Yellowstone Holiday

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Yellowstone Holiday Cabins & Accommodations

24 Jul

Yellowstone Holiday is a wonderful mix between camping outdoors and staying in a comfortable hotel room. Visitors will get all the flavor of camping out under the stars and yet they will have a comfy bed and hot shower to go home to at night. After trekking around Yellowstone National Park all day, you will definitely want a soft bed and hot shower at the end of the day and a cabin near West Yellowstone is the answer.

Big Box chain hotels really don’t give you the authentic flavor of Yellowstone. They all look exactly the same on the inside and the outside. At Yellowstone Holiday there are 24 cozy cabins with fully equipped kitchenettes that sleep from 4 to 7 people. Your entire family will be comfortable in just one cabin. Plus they offer 36 Big-Rig RV sites.

Yellowstone Holiday also has a quaint general store with its own bathroom and shower facility. You can purchase last minute supplies there like bread, cold drinks or fishing bait. The resort center has a convenient laundry, modem data port desk and a camper kitchen. Every room overlooks beautiful Lake Hebgen.Lodging on Lake Hebgen is perfect for vacationers.

At Yellowstone Holiday you will find a marina with a launch ramp, boat slips, propane and fuel. They rent fishing boats, kayaks, canoes and paddle boats. You can even purchase your fishing license at the Yellowstone Marina on beautiful Lake Hebgen.

If you are tired of tramping around Yellowstone National Park and ready to lay back and relax with friends and family, they have many choices for your pleasure. You can organize a fun game of volleyball, tetherball or horseshoes. They offer a barbecue and fire pit area, plus a swimming beach, and shoreline fishing.

Rustic Yellowstone cabinshave that outdoorsy feel and yet give you all the comforts of home, plus they are very affordable. Each one has a breathtaking view of Lake Hebgen. Walk right out the front door of your cozy cabin and down to Lake Hebgen Marina within moments.

Lake Hebgen is a fisherman’s paradise and thousands of people come out for west Yellowstone fishing each year.The lake overflows with large, beautiful rainbow and brown trout. It is common for anglers to pull a 16” Rainbow Trout from Lake Hebgen.

A rustic cabin will give you the sense and feel of the great outdoors. Don’t miss out on the beauty and grandeur of Yellowstone National Park by staying in a chain hotel. Reserve your cozy cabin today from Yellowstone Holiday. July is the busiest month of the year so be sure to call early for the best accommodations.

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Explore Yellowstone: an Educational Experience for the Whole Family

01 Jun

Yellowstone National Park is not just a fun, entertaining destination for tourists. There is a wealth of history associated with this natural wonder. For instance, the area we now know as Yellowstone National Park was home to many tribes of American Indians for over 11,000 years.Researchers have surveyed more than a thousand archaeological sites.

In the surrounding community of West Yellowstone you will find several amazing museums with priceless Indian artifacts. You can read all about the history of the land itself and the people who dwelt there over the centuries such as the Crow and Blackfoot Indians. West Yellowstone also has great shopping and restaurants.

The well-lovedGrizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is open every day for live viewings of wolves and grizzly bears. They also offer IMAX programs about nature all shown on a six-story IMAX screen. Your family will never forget this little side adventure.

The lush green forests that surround West Yellowstone are teeming with so many amazing animals like foxes, wolves, bison, moose and elk. In the springtime visitors can often view baby bison just born. These types of first hand experiences can give your children a lifelong thirst for knowledge and a deep appreciation for nature.

In and around the park you will also see hundreds of species of birds, fish and mammals, some of which are endangered. The things your family will learn while exploring Yellowstone National Park are priceless and these are the types of memories most children hold onto for years to come.

Part of your treasured journey into the beauty and majesty of Yellowstone involves where you stay. Staying at a chain hotel doesn’t really give you the flavor of the wilderness adventure. Many tourists have found that in order to become one with the great outdoors it helps to stay in a rustic cabin on Lake Hebgen. From that vantage point, you can easily view the Hebgen Mountains or walk to the lake for a day of picnicking.

You are right in the thick of all that is Yellowstone National Park when you stay at Yellowstone Holiday. We offer cozy cabins that will sleep from 4 to 7 people and 36 big-rig RV sites for campers. You can relax on your front porch with a cup of coffee and breathe in the fresh morning air that drifts in from the nearby mountains.

