It's Not All Hot Water!

Along the park roads are broad, rolling valleys, grassy mountain meadows, and sagebrush covered flats where deer, elk, and bison roam along the winding rivers.

There are hills and mountains covered with trees: fir, aspen, spruce, and thick stands of lodgepole pine.  

There are sparkling streams whose waters provide excellent environment for trout fishing.

And, there is Yellowstone Lake, the largest high elevation (above 7000 ft) lake in North America.  Marinas, boating, camping and fishing opportunities are available there.

Yellowstone is not only about the hydrothermal features.   Yellowstone has something for everyone!

Norris and Firehole River Geyser Basins

Yellowstone has many hydrothermal active sites.  Most are located on the edges of the caldera, or basin of an ancient supervolcano. Deep in the earth, that supervolcano still produces the heat required to keep these sites active.

 Norris Geyser Basin is Yellowstone's hottest and most dynamic geyser basin.  It is the home of Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest geyser with eruptions of 300-400 feet. However it's eruptions are infrequent & unpredictable (we did not witness one).  This area contains acidic pools whose run-off water prevents plants, etc. from growing.  However, the pools are alive with thermophylic bacteria.  The air here smells of steam and sulphur.


Upper Geyser Basin includes the field where Old Faithful resides.
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Midway Geyser Basin is home to Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the world's largest hot springs. Also here is Excelsior Geyser, a large geyser which no longer erupts, but continues to spill thousands of gallons of hot water daily into the Firehole River.

Lower Geyser Basin has some distinct geyser cones, built as the hot, mineral containing water spills over the edges.  In this area one can also see "bobby socks trees" distinguished by the white mineral deposits at the base of the trees trying to grow in the geyser basin.





All these areas are accessible by car, with boardwalks leading to named features.  The ground is unstable; steam and water features are dangerously hot.  Warnings are posted reminding visitors to stay on the walkways!

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone River rumbles and tumbles for some 20 miles through the park. North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive located near Canyon Village provide access to some spectacular waterfall features, and the colorful canyon walls of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Another favorite viewing spot is an overlook near Tower Junction, where the falls drops between towers of stone.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Near the north entrance to Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs features cascading terraces of stone formed as mineral laden hot water from deep in the earth finds its way to the surface. These minerals, primarily travertine, continue to add to the terraces which began forming thousands of years ago.

   

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is likely the best known of all the hydrothermal  features in the park.  The most predictable geyser, Old Faithful erupts approximately every 92 minutes, sending thousands of gallons of steamy water into the sky.  Part of the Upper Geyser Basin, there are numerous other geysers and hot springs in the surrounding area.  

A visitor center with wonderful exhibits and films is nearby, as is historic Old Faithful Inn.

An approaching thunderstorm did not dampen the enthusiasm of observers that day; we all clapped and cheered at nature's performance.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

West Thumb Geyser Basin was the first area we visited.  This small thermal area contains steamy geysers, bright blue hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. It is located right on the shores of Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone National Park

In 1872 Congress voted to set aside 2.1 million acres for our first national park, Yellowstone.  The park resides mostly in Wyoming, but extends into Idaho and Montana.  Five entrances allow access to the varied and unique features found within. Interior roads circle around leading to visitor centers, lodging and campgrounds, nature and scenery that everyone wants to see. The 45 mph speed limit is reasonable for sightseeing. We spent 5 full days exploring Yellowstone Park.

National Elk Refuge

The U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service manages a 23,754 acre elk refuge on the southeastern border of  Grand Teton National Park.
Each winter five to ten thousand elk call this area home. They migrate from the high plateaus and mountains.

At the end of the winter season local civic groups, including the Boy Scouts, gather shed elk antlers from the refuge. These antlers are auctioned for sale; money raised helps provide supplemental feed for the wintering elk.

The Visitor Center in Jackson, WY has excellent displays and exhibits about the Elk Refuge.

Arches of elk antler form entry gates into Jackson's town square.

Wildlife in Grand Teton Park

Grand Teton National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including bison, moose, antelope, elk, deer, bears, and others.  We were fortunate to see some of these during our time in the park.  Most exciting was to wake one morning to see moose in our campground, just outside our front window! This deer wandered through later in the day.

Grand Teton National Park

On the northwest edge of Wyoming, the rugged row of mountains known as the Teton Range pops up out of a high mountain valley known as Jackson Hole.  The national park was established in 1929, then expanded in 1950 to include more of the surrounding land.  Grand Teton National Park landscape includes forests, grassy meadows, sage covered flood plains, lakes, rivers, and jagged alpine rocks. A couple glaciers can be spotted, hidden high up on the mountainside.

Activities are many: biking, hiking and climbing, horseback trail rides, fishing and boating, river float trips, canoes and kayaks.  Even in winter the park is accessible for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

We spent about a week here, and had lots of time to drive around and see both historic and scenic areas.