We have all heard about Yellowstone, but where is it really?
California?
No.
Montana?
Not sure.
Wyoming?
YES. Yellowstone National Park is located in the great state of Wyoming.
As some might know from previous posts, I recently traveled out west on a charter bus trip with my family.
Check out this post about what you need to pack for a bus trip. I packed everything on the list and found them all very helpful. Yellowstone National Park was one of the stops on our trip.
Despite some contradiction, Yellowstone is the nation’s first national park and home to the ever-spouting geyser known as Old Faithful.
Located on more than 2 million acres, the park is home to various wildlife.
At Yellowstone, I saw most of the wildlife I saw on the entire trip. Buffalo, elk, eagles, black bears, grizzly bears, fish, bighorn sheep and wolves are just some of the creatures roaming the park.
What fascinated me most though were the natural thermal features in the park.
When traveling to the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone, you are sure to not step off the wooden trail. Why might you ask?
In the Lower Geyser Basin is every kind of thermal feature in close proximity making it a very hot and dangerous place if you misstep.
I was able to see mud hot pots, geysers, pools, springs and fumaroles. The vibrant colors often seen in some of the pools are created from the microbes in the boiling hot water.
The images I was able to capture were outstanding.
I had never seen something like this before.
Granted I had been to thermal areas in New Zealand, Yellowstone is in a category of its own.
Now on to the star of the show: Old Faithful. With a four inch wide opening, Old Faithful spouts usually every 60 to 90 minutes give or take 15 minutes.
Hundreds upon hundreds of people line the seats around the geyser anxiously waiting to see the mysterious geyser come to life.
While waiting I was able to see an even larger geyser that does not spout as often rise up from the earth.
Soon after, Old Faithful spouted straight up into the air. It was a spectacular sight, but what Old Faithful is known for is its regularity not for its height.
After a few minutes, the geyser quieted only to silence for just another hour or so before coming to life again.
The destination of Yellowstone National Park has been discovered. Your job is to now discover what the destination has to offer.
This was just my short one-day visit. I will definitely be coming back to discover more of Yellowstone’s majestic beauty, wildlife and adventures.
Have you ever been to Yellowstone? What is your favorite wildlife animal to see? Tell us what you liked about Yellowstone in the comments below.
Morgan Large loves to explore the world. She’s traveled across the United States and to 11 countries.
Originally from Ohio, Morgan currently lives in Arkansas with her Australian Shepherd, Oxley.
A graduate student at the University of Arkansas, Morgan’s studies are focused in agricultural communications. Her blog, RazorBuck: A Midwestern girl living in a Southern world highlights her adventures in photography, cooking and travel.
To learn more about Yellowstone, you may want to check out these books:
Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park
A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes
Other posts related to National Parks and/or geysers:
- “National parks “;truly special, truly American places. All of them can steal your breath and touch your soul.” A Travel Chat with a Business Owner and a Family Doctor.
- Destination Discovery: The “Blue Eye” and Sarandë (Saranda), Albania
- Destination Discovery: Rotorua, New Zealand
- Destination Discovery: Glacier Bay, National Park and Preserve, Southeast Alaska