Hebgen Lake Marina is just down the road, plus Yellowstone Holiday provides its own marina and boat dock. At our General Store, you can pick up some supplies for your fishing trip or picnic. Fishing at Hebgen Lake is always spectacular and the lake is full of rainbow and brown trout.

The great thing about staying at Yellowstone Holiday is that it is in between the west entrance to Yellowstone Park and the town of West Yellowstone. That makes it the perfect location. Whether you want to spend the day shopping for souvenirs in town or trekking around the park in search of ancient Indian relics, your Yellowstone cabin will be close by.

Though Yellowstone Park accommodations abound, the more rustic cabins such as Yellowstone Holiday are the most popular, so it’s important to book ahead. July is the busiest time of the year but all of the summer months are perfect for exploring the beauty and wonder of Yellowstone National Park.

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Yellowstone National Park Offers Endless Fun Activities

29 May

Yellowstone National Parkconsists of approximately 3500 square miles of gorgeous terrain. In and around the park you will find hundreds of lakes, rivers, canyons and waterfalls. Yellowstone was the first national park to be established by the U.S. government in 1872.

One of the best known attractions is the Old Faithful Geyser. Old Faithful spews hundreds of gallons of boiling water into the air approximately every 91 minutes. Tourists travel from all over the world to view this natural phenomenon.

Yellowstone National Parkis located in Idaho, Wyoming,and Montana and is home to a wide range of animals including elk, wolves,grizzly bears and bison. For 11,000 years it was also home to many tribes of American Indians including the Shoshone.

All aroundYellowstone National Parkyou will findnumerous lodges, campgrounds and cabins. Thousands of tourists come to Yellowstone National Park every year to enjoy the lush green valleys, waterfalls and canyons found there. West Yellowstone fishing is said to be some of the best in the U.S.

In addition to Old Faithful, there are many other amazing natural wonders. For instance, Yellowstone is home to one of the world’s largest petrified forests. Also located there is Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the largest hot spring in America and third largest in the world.

The park experiences many small earthquakes throughout the year and over time, it has even experienced some larger earthquakes. In 1959, a 7.5 magnitude quake struck just outside the northwest boundary. This earthquake caused the dam at Hebgen Lake to collapse triggering a landslide which dammed the river, creating a new lake. That lake is now referred to as “Quake Lake.

Hebgen Lakeand Quake Lake are both popular places for fishing, boating and other water sports. Hebgen Lake Marina offers great fishing and boating recreational activities and cabins in West Yellowstone are plentiful. There are so many fun, adventurous activities in and around the park such as hiking, horseback riding and llama riding that you’ll hardly know where to begin.

Yellowstone Holiday is located just a few miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park and offers rustic cabins where you and your family can relax and be comfortable but still experience all the beauty and grandeur of the amazing outdoors. Your Yellowstone Park vacation can include boating at Hebgen Lake or touring the many unique museums in the nearby town of West Yellowstone. The town also has many souvenir shops and wonderful places to eat.

July is the busiest month for Yellowstone National Park so it’s best to book ahead if you’re planning a vacation there soon. Yellowstone Holiday also offers barbecues, games and other fun outdoor activities to their guests. They are conveniently located just down the road from the town of West Yellowstone and just a few miles from the entrance to Yellowstone Park, so they’re right in the middle of all the action.

Enjoy the beauty of America this year. Visit Yellowstone National Park.Yellowstone Holiday offers affordable cabins with a long list of amenities. Call ahead for the best accommodations.

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Accommodations at Yellowstone National Park

26 May

Yellowstone National Parkis located in Wyoming,Idaho and Montana. It was first established by U.S. Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. It is one of the most beautiful places in America and is home to a wide variety of animals includingwolves,grizzly bears, elk and bison. Up until the nineteenth century, this area was home for the past 11,000 years to many tribes of Indians.

Yellowstone National Parkencompasses approximately 3500 square miles of lakes, rivers, canyons and waterfalls. It was the very first national park to be established by the U.S. government and it contains many natural phenomenon such as Old Faithful Geyser. The park is home to a wide variety of nature’s most beautiful creations including theGrand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

SurroundingYellowstone National Parkare many beautiful lakes, rivers, lush green valleys and canyons. Because of its popularity, there are dozens, if not hundreds of campgrounds, cabins and RV parks. Thousands of tourists visit Yellowstone National Park each year to experience its beauty and rich natural wonders.

