Yellowstone National Park, Adventure Awaits

 

The west has some amazing parks and the diversification is mind blowing. In 1872 when Ulysses S Grant declared Yellowstone as America’s first National Park, the nation preserved a treasure. Containing the majority of the world’s geysers, Yellowstone is a massive park and a one stop destination for exploration. Ask potential first time visitors what they are excited for and the response might be, ‘buffalo, grizzly’s, moose, mountains, geysers and hiking.’ I said all of those things too, but what I didn’t realize was just how stunning the geothermal features of the park were. Ever since I was a kid, I knew Old Faithful would be cool to watch explode, but I never knew all the other beautiful geological features I would see. Here is a look at just a sampling of some of the parks natural beauty and unique geologic features.

geyser in yellowstone

Known for it’s geothermal activity, Yellowstone has the greatest concentration of geysers in the world.

yellow stone beautiful colors

All the bright colors in the water come from thermophiles which are microorganisms that thrive in hot temperatures. So many individuals are grouped together in the trillions they appear as a mass of color.

geothermal features in yellowstone

 Sitting on the Yellowstone Plateau at approximately 8000 feet above sea level the park is located in three states, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho as well as encompassing two national parks, portions of five national forests, three national wildlife refuges, Bureau of Land Management holdings and private and tribal lands.

yellowstone dramatic sky

Prior to going, I had no idea just how cool Yellowstone was, nor really comprehended how big it is. At approximately 2,219,791 acres the park is one of the largest, nearly intact temperate zone ecosystems on earth.

yellowstone features

Yellowstone is like walking on one big volcano and has the three components necessary for geysers and other hydrothermal features.

yellowstone features

Magma beneath the surface provides heat, lots of rain and snowfall seep into the ground providing water and cracks and fissures form the plumbing.

yellowstone dead trees

Hot water rises through the cracks and all around the park these hydro-thermal features form and display their beauty.

yellowstone work of art

To me all these geothermal features were works of art in themselves.

yellowstone canyon

In the park there are over 10,000 hydrothermal features, around 300 active geysers and about 290 water falls.

hiking in yellowstone

I loved being able to hike along this trail and have an inclination of what was coming up but still be surprised.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

All this crusty surface that looks like snow was so intriguing to me. Geologists can spend a whole life time studying and talking about all the terms of what you see in the photo above. Here is my less scientific breakdown of how this all happens.

Underneath all this is partially molten magma which releases a tremendous amount of heat.

Cold water from rain and snow melt will eventually make its way through the ground and meets the hot water below. This super heated water can exceeds temperatures of 400 F.

The super heated water makes it’s way back up to the surface through the cracks, or the plumbing as referred to earlier.

Along the way up, some silica will dissolve into the water and at the surface, this forms siliceous sinter.

And this, in case you have been wondering like I did, is what forms the scalloped edges of the hot springs. The siliceous sinter deposits have almost a cauliflower like surface known as geyserite.

big geothermal in yellowstone

Yellowstone was such an awesome park to visit. The amount of geothermal activity to observe just blew my mind. After visiting other parks and areas of the world with geysers, nothing could compare to spending even just a few days in Yellowstone. If you are looking for your next all inclusive park to give you a wildlife, culture, adventure, scenery and watch continuous explosions as you sit on a bench while eating a snack, then make your way to Yellowstone National Park. Your next adventure awaits.

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If you go:

First point of reference, browse all around the national park page.

DO NOT ignore the animal warnings. DO NOT approach buffalo or leave food out at your camp. Accidents and deaths happen when people think these warnings are just mediocre. If you are not familiar with Leave No Trace principles, ask a ranger or park staff for help. Visitors careless actions can lead to the very wildlife they came to see in the first place getting put down.

Camping facilities are great in the park and a way that we save a lot of money on travel. If you are not sure what gear to get, check out this post.

Tiffany Soukup

After her first year at university, Tiffany moved to Wyoming in the spur of the moment decision to live on the floor next to a washer and dryer. She has never looked back since embracing a life of travel, exploration and endless curiosity. Fortunately, she met her life partner early on as her and her husband Chris share the same dream of living on all seven continents. Follow their story as they venture from sorting potato's, picking cherries, living as Inn Keepers, hiking into remote jungles and planning their next adventure. Be sure to get more pictures and stories from their site at www.vagabondway.net.

6 responses to “Yellowstone National Park, Adventure Awaits

  1. WOW! Beautiful trip through Yellowstone with you! One of the most unreal places on earth. I really appreciate all the helpful links at the end of the post.

    1. Thanks. Visiting Yellowstone was such a highlight. We spent about a week there, but I would go back again and again. There are so many different aspects to learn about the park. It is one of the most unique parks I have been too.

  2. Wow! Great photography! It is really is incredible! They are so beautiful and look like frozen colored foam!

  3. Thank you! I think I could drive around Yellowstone for a long time taking pictures. It is such a unique park. I can’t wait to go back.

    1. I agree Tiffany. Yellowstone is INCREDIBLE! I have been editing my video from August 2015 and I cannot believe how much we saw. Thanks for your article–which was fantastic as always! Lisa

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