Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
Additional construction and rehabilitation is planned along both rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
We previously reported that last Monday, June 20, crews had started work on Inspiration Point, in order to rebuild the walkway and staircase. The project is slated to last into the fall. In addition, we reported that most of the North Rim Trail would be closed until July 23, 2016 so crews could perform uninterrupted work.
According to Yellowstone National Park officials, the Inspiration Point/North Rim projects are just the start of a four-year initiative to rehabilitate the Grand Canyon area for future generations. Between now and 2020, most of Grand Canyon will be worked on, as crews re-route trails, establish new stone barriers, create safe viewing areas, and “rewild” trails to integrate them better into the landscape. From a Yellowstone press release:
Areas impacted over the four-year period include:
• Brink of Upper Falls
• Brink of Lower Falls
• Uncle Tom’s Trails and Overlooks
• Inspiration Point
• Red Rock Point
• Crystal Falls
• Sections of the North Rim Trail
In addition to trails and overlooks, crews will work on parking areas at the Brink of Upper Falls and Uncle Tom’s Trailhead to ease both vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow.
According to the Park, funding for the construction projects comes courtesy of the Yellowstone Park Foundation through private donations and federal fee dollars. Crews from the Federal Highways Administration, with supervision from Park officials, will handle construction. In addition, a student crew from the Montana Conservation Corps will complete some of the North Rim trail work.