Hebgen Lake is located near the West Yellowstone entrance. This gorgeous lake provides some incredible opportunities for fishing, boating and all sorts of water sports. Hebgen Lake in southwest Montana, is also well known for a 7.5 magnitude earthquake which occurred there in 1959. The earthquake formed a six mile long, 190 feet deep lake known as Quake Lake which is also a popular vacation destination and is right downstream from Hebgen Lake.

There are an endless number of activities in and around Yellowstone National Park such as hiking, horseback riding and llama riding. You can also rent jet skis, boats and bicycles at many places in and around the park. There are a great many beautiful cabins and cottages as well as RV campgrounds and other lodging near Yellowstone National Park and Hebgen Lake Marina.

Often tourists come from all over the world to visit Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas. Whatever type of accommodations you are looking for, you can easily find. Some of the cabins near Yellowstoneare very rustic and you only have the bare necessities and must even go outside to find a restroom. Some people enjoy that more natural experience when visiting the park.

However, you can also find five star hotels. Usually, tourists enjoy a mix of rustic and modern and opt for a homey cabin which has a nice kitchen and bath and all of the conveniences of home. Yellowstone Holiday provides cabins like these with all the amenities and comforts while still giving tourists the fun, outdoor experience. Some cabins at Yellowstone Holiday can accommodate up to 8 people and have nice kitchens and comfy beds, so you can enjoy your vacation time at Yellowstone National Park.

The busiest month of the year for Yellowstone and its surrounding attractions is July. Though there are many cabins to rent in Yellowstone, in order to get a nice cabin or cottage, it’s important to call ahead and make a reservation. Yellowstone Holiday also provides games and fun activities like horseshoes and cookouts for its visitors. West Yellowstone camping is fun for the whole family.

Advance reservations are not needed to enter the park. The entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $20 for each snowmobile or motorcycle; or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering on foot. This fee provides you with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Annual and Lifetime Passes are available.

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Virginia City

14 Jul

In 1863, a travel party of six men settled for the night by a mountain stream. While they were there, they did some gold prospecting and found one of the richest gold deposits in North America. Word spread quickly and many gold hopefuls flocked to the area in hopes of striking it rich.

On June 16, 1863, a town was formed as an attempt to regulate individual’s claims to gold. The town was named Verina in honor of the only First Lady of the Confederacy, Varina Howell Davis. However, when the town’s name was registered, G. G. Bissell, a Connecticut judge, objected and had the name changed to Virginia City. This name change was ironic because Virginia split during the Civil War with West Virginia siding with the North and Virginia siding with the South.

Within a few weeks, Virginia City was a boomtown with thousands of citizens. With no law enforcement, the town was run by vigilantes. They created the secret motto 3-7-77. This motto was painted on tents and buildings as a warning for others to leave the area or face vigilant justice. What the motto means is still a mystery, though many theories exist. Some say it meant that the criminal had 3 hours 7 minutes and 77 seconds to leave the town. Others claim it represents the dimensions of a grave, 3 feet by 7 feet by 77 inches. Some believe it was borrowed from the California or Colorado Territory vigilance organizations, where members 3 and 77 were authorized to carry out executions. Though it remains a mystery, the Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Air National Guard wear this number on their uniforms today.

When it was founded, Virginia City was part of the Idaho Territory. When the Montana Territory was formed on May 26, 1984, Virginia City became part of it. The original capital of the Montana Territory was Bannack, but in 1865 with 10,000 citizens, Virginia City became the new capital. Virginia City continued to grow and develop, building its first public school in 1866.

Even with such rich gold deposits, Virginia City quickly became drained. It is estimated that $30 million worth of gold was mined in Virginia City in the first 3 years alone. As the gold became sparse, people left Virginia City as quickly as they had come. By the 1870’s, only a few hundred people remained, a shadow of the thousands that had once been there. Those that stayed in Virginia City did not have the money to update buildings, so the town retained the original architecture.

Charles and Sue Bovey bought Virginia City in the 1940’s. The buildings were falling in from lack of maintenance. They spent money to repair and restore the buildings and opened the area to tourism in the 1950’s. Today, about 130 people live in Virginia City and it remains a popular tourist attraction.

