Yellowstone Seeks Public Input On Proposal To Update And Repair Canyon Rim Overlooks And Trails

Yellowstone National Park is considering a proposal to update and repair many of the overlooks and trails located on the North and South rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

This project is being proposed to address aging and deteriorating infrastructure, provide improved accessibility to visitors, improve pedestrian flow, address safety issues, and improve the visitor experience in the area, all while retaining the historic integrity of this extraordinary portion of the park. Areas to be addressed in the plan includes the Brink of the Upper Falls, the Brink of Lower Falls, Uncle Tom’s Point, Inspiration Point, Red Rocks Point, Crystal Falls, and their associated connecting trails.

The Yellowstone Park Foundation, official fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park, is presently funding an effort to obtain design proposals from landscape architectural firms for the overlooks and trails in question.

An Environmental Assessment will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. As part of the planning process, the park is reaching out to the public and asking them to share their comments, concerns, and ideas which will be used to aid in the development of a range of alternatives.

Comments may be submitted online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/CanyonOverlooks, hand-delivered during normal business hours to the mailroom in the park’s Administration Building in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, or mailed to the Compliance Office, Attn: Canyon Rim Overlooks and Trails, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190.

Comments will not be accepted by fax, e-mail, or in any other way than those specified above.

All comments must be received by midnight MDT, October 24, 2014.