Public Comment Sought on Grand Canyon Rehabilitation

Yellowstone National Park is soliciting comments on rehabilitating parts of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone’s visitor infrastructure.

Under the proposed project, many overlooks and trails would be updated to provide better accessibility, address safety issues, and improve visitor engagement with Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon.

In particular, the project seeks to address deteriorating trails along the north and south rims” Uncle Tom’s Trail, Sunset Point, the Brink of the Upper Falls, the Brink of the Lower Falls, Crystal Falls, Red Rock Point, Inspiration Point, and other portions in-between.

Workers would redo asphalt on trails where erosion and visitor traffic have created potholes. In addition, rotting logs (used as bridge railings as well as trails) would be replaced. Extant gravel and debris also complicate foot traffic on certain trails.

Under the plan, parking at both the Brink of the Upper Falls and Uncle Tom’s area would be reconfigured to improve circulation and expand parking capacity.

This project comes on the heels of a 2008 rehabilitation of most of the rest of the overlooks and trails that cover the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone rims, including Artist’s Point.

You can read the Environmental Assessment of the proposed project at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. You can also request a hard copy by calling 307-344-2017.

If you wish to comment on the project, you may hand deliver or mail them to the following address:

Compliance Office

Attention: Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trail Rehabilitation EA

National Park Service

P.O. Box 168

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190

Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or any other format. Bulk comments are not permitted. The deadline to comment on the project is midnight MDT September 16, 2015.

After reviewing comments, the Regional Director of the Intermountain Region of the NPS will decide on implementing the plan. If it goes into effect, it would begin in 2016, coinciding with the NPS’ Centennial.

About Sean Reichard

Sean Reichard is the editor of Yellowstone Insider and author of Yellowstone Insider For Families 2017.

Check Also

Yellowstone winter season

Drugs suspected in Yellowstone fatality

Drugs are suspected to be connected to a Yellowstone fatality, as a deceased woman and …