A visit to Virginia City provides a great look into the Gold Rush and life in the late 1800’s. The most popular tourist attractions in Virginia City are touring the ghost town and panning for gold. People roam the town dressed in period clothes to share information about life in Virginia City back in its hayday. In addition to touring the town, visitors can see a stage coach and a 1941 fire engine. A train runs between Virginia City and Nevada City, another popular gold town. There are also a lot of outdoors activities in the area, such as mountain biking, fishing, hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling.

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Yellowstone Gold & Gems

06 Jul

For quite some time the area surrounding Yellowstone Park has been a popular destination for gold mining. The gold mining craze started in the 1800s with the highest number of strikes happening between the 1840s and the 1880s, especially in Montana. The soil in the state was rich with gold and just about everyone was eager to get their hands on some.

There was an especially large boom in the early 1860s in Montana. Gold was discovered in Bannack during 1862. Just a year later in May of 1863, gold was discovered by prospectors along the Alder Gulch. People began to flock to the site as news of the discovery spread. The area soon became so popular that Virginia City was founded. It was later discovered that the site in Virginia City was the most prolific placer gold strike in the Rocky Mountains region. In fact, during the first three seasons following the discovery about 30 million dollars worth of gold was mined.

Despite the attraction of newer gold strikes in the area, mining fever remained strong in Virginia City until 1875. A new enthusiasm for mining hit Virginia City in 1898 when dredge boats arrived. The new method of mining proved to be useful, and millions of dollars of gold was found. However, the method harmed the environment and destroyed some of the remaining gold rush cities, which eventually made it unpopular. Dredging continued until the 1930s. In 1942 all gold mining was officially stopped by the government due to the war. Gold mining in the region continues today, but on a much smaller scale.

While the region is mainly known for its gold, it also has quite a few areas where gems are mined. The most popular gem of the region is the sapphire, which is particularly abundant in Montana. These sapphires are a little different from the stones in most jewelry. They come in all different colors. Corn flower blue, which is a sort of pale blue, is the signature sapphire color of the state. Sapphires of this color are known throughout the world. Sapphires of other colors are mined from the Rock Creek area, which is in Western Montana. The sapphires from that region come in almost every color, but the most abundant colors are blues and blue greens. A couple other gems of the region that are less known are amethysts and garnets.

Today there are places that invite visitors to step into history and try their hand at gold or gem mining. Most of these places are privately operated and often charge a small fee for the experience. It’s an exciting experience, and there’s always a chance that you’ll go home with a personal treasure.

Places to Try Gold Panning

Bannack State Park

The Bannack State Park offers gold panning for free! An area in the park has large tubs filled with water and dirt from Grasshopper Creek where gold was originally discovered in 1862. All the tools needed for gold panning in the tubs are provided by the park. It’s a fun and educational experience for all ages. The activity is offered during the summer months from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Kootenai National Forest

The Kootenai National Forest also offers a gold panning experience free of charge at the Libby Creek Recreational Gold Panning Area. It is not directed like the gold panning at Bannack State Park; it’s more of an opportunity to try out gold panning on your own. Only non motorized tools are allowed in the panning area. These tools include pans, buckets, shovels, and picks. If you intend to stay the night there is a camping ground one mile south of the panning area. Something to keep in mind when planning a trip to the gold panning area is that there are almost no facilities there. The area has women’s and men’s outhouses and unpaved parking lots.

Alder Gulch Gold

Alder Gulch Gold is a great place for individuals or families to explore gold panning. They offer demonstrations for anyone who wants a little instruction before diving in. They provide the dirt, the equipment, and vials for any gold you find. To get started you just have to purchase a bucket of dirt and begin searching through it. They say that each bucket is about an hour of panning for four people. Alder Gulch Gold is open from Memorial Day weekend until the weekend after Labor Day and is located in Virginia City, Montana. It operates from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. All ages are welcome.

Gold Panning Adventures

Gold Panning Adventures is more of an all day commitment than most gold panning places. The adventures are designed to teach those who have never done gold panning or who have very limited experience. The day starts off with instruction from an experienced geologist. The instruction session includes how to use all the equipment. Then the group is taken out to practice panning. The session lasts for about five hours and requires advance reservations. This experience teaches participants more than the average gold panning place, but it is quite expensive and requires a 50% deposit ten days in advance. Gold Panning Adventures is located near Helena, Montana.

