The second half of our last day in the park saw us drive over to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area. With never having gone to the actual Grand Canyon in Arizona, this would easily be one of the largest and most impressive canyons that I’d ever seen. In addition to the canyon itself, there are three waterfalls, the Upper Falls, Crystal Falls, and the Lower Falls, which contribute to character of the area. After sitting in the car most of the day our plan was to get our exercise walking to see the canyon and each of the waterfalls.

The nice breeze that we experienced earlier during our morning in the Lamar Valley was nowhere to be found, and it was close to 92F/33C upon our arrival at the car park on North Rim Drive. We grabbed our sunglasses and set off towards the Upper Falls by way of a trail which went past Crystal Falls. The trail was easy enough and thankfully shaded by trees, so it didn’t feel as hot as it actually was. After a quick wildlife break to watch some deer grazing in the shade near the edge of a small meadow, we made it to the lookout for Crystal Falls. The view was nice, and we snapped a few pictures of the slender threads of water cutting through the trees and bouncing off the cliff face. With Crystal Falls was only an appetizer, we pressed on towards the Upper Falls.

The Upper Falls wasn’t too much further along, and we made it there in no time. There was an easy walkway down the hill which opened to the viewing area consisting of a large stone platform. Looking to the right we could see the Yellowstone River barreling toward us, gathering speed as the channel narrowed. Just below us and to the left the falls thundered as the water spilled over the edge, crashing roughly one hundred feet below. Surprisingly the falls weren’t crowded, and we had ample opportunity to take our pictures and videos before heading back down the trail. The falls and view were impressive and definitely worth the walk.

Once we got back to the main juncture, we started off down the trail which led to Lower Falls, and when I say “down”, I really mean “down”. This trail was short but descended sharply weaving back and forth across the hill with switchbacks at each end. On top of that, the sun was blazing and there wasn’t much shade, and the path was crowded with other visitors. We kept our masks on the whole sweaty, hot, uncomfortable way down, constantly aware of a dull roar coming from somewhere below us.

Finally we arrived at the lookout for the Lower Falls which was unfortunately much busier than the Upper Falls. We hung back, gathering ourselves, prepping our phones and camera until we spied an opening near the guardrail and made our move. The roar we heard on our descent had reached a crescendo as the water cascaded over the cliff edge, plummeting 300 feet to the river below. The valley opened up in front and below us revealing a grand expanse of stone as the waters of the Yellowstone river had carved down through roughly 1000 feet of rock leaving behind colourful sediments. There were tan and reddish walls, rocky outcroppings shaped by erosion, and even a few scattered trees clinging to the cliffs. All the while the river threaded its way along the canyon floor before disappearing around a bend.

We took in the view and grabbed our pictures before heading to the trail to begin our ascent, which certainly hadn’t gotten any easier. Exhausted we made it to the top of the trail and stumbled to the car. With the AC blasting we headed back home, tired but satisfied with our last adventure in the park. With only a few days for our adventure it was time to head off and visit my Uncles and Aunts.