Day 24- Yellowstone National Park!

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the entire road trip!  We got to spend the entire day at the beautiful Yellowstone National Park.  We woke up bright and early at our hotel in West Yellowstone, MT, ate a quick breakfast, and was out the door by 8:00am on our way to the park.  Our hotel was literally a 5 minute drive from the west entrance of the park- how convenient!

Buffalo right by our car

Andy at Old Faithful

We had a busy day planned at the park with lots to try and see, so we headed right for our first stop- the famous Old Faithful Geyser.  On the way, we had our first wildlife spotting of the day.  We passed multiple herds of buffalo grazing in the fields near the road.  We also saw a grey wolf and a grizzly bear about 300 feet from the road.  That was pretty cool!

Mammoth Hot Springs

When we got to Old Faithful, we had just missed an eruption by about 10 minutes, so we had some time to kill before the next one.  They happen approximately 75 minutes apart and the rangers are able to predict very accurately the occurrence of the eruptions.  So while we anxiously anticipated the geyser's next blow, we explored the nice hotel and checked out some of the exhibits on display at the visitor center.  There was also a short informative film which talked about all of the activities and wildlife in the park.  Then it was time for the eruption!  It lasted about 3 minutes and shot maybe about 100 feet into the air.  Honestly, I was prepared to be a little more amazed considering all the hype surrounding this geological feature, but it was still a neat experience to get to see it.  Maybe Old Faithful was just a little tired this time...

Mammoth Hot Springs

From here, we grabbed a muffin and headed to the very northern section of the park for Mammoth Hot Springs.  It was about an hour drive and on the way it started raining and hailing, so we didn't stop to see much, but the landscapes were beautiful.  The hot springs themselves were one of the strangest things I think I've ever seen.  There was a small dirt road which took you above the main formation as well as through a couple of other springs.  Then we headed to the base of the springs where we were really able to get a good look at these bubbling pools of minerals.  The colors and textures created by these features were just unbelievable.  Definitely check out this spot if you ever visit the park.  There was a restaurant in the hotel adjacent to the hot springs, so we decided to eat there for lunch.  The food was standard, but tasty and the staff was all very friendly.

Nancy and Dan at Lower Yellowstone Falls

Our next destination was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone which took about another 45 minutes of driving to get to.  (A lot of our day was spent driving from one feature to the next).  This is the canyon where the park gets its' name from, as the 1,000-foot walls are made up of a sandy, yellow stone.  Also located here are the famous Upper and Lower Waterfalls of the Yellowstone River.  First Andy and Dan checked out a hiking trail which led you from the top of the canyon to the brink of the Lower Falls.  What a sight this was- to be directly beside the 300-foot falls.  A little ways down the road there was a nice overlook to view the lower falls.  These are not to be missed.  The upper falls, though not as impressive as the lower, still are a sight to see as well.  They are a short distance up stream from the lower ones and drop about 100 feet into the canyon.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

A mother grizzly bear and her cub

After viewing the falls we made our way down to the gigantic Yellowstone Lake, which we found was partly still frozen over due to the higher elevation of this area of the park.  On the way, we passed the quite smelly, but very cool looking Sulfur Springs and Mud Volcano.  These hot springs were huge gurgling pools emitting some of the stinkiest fumes of the entire park, and we could barely stand to look at them for 30 seconds before getting nauseous and having to leave.  Our drive around the lake led us through some breathtaking forests of burnt trees, high up mountains, and through some swamp lands.  The highlight was when we spotted a mother bear and her cub strolling right along side the road, less than 50 feet from our cars.  We watched them for a couple minutes (from the inside of our cars) and really appreciated how wonderful this place is.  Yellowstone is truly a special gem- a wild terrain where nature and animals exist in their real form, and we are lucky to be able to experience it.

We're shacked up for the night in the cowboy town of Cody, WY ready for a good night's sleep!  And wouldn't you know it- apparently today was the first day of rain they have had at Yellowstone for over a year- figures it would be the day of our visit!

Total travel time:  11 hours (spent at the park)
Total miles: 214.9