From there, the trail follows the Gardiner River up to the base of the 150 foot falls. You can stand at the bottom of the falls and enjoy the spray of the waterfall, but be careful not to lose your balance on the wet, slippery rocks. A moderate trail which takes one to the lip of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at the one mile point, then turns to the east where gradually climbs through sagebrush and grassy meadows, reaching the top of 9614-feet Amethyst Mountain just over the eleven mile mark. The 17.5 mile mark brings you to the Lamar trailhead. This area is a popular feeding place for elk, and the occassional coyote can be spotted.
Wildflowers are plentiful in early summer.
This trail can also be reached by starting out from the Yellowstone River Picnic Area trail . If you would like to get a good view of Yellowstone Lake off the beaten path, this could be the trail for you. Storm Point is a windy projection of rock that juts out into Yellowstone Lake. The view is great, with Stevenson Island and Mount Sheridan being to the south. Also, there is a marmot colony on Storm Point.