Yellow Formations
Vibrant erosion landscape
Abundant rhyolite lavas
Canyon rim
Chemically altered by reactions with geothermal steam and hot water, the walls of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon are colored with vibrant yellows. The area’s name, however, is derived from indigenous Americans referring to yellow sandstones hundreds of miles downstream of the Park, along the banks of the Yellowstone River.
“As we passed on, it seemed those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.” – Meriwether Lewis