Artist Point is one of the most spectacular scenic areas in the Canyon Area of the Park. The sheer walls drop 700 feet to the bottom of the canyon. Upriver the powerful Lower Falls are still in view. Down river the canyon widens and deepens to maximum of 1540 feet.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Black Sand Basin is where some of the most thermal scenery in the Park exists. The name was derived from black volcanic glass (obsidian) from eruptions.
Crystal Park is a unique recreation area at an elevation of 7,800 feet in the Pioneer Mountains in southwest Montana. Crystal Park is open for day use only and has a fee per car.
Firehole Canyon Road is a very interesting two-mile trip. It takes you through the deep Firehole Canyon with its 800 foot black walls, which were formed by lava flows, to view Firehole Falls and the Firehole Cascades.
Fountain Flats Drive is an old, two-way freight road that runs behind Lower and Midway Geyser Basins. While it is another interesting side trip off the main road, it dead ends for auto traffic after three-miles and then continues as a bicycle and foot-trail to rejoin the Grand Loop.
The Fountain Paint Pots are a very intriguing phenomena. Just south of the turn-off to the freight road, (8 miles north of Old Faithful) you will come to a large parking area for the one-half mile walk for the Fountain Paint Pots.
Canyon Country; the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, is 24 miles of twisting, sheer rock cliffs carved 1200 feet deep. At the canyon's beginning, two thundering waterfalls inspire awe.
Inspiration Point offers a spectacular view which emphasizes the magnitude of the canyon. The canyon is 24 miles long and 800 to 1,200 feet deep, with tow waterfalls that total a 417 foot drop. The view is breathtaking.
The parking area for the Kepler Cascades is located 1 1/2 miles south of the Old Faithful Geyser area. There is a wooden platform that takes you to a splendid view of a series of falls and cascades tumbling over a hundred feet between the canyon walls.
Yellowstone Lake was born of the fire and ice of volcanoes and glaciers-then gentled by centuries of time. Serene Yellowstone Lake is the heart of Lake Country. This is the home of the only breeding colony of white pelicans in the national park.
The Lone Star Geyser erupts from a 12 foot cone to heights of 35 feet. There are several short eruptions for several minutes prior to the initial main eruption. These subside and the main eruption occurs 15 to 20 minutes later with a three-hour interval between eruptions.
Mammoth Country is the home of the only winter location in Yellowstone that is accessible by automobile. In early days, trains carried visitors to Yellowstone where, at Gardiner, fashionable tourists boarded stagecoaches for holidays at great park hotels.
The Midway Geyser Basin is one of the major features enroute to Old Faithful and can be reached from the parking area by walking across the bridge spanning the Firehole River.
Porphyry Peak Lookout Tower was built in 1960 and offers spectacular views of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. It is manned from June until September when the fire danger is high and the forest is being used by fishermen, cattlemen, campers and loggers.
The Upper/Lower Terraces of the world-famous Mammoth Hot Springs are an excellent example of the living geology seen throughout the Park. Hot water transports a form of limestone to the surface where it is deposited like sugar frosting to build and decorate the terraces.
This western portion of Yellowstone Lake is called West Thumb Thermal Area, which consists of lake shore geysers, hot springs, and bubbling paint pots. Follow the signs along the constructed walks for a view of all the many thermal features.
