(2018 Alaska Ep 17)
People come to Yellowstone to view fascinating geothermal features. Although these features are located throughout the park, many of the features are located close together in areas called basins – these are the areas most park visitors frequent.
There are various types of thermal features – fumaroles (steam vents), geysers, hot springs, mudpots and travertine terraces (the link above has details about each).
What would a visit to Yellowstone be without seeing Old Faithful! Contrary to what you might think, Old Faithful doesn’t erupt hourly – it is more like every 90 minutes.
The rangers have gotten pretty good at predicting the time of the next eruption. Although we missed one eruption when it occurred 10 minutes early, we enjoyed an eruption later in the day that occurred exactly when predicted!
What this photo doesn’t show is the wide boardwalk along one side of Old Faithful that includes benches and standing areas for hundreds of people. Behind that is Old Faithful Lodge, stores, restaurants, a gas station, huge parking areas and more. Everyone wants to see this iconic piece of Yellowstone.
We saw another geyser erupt while driving Firehole Lake Drive, a couple miles from Old Faithful. It was starting to rain, but White Dome Geyser didn’t disappoint.
You may have seen recent news about another Yellowstone geyser that has erupted eight times this year after infrequent eruptions in recent years. Steamboat Geyser’s eruptions are much larger than Old Faithful. Unfortunately we weren’t there when it erupted – we missed it by three days.
Another interesting thermal feature several miles away from Old Faithful is the Mud Volcano. This feature is pretty tame now, but in the past it eruptions were a lot more vigorous, like a volcano!
You can hike a short trail from the viewing area to see several interesting hot springs and the impressive Dragon’s Mouth fumarole. This feature sounds (and smells) like a dragon’s mouth!
There are MANY more thermal features in Yellowstone – 10,000 by one estimate. We are blessed to have such a place to visit. Even without the amazing scenery and wildlife, the thermal features make a visit to Yellowstone a must!
(we’ll share some additional photos in upcoming Yellowstone blog posts)
Take the LONG Road... 