Leaving no Yellowstone unturned ....

We had 3 full days to explore Yellowstone ...chasing waterfalls, climbing up and down and sometimes down then back up mountains, wading in rivers and lakes, exploring wildlife in their own homes, watching geysers pop their cork, and getting a crash course on geothermal dynamics.

Waterfalls

Gibbon Falls

Brink of the Lower Falls

Lookout Point

This was a quick stop at an overlook that provides stunning views of the Lower Falls

Artist Point

Artist point provides the most iconic view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone -

Mud Volcano Trail

The .8 mile trail smells like rotten eggs but is full of so many different hydrothermal features compacted into such a short space- I would add to a "not to miss" list for Yellowstone.

Dragon's Mouth Spring

Dragon’s Mouth Spring is a cave that is brimming with near boiling water and gases that create the look and sound of breath coming in and out. One of the coolest spots along the trail.

Mud Geyser

This geyser spewed muddy water 50 feet in the air every few hours. The eruptions ceased by 1927 - geologists are unsure if it will ever erupt again.

Churning Caldron

Mud Volcano

This was our favorite along the whole trail !

Black Sand Basin

This area is in the Upper Geyser Basin. Its name is for its black sand (obsidian- the natural form of glass) which is formed when lava cools too quickly. The area has geysers and beautifully hued hot springs.

Cliff Geyser

Hot Springs

Midway Geyser Basin Trail

Midway Geyser Basin, once known as “Hell’s Half Acre,” is called Midway because of its location between the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins. It contains two of Yellowstone’s largest hydrothermal features - Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser.

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most famous spots in all of Yellowstone. The rainbow colored spring gets the multicolored layers from different species of thermophile (heat-loving) bacteria living in the progressively cooler water around the spring. We liked seeing it from the boardwalk - but would get a much better view from the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail later in the day.

Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

This hike starts on the Fairy Falls Trail and is ~ 1.6 miles with an overlook allowing you to look down on the Grand Prismatic Spring. If we were only afforded the chance to do 1 thing in Yellowstone - this would be it!

Fairy Falls Hike

We did an easy grade 4.8 mile hike to Fairy Falls. It was a hot day and the coolness when we reached the falls was very welcome!

Old Faithful

We went to watch Old Faithful and were really surprised at how cool it really was. We both were not super excited but did not want to miss the iconic viewing of Old Faithful erupting.

While we were waiting this buffalo was chilling for the longest time directly in front of Old Faithful.

We were surprised at how long the " show" lasted - was super cool!

Lake Yellowstone - Sand Point

We found this Lake Yellowstone secluded spot to chill at for a spell one afternoon - after braving more people than we liked the one morning. The beach had black sand of obsidian ( volcanic glass that forms when lava cools quickly). The warm obsidian felt soothing on our very tired feet after another 9 miles of walking and hiking day! We adored spending time here!

We took a drive to the Northern part of the Park and saw a lot of different landscapes, Undine Falls, and Obsidian Cliffs and the petrified tree.

Undine Falls

Obsidian Cliff

Landscape

The mere expanse of the landscape is overwhelming - coupled with the speed at which it changes made for a "never boring" drive!

Escaping the Frenzy

Our strategy ( and it worked for us) was to get up at 5:00 am - and get to the most popular sites at sunrise. We would charge hard in the mornings and then find a spontaneous off the itinerary spot to lunch and then relax.

Wildlife

In addition to the abundance of buffalo sightings ....we caught some elk and a grizzly bear.

Fond Farewell...

That's all the time we have for Yellowstone - our time here was very well spent! The Park is beautiful. The National Park Service does an incredible job of keeping the park maintained, the animals and landscape protected and the tourists safe, THANK YOU. Every single park staff we encountered were friendly, competent, and helpful!