Standing beside the green river where it suddenly drops into space is one of the most exciting experiences in the park. Continue south on the main road. A short trail leads to Upper Falls View. Upriver, the Yellowstone flows gently through the sage-covered hills of Hayden Valley. American white pelicans and trumpeter swans share the river with Canada geese, gulls, and ducks.
Bison are visible most of the year.
Keep your distance. Use binoculars to check meadows across the river for grizzlies digging for roots or rodents. Well-named Mud Volcano and Black Dragon s Caldron are not pretty to look at, but they are impressive. Springs in this area have been known to hurl football-sized blobs of mud tens of feet. At Le Hardy Rapids in June you can watch cutthroat jumping on their way to spawning grounds.