by September, probably perching in trees nearer to the waters where they catch fish. With binoculars, patience, and a little luck, you may be able to spot an osprey tending a nest or snagging a fish. Driving the RimsNorth Rim Drive begins 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south of Canyon Junction. This one-way road takes you to four accessible views of the canyon, each featuring a different aspect of the canyon’s power, color, and geology. At Brink of Lower Falls, glimpse Lower Falls and Upper Falls from paved accessible trails at the top or descend the steep Brink Trail to witness the Lower Falls’ power. View Lower Falls again from Lookout, and see it again from a distance at Inspiration Point. Grand View offers spectacular views of the canyon and river. The spur road to Brink of Upper Falls is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south of Canyon Junction on the Grand Loop Road. Follow the paved path to a dramatic vantage point for viewing the Yellowstone River as plunges over Upper Falls. South Rim Drive begins 2.3 miles (3.7 km) south of Canyon Junction and leads you to views of Upper Falls at Upper Falls Viewpoints and of Lower Falls and the canyon at Artist Point. Late last year (starting at the end of September), we took our boys on what we call in our family our “Epic Trip Out West.” We drove from Yellowstone National Park down to Grand Canyon National Park and hit as many parks in between as we good. It meant –
We saw 7 National Parks (Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion, Grand Canyon) and 3 National Monuments (John D. Rockefeller Parkway, Fossil Butte, Navajo Bridge). We get asked a lot of questions about this, a lot from families who want to do this as well. We are sharing our experiences but you can pick and choose what works for you and what you would do differently.
Here are answers about our family’s driving trip from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon:Q: What was your itinerary, where did you stay?Here is our breakdown: DAY ONE: getting
there (Raleigh-Durham Airport to Chicago to Bozeman) DAY TWO: exploring Yellowstone DAY THREE: the Grand
Tetons DAY FOUR: Jackson Hole to Park City DAY FIVE: Park City to
Moab DAY SIX: Moab and Arches NPS again DAY SEVEN: Moab to Hatch via Canyonlands and Capitol Reef Parks DAY EIGHT: Zion National Park DAY NINE: Zion Take Two; Drive to Grand Canyon; stop at Navajo Bridge DAY TEN: Grand Canyon DAY ELEVEN: Getting home Q: Why didn’t you rent an RV?Of course, our first iteration of this plan we were going to rent an RV and take our house with us, turtle-style. We thought it would be easier and save time. But, after much research, we learned that RV rentals are primarily circular. Meaning you drop it off where you picked it up. It is very rare that a company will allow you to drive point-to-point, as we wanted to. When we found one that did, it was over twice as much as what we could afford. We didn’t want to spend days driving back up the country, plus it ended up that hotel rooms and minivans were cheaper. In retrospect, it was a blessing in disguise that we didn’t have the RV \. Many roads in the National Parks wouldn’t allow RVs because of their age, size, weight restrictions, height restrictions, etc. Having the minivan gave us the ultimate flexibility to see what we wanted to see. Happy mistake on our part! Q: What did you bring that you didn’t think you would use but were glad you did?
– very many places were remote, of course, which meant no cell service. We also picked up some National Geographic Parks Guides that proved to be a huge help.
– We purchased these cameras for the kids on Amazon (affiliate link) and had a great time seeing the trip through their eyes
– we still visit parks and get cancellations and stamps because this is such a fun idea! We did not do the Junior Ranger program just to keep it simple.
– we went through many different climates, so our packing was intense. We were also active and outdoors without much access to washing machines. These bags helped us get more in our bags! Q: What other tips do you have?File these in the miscellaneous category:
– these places are remote for the most part! Some places like Yellowstone and Grand Canyon can, need to, and do charge more for food on site (food that isn’t great). We kept stocked on groceries as much as we could (everywhere we went had a minifridge).
– once you get into some of these parks, you don’t want to leave right away but they don’t have concessions. Get used to bringing lunch and snacks.
– we bought some at a Target outside of the airport when we landed and it turned out to be surprisingly useful. Q: What park disappointed you?We wouldn’t say any of them were disappointing perse, but Zion was by far the hardest to navigate and cope with the crowds. More on that later. Q: Which park was your favorite?Canyonlands. We all wish we had more time there, but we didn’t know much about it beforehand since it isn’t one of the most famous parks. (More on that later, too.) Q: Why did you do it?We know: 2 little boys under 8, lots of long hours, vacation time, and time off of work. Plus, while not as expensive as a European vacation, it wasn’t cheap. And it wasn’t relaxing; all the packing and repacking and planning and hiking and driving…So we guess we can say we did it BECAUSE WE ARE CRAZY. In truth, we have always wanted to do this trip, even before kids, this was a dream of ours. And just because we have kids doesn’t mean we stop living and seeing and traveling. Our little family unit decided long ago that we would take time once a year to do vacations just us, no relatives, or friends, and create our own memories, even if crammed with cranky car time, fighting over wearing a jacket, and another long discussion about where dinner would come from that night. But just the four of us together allows us to be, well, together. We get to be wholly and totally ourselves wholly and totally with each other. This trip seemed a great way to fulfill a dream of our own: show our boys some of this great America, and do it in a way that is family friendly (especially when the family is two energetic wild boys). The trip would have been different if we didn’t have the kids (harder trails, kayaking trips, and so on) but the stories we tell and the things we hold dear from these days mean everything. Q: What would you do differently?On a practical level: allow more time at Canyonlands and work in a better option to see Bryce Canyon. We had to miss that one due to time constraints (more on that later). On an emotional level: nothing. At all. So stay tuned here. We plan to get back on here and share more experiences soon, If you have any other questions, drop them below and we will do our best to answer them in a timely manner. Can you do Yellowstone and Grand Canyon in same trip?Yes. Sure you can do it. We had a great trip over 2 weeks (16 days with all 3 weekends) and included Yellowstone (4 nights), Grand Teton, Arches, Goblin Valley, Dead Horse State Park, Grand Canyon, Page AZ, Zion and Bryce, doing a loop out of Salt Lake City.
Which is better Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon?With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Yellowstone National Park than Grand Canyon National Park. The ideal length of time for a trip to Grand Canyon National Park is 1-2 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Yellowstone National Park is 5-7 days.
How many days do you need to explore Yellowstone National Park?How Many Days Do You Need in Yellowstone National Park? You should plan to spend at least 2 to 3 days in Yellowstone National Park. Two days gives you enough time to see the most popular destinations. Adding a third day gives you time to explore some less visited and off-the-beaten-path attractions.
Is Yellowstone connected to the Grand Canyon?The Yellowstone River has carved down more than 1,000 feet to create the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
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How far is yellowstone national park from the grand canyon
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