We seem to have a thing for rivers, well, for all water really. Maybe that comes from living in a dry part of the world where our rivers, which are few, usually only have a trickle of water in them. Or, maybe it’s just because when we’re near a flowing river we’re enchanted by the beauty of our surroundings. Regardless of our reasons, we hope you enjoy this wet and wonderful look at rivers.
Colorado River, ArizonaLittle Missouri River, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaThe Virgin River flows through Zion Canyon, Zion National Park, UtahThe Yellowstone River flowing through the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.View of the Rio Grande from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, New Mexico.Gunnison River, Morrow Point, ColoradoRio Pueblo de Taos. Bet you can guess where this one is. Did you know it’s a tributary of the Rio Grande?The Colorado River meanders through Canyonlands National ParkThe Rio Grande flows through Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, Texas, and is the dividing line between the U.S. and Mexico.Steam rises from the Madison River on a cold morning in Yellowstone National Park.
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Happy hump day, everybody!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
⇒From Mammoth Hot Springs, take the northern Upper Loop east/southeast for 18 miles toward the Tower-Roosevelt Area. Drive time between Mammoth and Tower: 45 minutes…unless you get stuck in a bison jam, and then there’s no telling how long it will take.
Travel tip: always have snacks and drinks in the car.
Bison jam!
This part of the park is rolling hills and vast grasslands with mountain peaks in the background. We saw many bison here. Interestingly, as many bison as we have seen on our travels, we still get a thrill when we see them. Did you know that the bison in Yellowstone were almost extincted due to unenforced hunting in the early years of the park? The current genetically pure (haven’t been bred with cattle) herd, which now numbers in the thousands, are the descendants of the original twenty-four head that were diligently preserved and carefully bred by the park.
A shot of the beauty of the most northern part of the park
Calcite Springs Overlook
The Calcite Springs Overlook is about half-way between Mammoth and Tower. This is a must-see stop when in this part of the park. There is a short trail (boardwalk with stairs) that affords great views and excellent photo ops. Our research said to allow 15 minutes for this stop, but we spent at least twice that time there enjoying the breathtaking views.
Calcite Springs are the white cliffs along the Yellowstone River in the Yellowstone River Canyon
Another view of the Yellowstone River
Did you know that the Yellowstone River originates in the Absaroka Mountains southeast of Yellowstone Lake? It does, and it flows through the park, then across Montana for about 700 miles until it meets the Missouri River in North Dakota. The Yellowstone River is the largest tributary of the Missouri River.
Columnar basalt formations along the canyon edge
Basalt column detail
More basalt with beautiful mountain peaks in the background
A few miles after leaving this viewpoint, the road will begin to climb Dunraven Pass. While driving through this area, notice how the 1988 fires affected the landscape and how now, more than thirty years later, the forest is regenerating itself.
Continuing along the east side of the upper loop, you will find the Tower General Store, which is located a few miles south of Roosevelt Lodge. Behind the store is the Tower Fall trailhead. Uphill all the way, the trail is only one-tenth of a mile long, and the end result is a beautiful 132 foot waterfall!
Travel tip: Tower General Store has grab-and-go snacks and some fast food items. Whether eating purchased food or your own, picnic tables outside the store provide a good spot for lunch.
Tower Fall
Pinnacles above Tower Fall. The rock “towers” are what gives the fall its name.
That’s going to do it for this week. We thank you for joining us on our travels, and we hope that you will return to our site again and again. We are going to end the post with one more shot showcasing the beauty of the northern section of the park.
Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
Destinations: West Thumb Geyser Basin and Mud Volcano Area
⇒From West Yellowstone, drive the 14 miles to Madison Junction. Here you can go north/northeast around the top of the lower loop or you can go south/southeast around the bottom of the lower loop. Either way, the drive from Madison Junction to West Thumb Geyser Basin is approximately 36 miles. We recommend the south route.
Fishing Cone Geyser sits in the water at the edge of the lake
West Thumb Geyser Basin lies on the shore of beautiful Yellowstone Lake. The largest high elevation alpine lake in the lower 48 states, Yellowstone Lake boasts a large population of cutthroat trout that thrive in the average 41 degree temperature of the water.
Another view of tranquil Yellowstone Lake
First stop: West Thumb Geyser Basin
Stop by the Grant Village Visitor Center, then take the short hike on the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail (boardwalk). Afterward, drive north to Fishing Bridge (fishing from the bridge is no longer allowed) to watch the cutthroat trout in one of their favorite spawning places.
Below are some of our favorite shots along the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail.
Abyss Pool
Black Pool
Ribbons of colorful bacteria (thermophiles) seem to ooze out of Black Pool
Bluebell Pool
Now, we are off to our next stop: Mud Volcano.
⇒From West Thumb, drive north approximately 21 miles to Fishing Bridge, then continue north approximately 6 miles to Mud Volcano.
Second stop: Mud Volcano Area
Boiling, steaming, mud
Take the short boardwalk trail to see Mud Volcano and its neighbor, Dragon’s Mouth Spring.
Another look at mud volcano
Up close and personal with Dragon’s Mouth Spring
Dragon’s Mouth Spring was one of the highlights of our trip, but the steam, which emitted with a thunderous roar, had an extra potent sulfurous odor.
Thermophile colonies make their home on grasses near Dragon’s Mouth Spring
Thank you so much for joining us as we travel through Yellowstone! We hope you will return to our site next week for another great Yellowstone post. We are closing this post with a couple of shots of Hayden Valley.
Hayden Valley is the place to be early in the morning for animal sightings. We saw a lot of bison here and we also saw a grizzly bear. Unfortunately we didn’t get a picture of the bear, but we were able to watch it through binoculars as it ran across a meadow.
The Yellowstone River meanders through Hayden Valley. We found this to be one of the most tranquil and uncrowded places in the park.
Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