Places to Hunt for Gems

The Sapphire Gallery

At The Sapphire Gallery visitors can purchase a bag of rocks to search through for sapphires and other gems. They provide an area with equipment to properly sift through the rocks in the bag. Any gems visitors find can be evaluated in the store to assess their quality. Each bag costs $25. The Sapphire Gallery is open year round and is located in Philipsburg, Montana.

Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine

The Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine takes sapphire gravel directly from the mine and sells it to visitors in buckets. They sell several sizes of buckets at different prices. Gem Mountain doesn’t guarantee that every visitor will find sapphires, but they say most people find at least one. The sapphires from the buckets vary in size, shape, color, and quality. They supply all the tools and equipment needed to look through the sapphire gravel. The Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine is open seven days a week from Memorial Day until the end of September and is located in Philipsburg, Montana.

Red Rock Mine and Garnet Gallery

The Red Rock Mine and Garnet Gallery has two mining options for visitors. Like other gem mining places, they sell single buckets for visitors to sift through. They also have large tanks set up where visitors can pan all day for a low price. They supply all the tools needed for screening, no matter which option you choose. The Red Rock Mine and Garnet Gallery is geared toward searching for garnets, rubies, and corundum. They are open seven days a week from the beginning of May until the beginning of October. Their hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. They are located in Alder, Montana.

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Yellowstone Rafting

12 Jun

Yellowstone National Park is the heart of whitewater rafting adventure. This region has the most dramatic landscapes and picturesque views that can be seen nowhere else in the world. It is no doubt, that your vacation in Yellowstone won’t be complete without the fun and exhilaration of an excited rafting experience.

White water rafting is a popular outdoor sports activity. Rafting is an exciting aquatic adventure that can be enjoyed by people of all skill levels and age. This type of sport is generally seasonal, but in some areas white water rafting is available all year round. For this sport, specialized flexible rubber rafts are used. The rafts can accommodate a big number of people. Each rafter has a paddle that is used to guide the raft. The term ‘white rafting’ comes from the water turbulence. White water rapids have six speed levels. The first level is a slow moving that is safe for everyone and the sixth level can be used only by professionals. The rafters should have a professional training and a much better knowledge of their abilities. Classification levels from 1 to 3 are the most popular among tourists and are a perfect choice for beginners.

White water rafting consists of navigating down the river that can be either calm or turbulent, maneuvering between and around the rocks. You can choose a few hours’ trip or a long expedition. The latter usually combines white water rafting and camping.

History

Water rafting is one of the earliest forms of transportation. Historically, it was used for people, animals, and goods transportation. As a leisure activity, water rafting has become popular in the mid-1980s, when it was called “the mad river rafting”. The first ‘mad river’ trip was made by Breck O’Neill in 1977. His starting point was in the Grand Canyon and the finishing spot in Jackson, Wyoming.

The first raft was invented in the 1840s by Lt. John Fremont for military purposes. Furthermore, John D. Rockefeller built a raft resort and in 1972 rafting was included to the Olympic Games.

The most famous and legendary river in Yellowstone National Park is the Montana River. This river offers wild and amazing 3 and 4 levels of whitewater speed. This kind of rafting is very good for family adventures.

A few rules that will help you have a great whitewater rafting vacation:

Your clothes should be comfortable, the best choice is t-shirt, shorts and a pair of sandals. Don’t be afraid to get wet.
Don’t take an expensive camera. Pick up waterproof camera for making photos.
Remember that rafting is an outdoor sport and the combination of sun, water and wind can easily get you a sunburn. Don’t forget about good waterproof suncream.
Hire a guide. A good and experienced guide can tell you many interesting things as well as guide you through the wild water as well as give you the instructions on paddling to make your adventure easier. And if any need arise, all guides can give you the first aid.

There are a lot of rafting companies in the Yellowstone area. The most notable of them are:

Flying Pig Rafting Company. This company focuses on customer service and big groups. They offer long raft trips and horseback rides.
Wild West Rafting offers wild 3 and 4 classes of water rafting. The usual age of individuals ranges from 6 to 70. You can explore the beauty of Paradise Valley and get to know its history with experienced and attentive guides.
Montana Whitewater offers a great number of trips: half, full-day, overnight etc. This company is a good choice for family vacation and beginners. Montana Whitewater also offers other outdoor activities such as: horseback/rafting combination trips, kayak and sinner trips etc.
Mad River Boat Trips provides rafting services, including peaceful scenic floats down the calm areas of the river.
Yellowstone Raft Company is the most safe and fun resort. This company is the oldest company in Yellowstone National Park and its services include half or full-day water trips.

