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Brink of Lower Falls Trail

Intermediate
 4.7 (51)
  1. Areas
  2. WY
  3. …Northwestern Wyoming
  4. …Yellowstone National Park
  5. Canyon Village
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“This trail switchbacks steeply down to the very brink of the 308-foot Lower Falls. ”

Tom Carter
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Map Key

0.4

Miles

0.6

KM

Point to Point

7,720' 2,353 m

High

7,473' 2,278 m

Low

0' 0 m

Up

248' 75 m

Down

13%

Avg Grade (7°)

40%

Max Grade (22°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Views

This trail contains steep drop-offs that are extremely dangerous for children. In 2014, a young girl lost her footing, stepped off this trail, and plunged 550 feet into the canyon.

Description

The Brink of Lower Falls Trail switchbacks steeply down a mostly forested section of the Grand Canyon to an observation platform perched at the top of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. Here the mighty river thunderously plunges 308 feet into the heart of the canyon and hikers are afforded spectacular views down river into the vast, colorful canyon.

From the Brink of Lower Falls parking area, the trail (which technically doesnt begin until the end of the first switchback) drops more than 300 feet in 0.4 miles. This very popular trail is often quite crowded. It is even more crowed since the direction of the one-way North Rim Road was changed making this the first stop on the road. Now, many visitors stop here thinking its a short way to the viewpoint and are unprepared for this steep, somewhat difficult trail. So expect a slow hike down and an even slower hike back up. But the views at the bottom are amazing, making it a must-do hike for many.

In 1887, Owen Wister, gathering stories and inspiration later used in his classic western novel, The Virginian, described Lower Falls this way: "This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The water falls . . . 300 feet into a caldron of rock . . . the spray floats out into a rainbow that melts away into many-coloured moss, until you cannot discern which is moss and which rainbow."

Thanks to guidebook author, Tom Carter, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about visiting Yellowstone, check out his book, Day Hiking Yellowstone.

Contacts

Local Club: Yellowstone Forever

Jun 5, 2023: Yellowstone Forever Partners with 1000 Stories to Support Bison Conservation

May 26, 2023: Guest Donation Program Makes Big Impact

May 21, 2023: Dream Home: How Fortune Brands aligns strategic ESG priorities and builds impact in Yellowstone

Land Manager: National Park Service - Yellowstone National Park

Shared By:

Tom Carter
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Trail Ratings

  4.7 from 51 votes

#1

in Canyon Village

#31

Overall
  4.7 from 51 votes
5 Star
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4 Star
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3 Star
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2 Star
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1 Star
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Trail Rankings

#1

in Canyon Village

#2

in Wyoming

#31

Overall
31 Views Last Month
16,261 Since Sep 8, 2015
Intermediate
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Photos

At the brink of Lower Yellowstone Falls.
Sep 10, 2015 near Canyon…, WY
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Apr 3, 2020 near Canyon…, WY
Yellowstone Canyon.
Mar 7, 2016 near Canyon…, WY
Falls of the Yellowstone.
Sep 9, 2015 near Canyon…, WY

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Check-Ins

Sep 26, 2022
Dani D
Sep 17, 2022
Katharine Cromley
Steep
Aug 18, 2022
Su Jin Kim
Jul 20, 2022
Kazuki Ko
Jul 17, 2022
Koshiga Norimichi
Jul 17, 2022
MEGUMI KOSHIGA
Jul 14, 2022
Gabrielle Troia
Aug 18, 2021
Patrycja Bilello

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