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Yellowstone North Rim Drive

editor — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:30:00 +0000

In 2008 the North Rim Drive was completely reconstructed and became one-way from south to north. Approximately 2 miles (3 km) long, this road provides four beautiful and varied views into the canyon and opportunities to hike partway down. Restrooms are available along the way. As you visit this unique treasure, you’ll realize that the canyon is not a static place. The steep walls will further disintegrate and the canyon will become wider and deeper over the years due to earthquakes, storms, the freezing and thawing of winter ice, the continual action of the river, and the friable (that is,

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Side Trail toward the River

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 22:00:00 +0000

If you turn left at Sawmill to cross the river and visit Castle Geyser, you’ll pass Churn Geyser not very active now but known to erupt to 10 feet (3 m). Scalloped and South Scalloped springs are on your right. The water deep down in Scalloped Spring reverberates in its cavern with a satisfying gurgle. The low water level was not Scalloped Spring’s normal state the spring was probably illegally induced to erupt at some time in the past. The cone high above the river to the right (downstream) is called Deleted Teakettle Geyser. Its strange moniker is due to

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From West Thumb Junction to Fishing Bridge Junction

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:30:00 +0000

The Grand Loop Road going north from West Thumb follows the lakeshore closely most of the way to Fishing Bridge Junction, almost 21 miles (33 km) away. You’ll catch glimpses of America’s highest large freshwater lake and its surrounding mountains. The Absaroka Range is beyond the lake to the east, and the Red Mountains are to the south. There are many places to pull over by the lakeside to look, take pictures, picnic, or fish. Road Log NOTE: There are several short side roads along this stretch of the Grand Loop Road. The mileage for such roads is given at

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From Cody to the East Entrance Yellowstone

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:30:00 +0000

Starting your trip at Cody, you may enjoy visiting one or more of the town’s five western museums or attending a rodeo. Accommodations are available in Cody and at numerous guest ranches along the road leading to Yellowstone’s East Entrance, 53 miles (85 km) from the town. Heading directly west, at Buffalo Bill Dam, you’ll find a visitor center with interesting exhibits. Campgrounds and numerous places for water sports are available in the state park around the reservoir. For several miles before you reach Yellowstone, wonderfully bizarre rock formations line the road. A longer but very scenic road over the

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From Old Faithful Village to West Thumb Junction

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 12:00:00 +0000

From Old Faithful to West Thumb is a distance of about 19 miles (31 km), as measured from the visitor center. Worth stopping for on the way are Kepler Cascades, Lone Star Geyser Trail, and Isa Lake at the western crossing of the Continental Divide, as well as the views from Shoshone Point and from above West Thumb Junction. Old Faithful Village to West Thumb junction name of the 12-year-old son of Wyoming Territory’s Governor John Hoyt. The boy was with his father in a group searching for suitable routes from Wyoming into the park in 1881, and he was

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Yellowstone Canyon Colors

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 09:30:00 +0000

The colors in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone derive both from minerals and from living organisms. There are infinite shadings of yellow and orange, and also reds and pinks, off-whites, browns, greens, and black. Most of these colors result from the weathering of the rocks and from the upward passage of hot water and steam. Rainwater and the oxygen in the air break down the rhyolite that is the predominant rock of the canyon. At the same time, hot water and steam react with minerals in these rocks. Both processes convert some of the iron and other metals (such

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Yellowstone Lake Recreation

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Swimming in Yellowstone Lake is strongly discouraged, even forbidden at West Thumb. This is due to the extremely cold water after all, the lake’s elevation is nearly 8000 feet (3400 m). On a recent hot July day the surface water temperature behind Fishing Bridge Visitor Center was 55°F (13°C), but this was rare, and lakes like this one have colder layers beneath the surface. Signs at Bridge Bay are explicit: Warning water extremely cold. Survival time limited to twenty minutes. Boating is allowed from several launch sites, but motorboats are restricted to Grant Village and Bridge Bay Marina. Permits and

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Yellowstone Geyser Route Two: Castle and Daisy Geysers and an extension to Black Sand Pool

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 04:30:00 +0000

NOTE: This is an approved bicycle route to the Grand Loop Road near Biscuit Basin about 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north. To reach Biscuit Basin, turn left on the northern trail to the Daisy Group, then turn immediately right (see the map, 83). C @ The 2.4 miles (4 km) round trip to view Castle and Daisy geysers on Geyser Route Two is paved and can be traversed by wheelchair or bicycle. You may shorten the distance a little by parking in the lot for the general store near Old Faithful Inn. The side trail past Daisy Geyser

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West Thumb Geyser Basin Walking Tour

editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 02:00:00 +0000

The boardwalk around West Thumb Geyser Basin is about one-half mile (0.8 km) long. It takes you to the main portion of this basin, which has few geysers but is outstanding for its scenic setting and beautiful hot springs. Since there is less sulfur in the chemical mix brought up from below, the rotten egg smell so common to other basins is less strong here. In some seasons and some years, the colors in and around the hot springs are spectacular. Thermal features are changeable, however, so if the colors you see are rather ordinary at the time you’re here,

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Yellowstone Extension to Black Sand Pool

editor — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:30:00 +0000

Yellowstone Extension to Black Sand Pool 7 If you continue west where the two walkways around Daisy become one, you’ll see the white Pyramid (or White Throne), the cone of an extinct geyser, across the meadow to the north. At its base is small but active Pyramid Geyser. A little farther west is the almost perfectly circular Punch Bowl Spring. The center of this beautiful spring boils a foot or so above its rim, which is nearly 2 feet (0.6 m) in height. It overflows constantly, creating a colorful runoff channel. It’s a short distance to Black Sand Pool, the

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