America's first national park has many breath taking stops, but these are the very best hikes. With these, you are guaranteed to see geysers, volcanoes, hot springs, buffalo, lakes, geologic marvels, and more!
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ADDITIONAL VIDEO NOTES:
America’s oldest national park, Yellowstone, was established in the late 1800s but after visiting, it will become obvious why it was the first. The park tells a story of our planet, with ancient geologic formations, dinosaur fossils, thermal bacteria, and of course the wildlife and human history of a more recent past. Although Yellowstone might be known for its famous geiser, Old Faithful, there is far more to see in this park. From the massive waterfalls and geisers, to the hot springs, mud pits, and herds of buffalo, Yellowstone is a unique place like no other. In this video, I will share with you 8 of my top destinations in Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, near the borders of Montana and Idaho. Many visitors choose to enter from the south, after visiting Grand Tetons National park just 7 miles south. I made a video about that park as well.
DESTINATION Keplr Cascades
This is on the way into the park, one of the first stops and is a quick little pull-off
Est. time ~15 minutes
This is a view of a waterfall on the firestone river about two miles south of old faithful village
DESTINATION Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Hike in from the north rim trail
There are staircases and railings but it is still a moderate to hike with some serious elevation change
308’ tallest in the par
DESTINATION Mammoth Hot Springs
Northern end of the park
DESTINATION Grand Loop Road - look at geisers in the morning and stop to watch the wildlife
Respect the wildlife
There are sometimes road closures
DESTINATION Mud Volcano
The mud volcano is located southeast of canyon village and is another boardwalk hike around a 0.6 mile loop. In this hike, you will see the famous mud volcano as well as some of the most acidic features in the park, plus dragons mouth spring, sour lake, sizzling cauldron, and more.
This is an easy hike but be warned that it smells bad thanks to the sulfuric gasses rising from the ground.
Yellowstone is a massive volcano, often referred to as the yellowstone supervolcano. Much of the park sits above the yellowstone hotspot, from which hot magma floats toward the surface and heats pockets of water and gas which create the geysers we see in the park. But don’t worry, geologists studying this volcano say it is unlikely we will see any major eruption in the next couple hundred years.
DESTINATION Yellowstone Lake
It is easy to get swept away with views of the amazing geysers, but Yellowstone lake is beautiful destination in itself. Located at 7700 feet above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake in north america. It is also home to the largest population of cutthroat trout which originated from the pacific ocean. This puzzled scientists for decades, as the lake drains to the atlantic ocean with no streams connecting it to the pacific.
The water remains cold year round, so I don’t recommend trying to swim
DESTINATION The Norris Area
There are two main loops in the norris geyser basin; named the porcelain and back basins
Porcelain basin loop is about 1 mile long and is an easy boardwalk hike
Back basin is about 2.5 miles and is an easy boardwalk hike but you can take shortcuts as needed. This is home to the the tallest geyser in the park, Steamboat geyser. Unfortunately, you’ll need some serious luck to see this one erupt, as it can go as much as 50 years between eruptions.
In these pools, you will see rainbows of vibrant colors thanks to the microorganisms living here. Each temperature range is ideal to a different group of organisms and therefore, the colors act as a thermometer
DESTINATION West Thumb Geyser Basin
DESTINATION #9 Midway Geyser Basin
This is a popular spot for instagram photos, as you get classic yellowstone colors and it is a very short walk from the parking lot. Because of that, it gets really crowded
DESTINATION Old Faithful
Disclaimer: This video is purely based on my experiences, research, and opinions. You and only you are responsible for your actions. I made this channel to advise viewers and I truly hope to help you all out. I love making these videos and connecting with my viewers!
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