Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trail Rehabilitation Plan Authorized

The National Park Service has approved Yellowstone National Park’s Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trail Rehabilitation Plan.

NPS Intermountain Regional Director Sue Masica approved a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) September 24, after reviewing an Environmental Assessment submitted by Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk mid-August. The measure was doubly approved by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, who found the project would not negatively impact existing historic and cultural resources.

The Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trails Rehabilitation Plan will repair and rehabilitate much of the trail infrastructure around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: the Brink of the Upper and Lower Falls, Uncle Tom’s, Red Rocks Point, Crystal Falls, and Inspiration Point, along with the trails that connect them. The project is well-timed for the NPS’ centennial next year.

The first phase of the project is set to begin in spring of 2016. Construction will occur in at least two phases. The first phase will cover Inspiration Point, the Brink of the Upper Falls, and Uncle Tom’s Point.

If you are interested in reading either the EA or the FONSI, or want to know more information regarding the project, you should check out the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment page on the Canyon project. Otherwise, you can obtain copies by writing to the Compliance Office, using this address:

Compliance Office
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 82190

The Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trail Rehabilitation Plan had previously been offered up for public comment this past August.