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Read this post to plan the Yellowstone Vacation with kids - How to Plan Vacation to Yellowstone
Our Day #1 itinerary covering Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Our Day #2 itinerary covering the mid-way geyser basin - The Grand Prismatic Spring
Our Day #2 (part 2), itinerary covering the Upper and Lower geyser basin - Old Faithful Geyser
On Day #3, we covered the Northern part of Yellowstone - Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hotsprings, and Roosevelt arch.
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On the way to Mammoth Hotsprings, we can visit the Norris geyser basin.
Norris Geyser Basin:
Norris geyser basin is the hottest and the most dynamic area of Yellowstone. The temperature on the surface can be as high as 459 F here. This area changes frequently with seismic activity and water fluctuations.
Norris Geyser Basin |
This place is home to the world's tallest geyser 'Steamboat geyser' which raises to 300- 400 ft when erupted.
This area is divided into 2 parts - Back Basin and Porcelain Basin. We first visited the Porcelain basin which is more dynamic with a large concentration of geysers. We can see the hottest geothermal features called Fumeroles here. They release steam and gasses with a loud noise. This trail is 3/4th mile with bare ground and some Broadwalk.
The Back Basin is shaded and geysers are scattered across different locations. The Broadwalk trail is 1.5 miles. We walked to Steamboat geyser only and returned back as it seemed lengthy under hot Sun.
Steamboat Geyser:
This is the world's tallest geyser which can splash water up to 300 ft. The eruptions are entirely unpredictable. Last time, it erupted on July 8, 2021, and it erupted for 37 days!
We can see this geyser in Back Basin after the Emerald pool. There is a connection underground between the Cistern pool and the Steamboat geyser. When a Steamboat geyser erupts, it drains the Cistern pool completely and it fills back after the eruption. Isn't this amazing?
Next, we drove to the Mammoth hot springs area. The drive to Mammoth hot spring is beautiful.
Mammoth Hot Springs :
How was Mammoth Hot Springs Formed?
For hundreds of years, people used to collect the minerals in this area to use it as white paint. The mineral deposits are formed by the network of fractures that form a plumbing system releasing hot water from underground to the surface. Due to chemical reactions with limestone and carbon dioxide, Calcium carbonate is deposited on the surface forming travertine, the rock that's formed in this area.
Canary Springs |
This area is almost near to the North Entrance to a town called Gardiner.
Gardiner is a nice place to stay while visiting this part of Yellowstone. Here are some accommodations near Gardiner.
The whole Broadwalk with many steps covering Upper and lower terraces is around 1.75 miles. On a hot sunny day, it is tough to hike this, it is better to carry water and snacks as there are many steps too.
A must-see attraction on the Upper terrace is Canary Spring. The colors of the water - blue, green, turquoise are beautiful to watch flowing down the white rocks.
After you finish the trail to Canary Springs and back, you can proceed to the lower terrace. On the way to the lower terrace, the blue spring is fabulous.
Mound terrace |
Patterns on the terrace - Close up |
The yellow mound terrace and the pattern on the terraces are amazing. We couldn't see any water flowing through the Minerva terrace, but I think, the landscape here is changing over time.
Lower Terrace |
Liberty Cap:
We can see the Liberty cap at the end of the trail. This rock is made of travertine (a type of limestone formed in hot springs) and it is known to be one of the extinct thermal features.
Liberty Cap |
Terrace Grill Restaurant:
We stopped by Terrace Grill restaurant for our dinner. Dinner is delicious and we tried the homemade ice cream in the next store as well. If your kids love buses and trucks, terrace grill will give this free cardboard toy bus for kids meals. :-)
Female Elk |
We also saw Elk while having dinner at picnic tables opposite the Terrace grill.
Roosevelt Arch:
Then, on driving for 15 mins or so, we reach Roosevelt Arch. In 1903, the partially constructed arch was dedicated by President Roosevelt with much fan-fare. The arch is named after the President as he was vacationing in Yellowstone during the construction.
Roosevelt Arch |
2 miles off the Mammoth Hotsprings towards Gardiner, there is a place called Boiling River where the water from hot springs mix with the river water making it the best place to swim. The bathing area is a 5 to 10 mins walk from the parking area.
Other places to see around are Tower falls, Petrified tree, and Undine Falls (1.8 miles out and back trail).
If you have at least 2 to 3 hrs of time and you love animals, drive to Lamar Valley. We had to skip it due to the lack of time.
So, that's it from Yellowstone. It was a great 4-day vacation there. At last, the time has come to say goodbye to this other-worldly place.
The next day we drove to Idaho - The state which is famous for its potatoes. We found some great waterfalls, cool bridges, and a place that is similar to the Moon.
More in the next travelogue.
Until next time,
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