The road from Gardner, Montana leads to Mammoth Hot Springs which is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine...
The limestone from rock formations along a fault is the source of the calcium carbonate. As the calcium carbonate, or travertine, builds up various configurations are formed...
Orange Spring Mound, above, and White Elephants Back Terrace, below, are two examples...
As the travertine terrace slowly expands it encircles living trees and eventually kills them...
The water generated by the hot springs forms the Boiling River, which flows down hill until it joins the Gardner River...
Here, it creates a delightful warm water swimming area for visitors...
Near the mouth of the Boiling River can be found ancient geysers...
And evidence of geological upheavals from thousands, or millions, of years past...
Aspen trees are plentiful along the stagecoach road...
Another popular feature in YNP is the ancient redwood petrified tree located about three miles West of Tower Junction...
Tower Junction is also the location of the 132 foot Tower Fall...
Just south of Tower Junction one encounters Calcite Springs which marks the downstream end of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Geothermally altered rhyolite and steep columnar basalt cliffs are ancient remnants of lava flow...
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a remarkable and beautiful geological feature...
The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the continental United States. It flows over 600 miles from Wyoming to South Dakota where it empties into the Missouri River. For part of this distance it flows through the Hayden Valley...
From the Hayden Valley it is a short drive to Mount Washburn which rises 10,423 feet above the west side of the canyon. When descending Mount Washburn it is not uncommon to find ones self above the clouds...
Wildflowers grow abundantly on the slopes of Mount Washburn...
The Bannock Trail, once used by Native Americans to access the buffalo plains east of the park, was used from approximately 1840 to 1876. A portion of this trail extends from the Blacktail Plateau and ascends the Lamar River Valley to the Lamar-Soda Butte confluence...
Geothermal features are found in many places throughout the park...
The blue water of this pool indicates that it is too hot for bacteria or algae to live...
The Chocolate Pot geyser below, located along the Gibbon River, maintains a temperature of 130 F. The three to four feet high cone has green, yellow, brown and orange streaks formed by warm water loving bacteria and algae. Mineral oxides are responsible for the dark brown color...
The Madison flows between high rocky mountains through much of its course in YNP...
In 1988 Yellowstone experienced one of it's largest forest fires in history. Dead snags still stand, although new growth is apparent in most areas...
As you can probably tell by now there is much more to Yellowstone than just the wildlife...
I hope you get an understanding of the vastness of Yellowstone, and why good binoculars are a must. A spotting scope is a wonderful item to have along if you are travelling by automobile...
Thanks for letting me share some of the scenery of Yellowstone National Park with you.
Be well, enjoy nature, and come back soon.
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