AZ to WI Roadtrip- Summer 2024 (Part Three)
Day 4- The Scenic Lamar Valley & Beartooth Highway to North Dakota
7.5 Road hours + many stops for animals and crazy views
Oxbow Bend
July 31st-One of the Most Scenic Mornings I've Ever Experienced
Leaving a National Park is always sad for me. Even though I have been here before and I knew it was going to be a quick stop, there's always several moments of reflection that typically involves some journaling, a walk, and being sure to take it all in and really be in the moment so I can remember being here. As an introvert, a lover of nature, and a photographer, these moments might come to me more than most but they are still often too easily not given a high enough priority. On this day, nature was not going to let me leave the Tetons without a few grand departure memories.
The low clouds hanging over the mountains were breathtaking
Hello Yellowstone!
After a misty/ foggy drive through the beautiful forest (no crazy deer jumping in front of the truck this year!!) we were in another national park; the nation's first national park actually (1872). The teepee is a new addition to the entrances as of August 2024 in celebration of the “Voices of Yellowstone: First Peoples Celebration” that honored and celebrated the diverse cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Yellowstone—past, present, and future.
Kepler Cascades
a three-tiered cascade that drops over 50 feet as the Firehole River flows North. The roadside pullover takes you right to the boardwalk and right to a view of the waterfall. Don't miss this one!
Have you ever been on the divide? Maybe it's just a nerdy thing to think is cool :)
Here are some of my Faves from the Old Faithful Boardwalks
There was so much activity as I was walking it was really fun to just wander and see all the steam, bubbling, spouting, and spraying! The noises were also pretty fun! I didn't wait to see Old Faithful this year because I was able to see it up front last time....yes it was worth it! This year I actually caught it just as I got back from my boardwalk wander. Perfect timing! I guess it would feel wrong to not see her if you're here...
FACTS
- There are more than 10,000 hydrothermal features in Yellowstone. The four types of thermal features are geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
- Yellowstone is home to more than 500 active geysers (more than half the world’s geysers).
Sights and Sounds
on the boardwalk
I spent about an hour wandering around but I could have spent several hours heading further down if I had the time!
So Much To See
So Little Time
Spouting Castle
After spending some time in the Old Faithful Inn (It's a beautiful inn! there was even someone playing violin for us up on the balcony!), looking at art, grabbing a bite, and a souvenir, it was time to hit the road! We passed biscuit basin where I had planned on taking a walk but the July 23rd hydrothermal explosion has the area shut down through the summer. i wish i had been here to see that!
The Grand Prismatic Spring was so full of people that the lot was full and people were backing up traffic waiting (you are not supposed to do that BTW) and we had to wait for a park ranger to come and make people move on the road. I thought it was so cool that the colors are so vibrant that even the steam is rainbow colored! I can't wait to see this one up close next time I'm here.
Firehole Lake Drive
Firehole Spring is often considered one of the most beautiful and colorful features in the area. Early explorers thought the large bubbles looked like flashes of fiery light – hence the origin of this spring’s name.
Great Fountain Geyser- one of Yellowstone’s major geysers. It’s hard to predict exactly when this mighty geyser will erupt, but it’s often twice a day – somewhere in between every 10-14 hours. Great Fountain Geyser easily erupts up over 100 feet on average, but larger eruptions can tower over 200 feet high and last for an hour or longer.
We were lucky walking by right as it erupted. We even saw the bonus white dome geyser erupt too! The steam it produced was incredible!
Gibbon Falls- Another majestic Yellowstone waterfall
Did you know?
About 290 waterfalls can be found throughout Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres.
What does that sign say? Kudos to my dad for not losing it on this trip with all the stops I HAD to make :)
One of the many intriguing landscapes of Yellowstone
On the road...
is there any place that is not pretty in this park??
Roadside Surprise!
Mammoth Hot Springs
This is the upper terrace that I had no idea about until we arrived. Yet another "other-worldly" landscape in the park. This view was pretty cool because it gave you an insane view of the vast travertine meadow and down below you can see historic Yellowstone. We did take the upper terrace drive that offered a few neat thermal attractions and pretty scenery. I wouldn't call it a "must do" but...when in Rome! RIght? Upper Terrace Drive is a one-way, scenic, 1.5-mile (2.4-km) long road.
This 37-foot (11-m) hot spring cone marks the northern portion of Mammoth Hot Springs. Liberty Cap was named in 1871 by the Hayden Survey party because of its marked resemblance to the peaked caps worn during the French Revolution. Its unusual formation was created by a hot spring whose plumbing remained open and in one location for a long time. Its internal pressure was sufficient to raise the water to a great height, allowing mineral deposits to build continuously for perhaps hundreds of years.
This is the north side of Palette spring. In the Mammoth area, the hot, acidic solution dissolves large quantities of limestone on its way up through the rock layers to the hot springs on the surface. Above ground and exposed to the air, some of the carbon dioxide escapes from the solution. Without it, the dissolved limestone can’t remain in the solution, so it reforms into a solid mineral. This white, chalky mineral is deposited as the travertine that forms the terraces.
Canary Spring- Good Name
View of the lower terrace from above
Can you spot the geyserite cone called, "Devil's Thumb"?
Panoramic view of the north side of Palette Spring accessible by the boardwalk.
A very cool sight to witness
I wish some places could just be quiet so you can just hear nature... it was still fun to see though
The Historic Arch
In 1903, the railway finally came to Gardiner, and people entered through an enormous stone archway. Robert Reamer, a famous architect in Yellowstone, designed the immense stone arch for coaches to travel through on their way into the park. At the time of the arch's construction, President Theodore Roosevelt was visiting the park. He consequently placed the cornerstone for the arch, which then took his name. The top of the Roosevelt Arch is inscribed with "For the benefit and enjoyment of the people," which also appears in the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916.
Into Gardiner for the night!
Iron Horse Bar and Grill in downtown Gardiner- Great BBQ with fun indoor ambiance and an outside patio with a fantastic view of the Yellowstone river
Lodging for the night. There was a dog in the lobby that let me get some vacation pets in +BONUS+
They had cute little terraces with views of the river. Thank you, I will come again.
Don't leave without walking around Gardiner's cute downtown, shop a little, grab a refreshment on a patio, and walk over the bridge for a view of....the river of course!