Yellowstone, possibly the most must see and magical National Park in the world is also the first National Park of USA. Sitting on top of a dormant Volcano, it has more geysers and hot springs than any other place in the world. Yellowstone spans three states- mainly Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho extending 3500 miles into these states.
If you are a nature lover, it will be very difficult to list out what are the best things to do in Yellowstone. The sheer diversity of Its geological features include breathtaking waterfalls, bubbling mud pots, geysers and hot springs which makes parts of the national park look like it is on fire. More than 10,000 different hydrothermal features have been estimated to be active within the park. Over half of the world’s active geysers are found here. Every year, some 500-1000 geysers are active whereas all of the rest of the world’s geysers combined number less than 500. One of the greatest experiences in Yellowstone is witnessing the geologic wonders of the park. Topping the list of geologic wonders are hydrothermal features: hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, and geysers.
Hydrothermal features are extremely dynamic, changing throughout the day, across seasons, and over the years. This makes revisiting the different thermal basins so interesting. Besides seeing familiar sites, you can also see how those areas have changed since the last visit.
YELLOWSTONE MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS
1. VISIT THE OLD FAITHFUL
The most famous geyser is Old Faithful which erupts faithfully after a gap of around 90 minutes always. The bisons collect here at the time of eruption as they want to the heat generated by the steam! Rugged wilderness, majestic peaks, abundant wildlife, and incomparable natural beauty makes Yellowstone the number one national park to visit. This undoubtedly ranks among the top Yellowstone must see attractions and one that anyone cannot afford to miss!
The visitor center near the Old Faithful lets you know the time of the next eruption and accordingly we collected there in anticipation of seeing the eruption. It was truly a sight to remember. The bisons got so close to us that the officials forced us to move back atleast a hundred meters! They appeared to love the heat generated by the eruption!
2. THERMAL BASINS
On our way to the next important sight which was the Thermal basins, we found our way blocked by more than two dozen bisons! We had to wait for about fifteen minutes for them to cross the road. The driver of our bus told us sometimes these animals held up traffic for hours!
3. MIDWAY GEYSER BASIN
Our next point of interest was the Midway Geyser Basin which included the Grand Prismatic Spring, Excelsior Geyser (an enormous geyser crater), Turquoise Pool, and Opal Pool. We used the boardwalk as the ground was extremely hot and bubbling with hot mud. We felt that it was one of the most interesting places to visit in Yellowstone as was a surrealistic place, the likes of which we had never seen before. No description or photograph can match the breathtaking beauty of Yellowstone. One has to go and experience it.
4. GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING
The highlight of this walk was the Grand prismatic spring This is the largest hot spring in the United States has indeed the colours of light through a prism. The center of the pool is blue with deep reds, bright yellows, and fiery oranges encircling the edges. A fascinating fact is that these colors are caused by pigmented thermophilic bacteria.
5. GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE
Another highlight of our tour was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which is 20 miles long and was carved by the mighty Yellowstone River, This picturesque place should be viewed from both North and South Rims. At the South Rim is the famed Artist Point with views of the Lower Falls. This was our first stop in the area. The canyon walls look surreal in different shades of yellow and pink. The Upper waterfalls and Lower Water Falls are also a treat to the eyes.
Among other Yellowstone must see attractions that we visited were the Upper Geyser Basin, Biscuit basin, mud volcano, and West Thumb Geyser Basin.
6. MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS
Near the North entrance is Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the park’s more unique attractions. Known for its terraces – formed over centuries of hot water bubbling up from the ground, cooling and depositing calcium carbonate – Mammoth Hot Springs formations are often described as natural sculptures. For some of the best views, we suggest walking up to the Upper Terraces.
7. UPPER GEYSER BASINS
The area surrounding Old Faithful is the Upper Geyser Basin. It contains 25% of the world’s geysers. It is important to know that Upper Geyser Basin is pretty big, stretching from Biscuit Basin in the north to Old Faithful in the south and Black Sand Basin to the east, with plenty of geysers and hot springs. Biscuit Basin and Old Faithful are located just more than 3 miles apart. The average temperature here is 170 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause serious burns if you get too close. So staying on the boardwalk is recommended.
8. HAYDEN AND LAMAR VALLEY
One is truly spoilt for choices in this Majestic National Park. Among the Yellowstone must see attractions, we would highly recommend a visit to Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley not only for its outstanding beauty but because one can get to see a large number of animals there. The bisons here outnumber the number of tourists and they are a treat to watch. Early morning or late afternoon are good times to visit these places for viewing animals as later there can be traffic jams.
9. YELLOWSTONE LAKE
An enchanting spot is the Yellowstone Lake – at a height of 7000 ft it is the highest lake in North America and is totally frozen in winter. In summer, the water is too cold for swimming, but one can take guided boat rides here.
10. NORRIS BASIN
This geothermal spot in the Norris area is the park’s oldest (more than 115,00 years old ) and also the hottest (459 degrees Fahrenheit at its hottest). From its boardwalks, visitors can see rare acid geysers like Echinus Geyser, as well as the tallest active geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser. The basin consists of two areas: Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin. Porcelain Basin is a barren area without trees and provides a sensory experience in sound, color, and smell; a 3/4-mile (1.2-km) bare ground and boardwalk trail accesses this area. Back Basin has woods with features scattered throughout the area. A 1.5-mile (2.4-km) trail of boardwalks and bare ground encircles this part of the basin.
There are some places that can only be experienced. If you are a Nature lover and truly want an out-of-the-world experience, we highly recommend that you must rank a visit to Yellowstone at the Top See spot on your places to visit list.
Have any of you visited Yellowstone and want to share your experiences.
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A well articulated write up. Would prove to be extremely useful for people like me, who wish to visit these fascinating places sometime in future. Would love to read more of these exciting destinations.
Thank you so much
How breathtaking! Happy blogging!
Thank you so much!