Caution: This type of sport is very dangerous and children under 90 pounds may not be able to participate in whitewater rafting.

In addition to white water rafting, other activities in Yellowstone area may include:

Horseback Riding (half, full-day or 2 hours rides in the wilderness. This is a great activity for those who love horses, but prefer to come back to their comfortable motel after the riding is over)
Pack Trips. There are several types of Pack Trips: for sightseeing, for photography, horseback riding, and fishing. These trips are very common in the summer months and can last as long as you wish.
Fishing. The oldest relaxing activity in Yellowstone. You can hear the sounds of the alpine waters and have a chance to get in touch with wildlife and watch deer, elk, bear, wolves, coyotes and more animal habitants of the national park.
Hunting (Helps you feel the nature and hunt a large game)

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Yellowstone Geysers

10 Jun

A geyser is a spring that periodically ejects water and steam. The term comes from the Icelandic word geysa, which means “to gush”. Approximately 1,000 geysers exist on Earth, so they are rare and quite a sight to see. Almost half of the geysers and geothermal features in the world are located in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Geysers are a vent in the Earth’s surface that exist near active volcano areas due to the proximity of magma. Yellowstone has so many geysers because it is located inside a supervolcano caldera which erupted approximately 640,000 years ago.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park is the most famous and well known geyser in the world. It erupts 106 to 185 feet in the air every 45 to 125 minutes and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. If you can’t make the trip out to see it for yourself, the National Park Service maintains a web camera of Old Faithful which updates every 20 seconds during the daytime. But with 300 geysers and over 10,000 geothermal features, there is a lot more to see at Yellowstone than Old Faithful alone.

Located in the Upper Geyser Basin along with Old Faithful are Cattle Geyser, Lion Geyser, and Beehive Geyser. Cattle Geyser is a cone geyser that erupts twice a day. An impressive geyser to watch, it shoots water and steam 90 feet into the air for 20 minutes, over four times as long as Old Faithful. Though once thought to be over 5,000 years old, geologists have now determined using carbon-14 dating that Cattle Geyser is approximately 1,022 years old.

Lion Geyser was named after the loud roaring sound the steam makes when it erupts. It is the largest geyser in the local Lion Group, which includes Little Cub Geyser, Big Cub Geyser, and Lioness Geyser.

Beehive Geyser was one of the first seven geysers the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870 observed erupting. About twice a day, Beehive Geyser erupts with a height of 200 feet and duration of 5 minutes. Less than 30 minutes before Beehive Geyser erupts, a small geyser known as Beehive’s Indicator shoots up a 20 foot stream that continues until Beehive Geyser erupts.

Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin is the largest geyser in the world. When it erupts, it shoots water up to 300 feet in the air. This geyser erupts on an irregular schedule ranging from 4 days to 50 years. Steamboat Geyser continues to vent steam for 48 hours after an eruption. The last time Steamboat Geyser erupted was on May 23, 2005.

Rustic Geyser in the Heart Lake Basin was discovered by 1878 Hayden Expedition. Surrounding the geyser was logs that were placed by Native Americans or European explorers. Though this geyser has long periods of unexplained dormancy, when it is active it erupts every 10 to 90 minutes. Water slowly rises to the rim before Rustic Geyser suddenly and very briefly erupts.

Soap Kettle Geyser is a large crater in the Shoshone Geyser Basin that slowly fills with water. Every 10 to 20 minutes, an eruption occurs with some bursts reaching 6 feet, but most of the activity is short splashing springs. After the eruption, the pool drains and begins to refill for the next eruption.

With so many geysers, this article can only provide a glimpse of all that Yellowstone has to offer. Though no trip to Yellowstone would be complete without a visit to Old Faithful, take time out of your vacation to visit some of these lesser known geysers. Though you may not be able to see them all erupt, they certainly are an impressive sight nevertheless.

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Yellowstone Scenic Drives

04 Jun

Yellowstone became the first national park in the world in 1872. Teeming with wildlife and foliage, Yellowstone National Park is best known for its’ geothermal features, particularly Old Faithful, a cone geyser that erupts over 105 feet into the air every 65 minutes. But with so many great features, you don’t even have to get out of your car to enjoy them all! There are many scenic drives in the park and surrounding area that are simply breathtaking.

