Red Rock Point Trail
Trail
0.3 mile
0.5 kilometer
point to point
Intermediate
Elevation
Ascent:
7'
2 m
Descent: -247' -75 m
High: 7,722' 2,354 m
Low: 7,475' 2,278 m
Grade
Avg Grade: 15% (9°)
Max Grade: 43% (23°)
Dogs
Unknown
Weather
Unknown
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“This trail descends deep into the canyon for one of the closest and finest views of Lower Falls!”
— Tom Carter
Features
River/Creek · Views · Waterfall
Description
The 0.3-mile trail to Red Rock Point begins along the short walkway to Lookout Point. It descends gradually at first, then more steeply as it enters a series of stairs. Near the bottom, notice how Red Rock Point is connected to the canyon wall by an earthen hinge. Geologists have determined that the small depression between Red Rock Point and the north canyon wall was once occupied by an ancestral channel of the Yellowstone River. During the Pleistocene epoch, glaciers flowed across the top of the canyon, dropping ice into the canyon and damming the river's course. As the ice melted, the resurrected river followed a new course on the opposite side of Red Rock Point and continued cutting another 400 feet deep into the canyon floor.
The red color of Red Rock Point is a result of thermally-altered rhyolite and exposed iron oxides. Well-known artist Albert Bierstadt painted a famous canvas from this point in 1881. Chances are you'll paint beautiful memories on a hike to Red Rock Point!
Thanks to guidebook author, Tom Carter, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about visiting Yellowstone, check out his book, Day Hiking Yellowstone.
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We need help with the following missing trail information:
Family Friendly, ADA Accessible, Need to Know, Dogs Allowed, Flora & Fauna
Contacts
Local Club: Yellowstone Forever
Sep 11, 2019: Learn about the secretive lives of cougars this winter
Sep 9, 2019: Park Peaks: The Creation and Significance of Yellowstone’s Mountain Tops
Sep 9, 2019: Bear Spray: What You Need to Know
Land Manager: National Park Service - Yellowstone National Park
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