To many visitors, the Grand Canyon is the highpoint of Yellowstone. And
well it may be, for the views from Artist or Inspiration Points are
scarcely rivaled in all the world. A third of a mile wide and more than
a thousand feet deep, the mighty gorge has been fantastically carved by
the rushing waters of the Yellowstone River. Ranging in tone from pale
lemon to tawny buff, the rock walls of the canyon are splashed with a
hundred shades of crimson, blue and green—a glorious play of color that
changes hourly with the passage of the sun. And far down at the bottom
winds the jade green ribbon of the Yellowstone. Muted by distance, you
hear the thunder of the Great Falls where the river leaps out and down,
308 feet into the gorge.
To those who have seen it, the Canyon remains one of the scenic
highlights of a lifetime. Warm yet delicate in coloring, big but not so
big that it staggers the imagination, the gorge is as perfect and
complete as a flawless gem.
Leaving Canyon Hotel, you continue northward through Dunraven Pass,
where the road climbs the shoulder of Mt. Washburn. If you wish, you may
take the more spectacular route to the very summit of the 10,317 foot
mountain for the finest panorama of the Park.
Soon the road rejoins the Yellowstone River and you see Tower Falls.
Flowing down from the high plateau, Tower Creek plunges down a 132-foot
drop to join the Yellowstone in its long course eastward. Needle-like
volcanic rocks stand sentinel at the head of the falls and nearby are
strange buttresses of hard basalt forming palisades as regular as if
they had been cut by man.
A little farther up the road is a forest of petrified trees. These
fallen giants of hard stone reproduce, in astonishing detail and in a
variety of rich colors, the bark and wood fibers of which they were once
composed.
[Illustration: Painting the waterfall.]
[Illustration: Downstream from the main part of the canyon, the
Yellowstone River winds in a narrow ribbon through the gray and buff
walls of a rocky gorge. With the changing light, the river varies from
silver to jade green.]
[Illustration: Not far from Chittenden Bridge, the Yellowstone plunges
down the Upper Falls. Seen from the lookout platform or from the camera
viewpoint here, the fury and power of the cataract is indescribably
impressive.]
[Illustration: Steps on the trail.]
[Illustration: Looking northeast from Inspiration Point, the canyon of
the Yellowstone spreads its splendor before you. Do an about-face here
and the view is toward the lower falls. Rapids lace the dark water with
creamy foam.]
[Illustration: Automobile tourists.]
[Illustration: Pulpit Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs has been built up
from the mineral laden waters of hot springs. Ashy white in its dry,
natural state, the rocky walls are tinted rainbow colors by living algae
in the waters.]
[Illustration: Roadside bear.]
Fantasy in Stone ...
Mammoth Terrace
Built up and sculptured by the hot mineral waters, the smooth terraces
of white stone at Mammoth Hot Springs are given a thousand delicate
tints of vermillion, orange, pink and yellow by the living algae in the
waters. You see Pulpit Terrace, Minerva, Cleopatra, White Elephant and
the Devil’s Kitchen.
[Illustration: Here is huge Jupiter Terrace. These colorful formations
change constantly in appearance as one spring temporarily dries up and
another begins to flow. The more water, the more color is the general
rule.]
Southward from Mammoth Hot Springs is Norris Geyser Basin with its
collection of smaller geysers, hot springs and other phenomena. Here you
will see the Black Growler, emitting superheated steam at a temperature
of 284 degrees. The Chocolate Pots just beyond, demonstrate the
remarkable chemical coloring from which they derive their name.
[Illustration: From a bluff just north of the community the buildings of
Mammoth Hot Springs are spread before the camera. This is the
administration center for Yellowstone Park, and, with the tourist
facilities, comprises a small town in itself.]
Depending on the gateway selected for exit from the Park, schedules of
Park tours vary slightly. Complete itineraries for the various tours are
shown elsewhere in this book.
This brief summary is a far from complete outline of what may be seen
and done in Yellowstone. You might profitably spend an entire summer
within the confines of the Park or—as many do—come back repeatedly.