Hello adventurers! Today we continue sharing more details about our trip to Yellowstone National Park.
This park definitely deserves at least two articles on our blog, not only because of its vast terrain but also because of all the geological beauties, landscapes, and animals it holds.
In the previous article, I told you about part of what we did on the first and second days of our stay in Yellowstone, and now, we continue with more.
On our third and fourth day exploring this national park, we continued visiting as many natural attractions as possible by car despite the rain.
Unexpectedly, during these August days (peak summer) that we visited the park, the temperature dropped, and we even had to face torrential rains. However, that didn’t stop us from exploring this natural treasure located in Wyoming.
Some of the most interesting attractions we had the opportunity to see were: Mount Washburn, Petrified Tree, and Virginia Cascade.
Mount Washburn is the sixth highest mountain in the Gallatin Range, and from the top, you can admire views of almost the entire park, especially the northern part, and on clear days, you can also see the Teton Range.
This time, due to logistics and time constraints, we couldn’t hike to the top of this mountain, but we managed to take a photo at its base for the memory.
The trails to the top of Mount Washburn are among the most frequented in the park, which is why they are so crowded, especially in summer.
The two most accessible trails to the summit are the one starting at Dunraven Pass, which is 4.8 km long with an ascent of 424 m, and the one starting at the Chittenden parking lot, which is 3.6 km long with an ascent of 454 m.
It’s important to know that both trails are considered difficult due to their elevation, and it’s very possible to encounter bears along the way. For this reason, they are not highly recommended if you are with children or unprepared to encounter a bear.
During our tour, we also took the opportunity to visit two of the park’s most popular attractions: Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful.
Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a travertine hill in Yellowstone National Park, adjacent to Fort Yellowstone.
This formation was created over thousands of years when hot spring water cooled and deposited calcium carbonate. Due to the large number of geothermal springs, travertine flourishes.
The volcanic heat source of Mammoth Hot Springs remains a mystery. Scientists have proposed two sources, including the large magma chamber located beneath the Yellowstone Caldera, or perhaps a smaller heat source closer to Mammoth.
When we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, we were impressed by the travertine formations. Mineral-rich water flowed from underground, creating limestone terraces with an almost extraterrestrial appearance. It was like walking in a landscape from another world.
Without a doubt, this is a site you must visit if you are in Yellowstone National Park.
Another of the park’s major popular attractions is Old Faithful… and of course, we were there to see it up close.
Old Faithful is one of the most well-known geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
Taking a short walk from Old Faithful, you can find: Blue Star Spring.
There are about 100 active geysers there, including Old Faithful, which erupts every 90 minutes (approximately) for a period of 5 minutes and reaches heights between 55 and 75 meters.
“Old Faithful” is the most famous image of Yellowstone National Park… and many sources consider it the most famous geyser in the world. It received its name when it was discovered in 1870 due to the regularity of its eruptions.
It’s worth noting that this regularity is not perfect, but park workers predict that eruptions occur every 90 minutes, with a margin of error of 10 minutes before or after the scheduled time.
During our visit to the famous “Old Faithful,” we had to wait about an hour to see it erupt. Although the weather was very changeable (there was harsh sun and rain while we waited), it was incredible to see how people kept their front-row spots to not miss this great event.
We expected the eruption to occur at 2:16 pm (with the possibility of being 10 minutes early or late), and it started exactly at 2:26 pm.
“Old Faithful” erupted, shooting a column of hot water to an impressive height for approximately five minutes. A true spectacle.
In addition to exploring the park, during this trip we took the opportunity to visit the town of West Yellowstone, located at the west exit of the park, and Gardiner, located at the north exit of the park.
Both are very picturesque towns, with several places to eat, buy souvenirs, and take photos for the memory.
During our stay, we also learned about the rich history of Yellowstone and its cultural importance to the Indigenous tribes that have lived in the region for centuries. We discovered that the park is a sacred place for many of these communities and that they have maintained a special connection to the land over time.
One of the most important lessons we took from Yellowstone is the fragility of the ecosystem and the need to protect it for future generations. The natural beauty we witnessed here is a powerful reminder of our responsibility to be good stewards of the Earth.
Yellowstone is one of those places that will remain in our memory forever and that we want to continue exploring.
During our visit, we managed to see buffalo, elk, deer, squirrels, and other animals. We still need to spot a bear in its natural habitat and, of course, dozens of other attractions.
Would you like to take a trip to Yellowstone with us? Let us know in the comments below if you would like to be part of the Loco por la Aventura group on our next trip to Yellowstone.
