Yellowstone National Park is a 3,500 square-mile wilderness recreation area that lies on a volcanic hot spot. Mostly located in Wyoming, t his park is also found in Montana and Idaho. It’s home to spectacular alpine rivers and lush forests, as well as geysers, including the famous Old Faithful. You can even spot hundreds of species of animals. Read on to learn more about Yellowstone. Listed below are just a few things you should do while visiting Yellowstone National Park.
Geysers
Whether you’re visiting for a vacation or for scientific research, you’ll find geysers in Yellowstone to be fascinating sights. These springs are naturally hot springs with constrictions in the plumbing system. The constrictions prevent water from circulating freely and trap the heat. Geysers produce steam when they erupt, because the water carries heat through the constrictions. When water rises, it encounters rocks heated by magma and dissolves silica from the bedrock. This dissolved silica coats the plumbing system, which is why geysers are so strong.
Geysers in Yellowstone are known for their eruptive behavior. While most geysers do not follow a set schedule, there are exceptions. Some geysers erupt only once per day, while others erupt more frequently. A pre-eruptive splash may cause a delayed eruption. Moreover, man-made interference may cause a Yellowstone thermal feature to erupt prematurely or wither. In addition, earthquakes can upset the delicate balance between water and steam. In August 1959, a 7.1-magnitude quake rattled eight states. The quake generated a twenty-foot displacement and dammed the Madison River.
Old Faithful
You can’t visit Yellowstone National Park without stopping at Old Faithful, a cone-shaped geyser. Named during the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, Old Faithful is one of the most predictable geothermal features in the park. Its eruptions have lasted for 44 minutes to two hours, on average, since the year 2000. Whether you want to see the natural phenomenon up close or get a closer look at the science behind it, Old Faithful is a must.
Summers and winters in Yellowstone are generally pleasant, but be prepared for extreme weather conditions. In the middle of winter, Yellowstone’s temperatures can drop to below zero. This means that visiting Old Faithful in the middle of the day is not the best idea. You’ll find the geyser’s activity is the best in the late afternoon, when most day tourists have gone home. Even in the summer, you’ll want to avoid visiting Old Faithful during the hottest months.
Upper Geyser Basin
The Upper Geyser Basin is two miles north of the Old Faithful area, but it looks like a separate basin. You can hike the short distance from Old Faithful to Black Sand Basin, but most visitors choose to drive. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced hiker, there are many geysers and natural features in this area to enjoy. Here, you can see how they got their names.
One of the most famous attractions in the Upper Geyser Basin is the Old Faithful Geyser. This geyser, first discovered in 1870, quickly became the most famous geyser in the world. While it’s not the largest, it erupts every 95 minutes or so. A trip to the Upper Geyser Basin isn’t complete without viewing the famous Old Faithful, which is the most famous of the geysers in the park.
Mountain meadows
The Black Bear Meadows cabin is located just 25 minutes from Yellowstone, where guests can spend the day exploring the park and relax on the covered back porch in the evening. This vacation rental offers countless opportunities for world-class recreation year-round and during the winter. The spacious meadow and the trails in the surrounding forest offer many different activities for guests. And if you’re looking for the ultimate in relaxation, the Black Bear Meadows cabin is the perfect choice.
The cabins in the Island Park subdivision offer a peaceful and comfortable place for a family or group of friends to stay. This property has three private bedrooms and two full bathrooms. A large living room opens onto a dining room with a cozy rock fireplace. The dining table seats eight. All three bedrooms feature king beds and are equipped with cable televisions. There’s a king-size bed in the master bedroom.
Lynx
The lynx is an elusive creature native to the boreal forests, and its history is closely tied to Yellowstone National Park. Though sightings of the lynx in Yellowstone have been difficult to document, they are still possible. DNA found in scats, hairs, and paw prints are proof of lynx’s presence in the park. Recently, park biologists added a lynx skull to their online inventory.
Compared to the bobcat, the lynx is slightly larger than the latter, and has no spots on its coat. Its oversized feet serve as snowshoes when it chases prey. Its “muttonchop” ruff on the cheeks is also a distinctive feature. Its tails are shorter than the bobcat’s and have black tips. In addition, the hind legs are longer than the front ones, and the back of the lynx slopes forward.
Grand Teton National Park
If you are planning a vacation to Yellowstone, you will want to consider taking in the views of Grand Teton National Park. This park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, just a few miles south of Yellowstone National Park. You can fly into Jackson Hole and then hire a car to get around the area. Depending on how many days you are planning to stay in the park, there may not be enough rental cars available.
If you’re planning a trip, try to take advantage of the park’s opening year-round season. The park’s northern range is open all year long, while its interior is closed during winter. A good way to enjoy this park is to get out and about a couple of times during the day. Make sure to plan a day to recover, so that you can make the most of the views from different angles.
