Beginning in 1898, park visitors could descend along a “trail” known as Uncle Tom's Trail to a viewpoint near the base of the Lower Yellowstone Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Constructed by park concessionaire "Uncle Tom" H. F. Richardson, the original trail included several rope ladders and 528 steps. As a private enterprise, Richardson guided clients into the canyon, and then afterwards would provide them with a picnic lunch. This photo was taken before 1905:
In 1905, the National Park Service assumed ownership of Uncle Tom's Trail, and then proceeded to make numerous improvements to the route. In addition to removing the ropes, they reduced the number of steps to “only” 328. However, this new trail only went three-quarters of the way into the canyon. Over the ensuing years, the park made additional improvements to the stairway system. In 2019, however, they closed the trail to all visitors, presumably forever. Here’s the improved Uncle Tom's Trail in 1906:
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