Yellowstone
The Park That Has it All
by Vivienne Mackie
Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, formed in 1872, is about seven-hour’s drive north from Salt Lake City, three hours from Jackson, and very close to the town of West Yellowstone. At nearly 12,000 square miles, it has an amazing variety of sights to offer, whatever your interests. Where else in the world can you find geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and other signs of hot geo-thermal activity, with snow-capped mountain peaks close by, huge meadows dotted with bison, elk and mule deer, rivers steaming as hot springs empty into them, waterfalls, and a canyon, all in one park?
The park gets about 3.1 million visitors a year. On peak days, in July and August, as many as 25,000 people wait for Old Faithful to erupt. To beat the rush, go before summer, in May. If that’s not possible, avoid weekends and drive around early morning or late afternoon, when there are fewer tour buses.
Try to spend three days minimum exploring the park. On the first day when you enter, drive the road in the south that wanders along the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake, which can be shimmering blue, glowering gray, or whipped up white by wind. It’s the largest lake in the US at high elevation (over 7,000 feet) and more than 100 streams flow in and out of it. Continue to Mud Volcano Area for your first taste (definitely, smell) of the famous geo-thermal activity in the park. The strong sulfide smell and hot steam hit you as you wander along the boardwalk. The waters and cones have wonderfully apt names—Dragon’s Mouth Spring, Churning Spring, Grizzly Fumaroles. Many bison munching peacefully on the grass will awe you but be mindful that they are wild and can become dangerous. 
The main road in the park is the 142-mile Grand Loop Drive, with upper and lower loops, forming a rough figure-of-eight in the center of the park. On the undulating Yellowstone Plateau you cross the Continental Divide twice, heralded not by towering cliffs, but by two markers: Continental Divide 8,391 feet, and 8,262 feet.One day, drive the top loop road, clockwise from Canyon Village. First will be Norris Geyser Basin, a sweeping, desert-like lunar landscape, pock-marked with craters, geysers, such as Echinus Geyser, and bubbling hot springs. The hottest and most acid waters have been measured here, and many signs warn you to stay on the paths. The deep blue waters of Cistern Spring dazzle the eyes, the color due to the spring being saturated with silica. Many dead pines dot the spring’s outflow, and they may stand partially petrified for the next 2,000 years.
Later that day, visit the standing trunk of a petrified redwood tree, about 50 million years old. At that time volcanic mudflows buried whole forests, including redwood, avocado, magnolia, mangrove and maple, startling evidence that this region used to be a totally different place. Next stop, Mammoth Hot Springs. The small town, originally Fort Yellowstone, is the park headquarters. The army managed the park from 1886 to 1916 and was successful in stopping the wholesale slaughter of bison, elk, and other large grazing animals. The limestone travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs are disappointing, as many of the springs have dried up or changed course. But, the terraces at Canary Spring are still beautiful, with tapestries of color created by colonies of minute bacteria and algae.
Stop at the Narrows of the Yellowstone River, the basalt columns so perfectly sculpted in an even band that it’s almost as though a landscape architect designed them. The road meanders south through Dunraven Pass on Mount Washburn, the 50-million-year-old volcano that buried the fossil forests, and past Hayden Valley, with its wide grassy meadows, streams and small lakes, teeming with wildlife, especially bison and elk, and a colony of white pelicans.Next day, do the bottom loop, counter-clockwise, your main destination Old Faithful. First stop is Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The Yellowstone River has carved its way down a thousand feet, creating a masterpiece of sculpted rock, colored red, orange, yellow, and white. Marvel at the grandeur from Artist Point on the south rim, and walk to the Brink of the Lower Falls on the north rim.
Next, see Fountain Paint Pots. A short walk leads to a mud pot, formed when hot acidic water breaks down rock. Nearby, Clepsydra Geyser spurts fountains of hot water constantly and a strong sulfide smell assails the nose. Kids are complaining, “Mom, this smells so bad! Like rotten eggs!”
Old Faithful Geyser is the most crowded place in the park. Tour buses converge here and all the tourist amenities are jam-packed. The clock in the park office indicates the next eruption time and people settle on the benches ranged in a semi-circle around the geyser. The “show” is spectacular, but not as dramatic as the eruption of Daisy, which you may be lucky enough to experience later. Old Faithful is the only geyser that some people see, a shame as there is so much more.
Old Faithful is part of the Upper Geyser Basin, which has 20% of all the earth’s geysers. Along the circular 2-mile boardwalk are so many other geysers, springs and pools that one can easily believe this. Bubbling, spitting, rumbling sounds are all around, warm spray mists you, and in one case a geyser is so close to the walk that it gushes over everyone who passes. At the far end of the walk is Morning Glory Pool, the hot waters a clear bright turquoise blue, fringed with orange and green.
If you leave the park via West Yellowstone, stop briefly at Midway Geyser Basin to see Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in North America. The spring’s deep blue, sometimes visible behind the swirling clouds of steam, contrasts with beautifully colored ribbons of microbial mats lining the outflow.
Accommodations in the park, often difficult to get in summer, range from rustic camping to the luxurious lodges. Many people stay just outside the park and drive in every day.
Article, captions, and photography by Vivienne Mackie
