yellowstone

Recent Posts

Yellowstone geysers yield refreshing showers for adventurous visitors

By: |

Many first-time Yellowstone Park visitors are surprised to learn the spray from Yellowstone geysers that reaches them on the boardwalks can be cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. But if you think about it, that superheated water (hotter than the normal boiling point of water due to underground pressure) is tossed high into the air as tiny droplets that cool quickly. A hundred feet up and a hundred feet back down can cool a fine mist in a hurry, giving adventurous Yellowstone visitors the chance to experience a unique shower. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, geysers, photos, showers, yellowstone, yellowstone geysers

Take a leisurely stroll along Slough Creek in northern Yellowstone Park

By: |

For an enjoyable early or late season hike in Yellowstone, the Slough Creek Trail offers unparalleled scenery and great fishing. The trail starts near the Slough Creek Campground and travels 11 miles to the Park's northern boundary, following Slough Creek for most of the way. This excellent trail is actually an old wagon road leading to the Silver Tip Ranch, just north of Yellowstone. The road is still used by ranch residents to gain access to the Silver Tip, so don't be surprised if you encounter a few horse-drawn wagons on your journey. If you do, please follow proper trail etiquette and step off the trail to allow them to pass. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, day hikes, slough creek, yellowstone, yellowstone park

Yellowstone winter-use plan scores well with gateway snowmobile fans

By: |
Two people share a snowmobile during a January 2012 trip into Yellowstone National Park.

Gateway communities around Yellowstone National Park have been weighing in this week on the latest draft winter-use plan for managing snowmobiles and snow coaches in the park, with generally favorable reactions from snowmobile enthusiasts. The plan calls for managing traffic by "transportation events" and grouping snowmobile riders in clusters of 7-10 sleds per event. It allows for a total of 110 daily transportation events, with a cap of 50 events for snowmobile riders. One event each day from each gate is reserved for unpaid guides. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Gateway Towns, Yellowstone, snow coaches, snowmobiles, winter use, yellowstone

A backcountry bike ride to Yellowstone Park’s Lone Star Geyser

By: |

A day trip to Lone Star Geyser in Yellowstone National Park is a short and pleasant day hike or a fun bike ride, and a great way to spend some time off the beaten path. The path to Lone Star Geyser follows the Firehole River for the five-mile round trip, passing through green meadows and wildflowers that line the trail, an old road now closed to vehicles. Lone Star Geyser erupts about every three hours, with a few smaller, minor eruptions occurring before the major eruption. The major burst can last for up to 3o minutes, and ends in a strong steam phase. When you arrive at the geyser, check the log book to see if anyone recorded any recent eruptions so you'll know when it's likely to blow again, and feel free to enter details about what you see to help other visitors. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, geysers, hike, hiking, lone star geyser, trending

Yellowstone’s Kite Hill Cemetery at Mammoth is home to mysterious graves

By: |

The Kite Hill Cemetery is not to be confused with a separate military cemetery in Mammoth near horse corrals. Kite Hill is a civilian cemetery for early park workers and non-military residents. It has 14 graves, but only one monument still stands, marking two graves. The identities of at least three people buried remain a mystery. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, cemetery, kite hill, trending, yellowstone

Crews scramble to contain fires in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks

By: |
Fire crews continue to monitor and work to contain the Index Fire, northeast of Yellowstone National Park. (InciWeb photo - click to enlarge)

Fire crews in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks mobilized Thursday to contain a series of small fires sparked by lightning from mid-week thunderstorms, as well as one blaze that may have started from a campfire. Though the fires are small and have not required road or campground closures, fire managers in the parks and on other nearby public lands are aggressively working to extinguish some fires that could potentially threaten buildings or other key resources. A dry, hot summer and high winds have created prime fire conditions across much of the region. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Grand Teton, Yellowstone, blacktail fire, box fire, fires, forest fires, grand teton, grayback fire

Atlas of Yellowstone editors discuss creation of major reference book

By: |
Where is Yellowstone?

The Atlas of Yellowstone is a book that liberates forgotten or overlooked data from spreadsheets, scientific journals, government reports and filing cabinets and presents them in beautiful, informative and inspiring ways to tell a rich and detailed story about hundreds of aspects of Yellowstone. Continue Reading →

Filed under: People, Yellowstone, andrew marcus, ann rodman, atlas, atlas of yellowstone, jim meacham, maps

Wyoming photographer draws fans with compelling Yellowstone wildlife images

By: |
Two wolves from the Canyon Pack squabble over an elk carcass near Alum Creek in Yellowstone National Park. (©Sandy Sisti - click to enlarge)

A Wyoming photographer whose work captures both the majesty and the savagery of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park says she is drawn by the irresistible lure of the park's animals, and though she loves photographing bears and wolves, she is "always rooting for the elk calf." "I understand the food chain," said Wapiti, Wyo. wildlife and nature photographer Sandy Sisti. "But I still don't like to see anything suffer." Continue Reading →

Filed under: People, Photos & Videos, bears, bison, photographers, photography, sandy sisti, trending

Yellowstone Park logs more than 1 million visitors so far this year, numbers up 6 percent over 2011

By: |
yellowstone-entrance-sign

Visitation to Yellowstone National Park for June and for the first six months of 2012 is up compared to the same period last year, with the world's first national park already logging 1 million visitors this year. The park recorded 674,498 recreational visitors in June 2012, up over 6 percent from last 2011, and second only to the record levels reported in June 2010. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, 2012 visitation, yellowstone, yellowstone visitation

Midway Bluff in Yellowstone Park offers sweeping views of Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser Crater

By: |

A hike up to Midway Bluff in Yellowstone National Park requires finding this well-hidden gem of a trail, which is strenuous, but well worth the effort, offering a view you'll never forget! If you take your time, have good hiking footwear and pause frequently, you will be rewarded at the top of this trail with a spectacular view of the entire Midway Geyser Basin. Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser will be visible in all their colorful glory! And you'll get a view of them that few visitors ever get to see first-hand. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, excelsior geyser, geysers, grand prismatic spring, midway bluff, yellowstone