Artist Point: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service

Shapins Associates, Contractor

Artist Point is located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. The Point is a popular visitor destination for the many who come to view the spectacular scenery of the northwestern Wyoming canyon. The inventory unit includes a vehicular parking area, pedestrian walkway system, lower viewing platform area, and an elevated overlook. The role of landscape vistas from the rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone gained significance in 1871, when artists Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson visited the area as members of Ferdinand Hayden’s U.S. Geological Survey. Invited to document the region's natural features, Moran was particularly inspired by the canyon scenery and captured the views from several overlooks in his watercolor sketches. Hayden presented Moran’s renderings and Jackson’s photographs to Congress as testaments of the natural splendor of the Yellowstone Region, which influenced the passage of the Yellowstone Park Act in 1872 that designated Yellowstone a national park. The area’s association with events leading to the establishment of the park gave rise to Artist Point’s Canyon Exploration & Park Establishment period of significance (1871-1872). Prior to 1903, the south rim of the Grand Canyon was only accessible to visitors willing to traverse the Yellowstone River by boat or on foot across the frozen water surface in winter. Construction of the Yellowstone River Bridge and Artist Point Road in 1903 enabled greater access to visitors, who arrived by horse and, later, by automobile. The rock outcropping at the end of the short drive would later undergo development as Artist Point. In the early 1920s, the first viewing platform was constructed as a simple wooden structure at the end of the road. Two construction phases (1930 and 1938-39) mark another period of significance for Artist Point known as the NPS Rustic Style Construction Era (1930-39). The National Park Service Rustic architectural style is evidenced by naturalistic landscape design characteristics; this includes stonemasonry features fabricated with indigenous rock, the use of rough-hewn natural materials (stone and timbers), and simple, handcrafted construction techniques that blend built features that their natural surroundings. During the 1930 construction, the site's spatial organization and circulation patterns were redefined. Artist Point Road was retracted from the base of the overlook, requiring visitors to walk along a promenade to access the viewing platform. In 1938-39, the stone parapet wall was constructed to replace the original wooden viewing platform. Given the Rustic style’s emphasis on preserving natural conditions, few modifications were made to the site’s topography and vegetation during this period of construction. The majority of landscape features at Artist Point continue to retain historic integrity from the 1930s period of significance. Although Mission 66-era contruction compromised the historic workmanship and primitive feeling of the parking area, the remainder of the site has undergone few modifications. The materials and workmanship of small-scale features and the treatment of the pedestrian circulation system are evocative of the NPS Rustic design style and philosophy from the 1930-39 period of significance. Additionally, the site’s location and setting continue to inspire an appreciation for how the vistas inspired the preservation of the Yellowstone Region. Overall the inventory unit is in good condition and continues to function as a popular tourist destination. A combination of deferred maintenance and high volumes of visitor traffic have resulted in damaging impacts to the landscape, including erosion, improper drainage, and effects of overcrowding.

Artist Point: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service

Series

Collections