Anton K.
Yelp
I entered the park through the south gate and with my senior pass it was free. You get a map as you enter the gate with all the lookout sites clearly shown. In my opinion Artist Point (view of the Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) is the most spectacular non-geothermal feature in Yellowstone. There are a number of different viewing points of the falls like Lookout Point, Red Rock Point, Brink of the Upper and Lower Falls and Uncle Tom's Trail View but the Artist Point view is the best and easiest to get to. There is a trail off of Artists Point that leads you to Uncle Tom's view which if you have the time is worth the effort. Bring some binoculars and you will see ospreys, ravens, sparrows and bald eagles nest along the 1,000 foot canyon walls. It's amazing what a volcanic eruptions 600,000 years ago can start and lava flows, glaciers, earthquakes, wind and water can finish. Artist Point was given it's name by Park Photographer F. Jay Haynes in 1883. The red colored walls are iron oxide while the yellow and other colors resulted from hydrothermal forces which altered the structure of the rhyolite walls. The off season is a great time to go to Yellowstone. Summer traffic is frustrating and slow. Watch for tick morning fog. Animal crossings especially at dusk and dawn. Some even like to lay down on the warm paved roads. Finally there is constant road work so check the Yellowstone website for locations or just stop at the visitor's center and they will inform you.