Brink of Upper Yellowstone Falls

Yellowstone Canyon and Yellowstone Falls are extremely popular with visitors to Yellowstone National Park. It is easy to spend a whole day visiting all the overlooks and hiking the North Rim Trail or Ribbon Lake Trail for more canyon views. Some of the overlooks involve steep descents into the canyon, and that means the inevitable trudge up several hundred steps or numerous switchbacks from spots like Uncle Tom’s and the Brink of Lower Falls Overlook. One fairly easy but breathtaking overlook is the Upper Falls Brink Overlook.

From the parking lot, it is just an eighth-mile to the top of the falls, and it is paved and accessible for most. The Upper Falls is a shorter drop than the Lower Falls (109 feet versus 308 feet), but the amount of water and the sheer power of the falls is still breathtaking on the brink of the Upper Falls. Early morning is a wonderful time to visit this area as the rising sun lights up the billowing mist that rises up out of the canyon.