Once hailed as the “most beautiful drive in America” by journalist Charles Kuralt, Beartooth Highway is a 60 mile journey across alpine plateaus and near many alpine lakes. This drive was opened in 1936 and follows the Sheridan Trail of 1882. In addition to traveling through Yellowstone, Beartooth Highway also visits the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and has many great places for trout fishing, camping, and hiking. This road is closed by winter snows, so plan your trip between Memorial Day and mid-October.

Another great drive is to head from West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In a two and a half hour drive, you will visit three states, cross the Continental Divide, see forests and farming valleys, and visit the Teton Range of Grand Teton National Park. There are many route options you can take with this drive, but regardless of what you choose, you won’t be disappointed. This drive ends in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a small town in a valley surrounded by mountains.

If you enjoy riding on gravel roads, Boulder River Road is a scenic drive consisting of paved and gravel roads near Yellowstone. Follow the Boulder River 50 miles straight into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness for great fishing and camping opportunities. Along the way, you also find waterfalls and great spots for wildlife viewing. This ride will also take you near the Gallatin National Forest and Big Timber Ranger District, both of which are excellent detours. This drive is closed in the winters due to the snow.

The drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman is a scenic drive through a narrow mountain canyon. You will travel through a less visited part of Yellowstone to behold beauty that few venture out to see. During your trip, you will see the Gallatin River, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, petrified forest, and hot springs. If you’re the adventurous type, you might like to stop and try out whitewater rafting or snowmobiling along the way. You will also pass by the Museum of the Rockies and Montana State University. Though this road may be more difficult to travel in the winter, it is open year round.

With so many beautiful things to see at Yellowstone National Park, almost any road has the potential to be a great scenic drive. If you want an adventure, just start driving and see where the road takes you and what you discover along the way. The less traveled an area is, the more likely you are to see wildlife and other unique features. Just make sure to have your GPS or map handy in case you get lost!

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Quake Lake

30 May

On August 17, 1959, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck southwestern Montana. The earthquake caused an 80 ton landslide to travel 100 miles per hour down Sheep Mountain. It created 20 feet high fault scrapes, the displacement on land by movement along a fault. Nearby geysers in Yellowstone National Park erupted and the water in the hot springs became muddy.

The water in Hebgen Lake became tumultuous and created a seiche, which is a wave effect caused by wind and water. The landslide and seiche caused Hebgen Dam to crack and erode and interrupted the flow of Madison River. This interruption caused the water to spread upstream and create what is now known as Quake Lake.

Aftershocks persisted in the area for several months, some as strong as 6.5 on the Richter scale. Many homes and cabins were destroyed and 28 people lost their life to this great natural disaster. The damages to roads and buildings totaled $11 million. This earthquake was the largest to ever strike Montana in known history and is also one of the worst known in all America.

Now, guests can visit Quake Lake for themselves to learn more about the earthquake. There are many exhibits with a wealth of information about earthquakes and the effects it had on this area. Some of the most fascinating pieces are a working seismograph and pictures from shortly after the earthquake. The exhibit also features recollections from survivors.

Even today, the effects of this earthquake can easily be seen. Huge boulders that were carried by the landslide remain. One of these boulders has a plaque honoring the 28 people who died in this tragedy. To see even more, take a drive down Highway 287. This road travels by a ghost village that was submerged by flooding after the earthquake and a refugee point. You can also see the epicenter of the earthquake from this highway.

But a visit to Quake Lake does not have to be all about the earthquake, there are also lots of fun recreational activities in the area today. Rent a boat or canoe to ride around Quake Lake and enjoy the beauty created by tragedy. If you like to fish, there are lots of German trout and Rainbow trout stocked in the 190 foot deep, 6 mile long Quake Lake. There are also many hiking trails and overlooks where you can enjoy nature. And of course there is lots of wildlife in the area that you might spot. Nearby are campsites where you can pitch your tent and relax after a long day exploring Quake Lake.

You can also go to Hebgen Lake just a short distance away to see where earthquake started. And while you’re in the area, don’t forget to check out Yellowstone National Park, Gallatin National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, and all of the other great tourist destinations in the area.

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