Today we drove into Yellowstone. This was Paul’s first time here, and also his first time in Montana. We started out the morning driving up from Flagg Ranch to the south entrance. This means we started out in the Grand Teton National Park and then in the John D Rockefeller Memorial Parkway before hitting Yellowstone.

Once in Yellowstone, we saw Lewis Falls and Lewis Lake and then headed to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. We walked the boardwalk there and saw a number of geysers and hot springs that are along Yellowstone Lake. 

Thumb Paint Pots

Bluebell Pool

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Black Pool

We drove along Yellowstone Lake, stopping along the way. We had wanted to go up Hayden Valley, but there was an oil spill, of all things, so the road was shut down. We needed to end up at Canyon Village, so we had to make an over 70 mile detour to get there. Here are sights we saw.

Firehole Spring

We got to watch White Dome Geyser erupt

Bison

Beryl Spring: This is one of the hottest springs in Yellowstone at about 190 degrees. It has a steam vent that is quite noisy.

Blood Geyser: this is so named because the iron oxide in the water causes a red stain on the rocks. It apparently frequently erupts up to 6 feet high.

Yellowstone River

Rainbow from water from the Upper Falls

Upper Falls

Lower Falls

We got to see a lot and I have a lot more pictures, but there are only so many geyser pictures that I can subject you to in one day.