This is part eight of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!
Today's post begins the end of our journey in Yellowstone. It is a huge park, and we managed to drive the entire figure eight grand loop in three days and see most of the major attractions on that loop. Our last stop in our adventure, was West Thumb.
The morning of our last day in Yellowstone we checked out of our little yellow cabin and started driving southwest out of the park. If you're following along on our trusty little Yellowstone map, we were staying at a cabin on Yellowstone Lake. We got back on Grand Loop road and planned on exiting out of the park at the South Entrance, but first we stopped at the West Thumb Geyser Basin.
It was so early in the morning, we were the only ones there when we first arrived with the exception of this large elk feeding off the parking lot.
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is a must see because unlike all the other thermal attractions in Yellowstone, this one is right next to Lake Yellowstone and the hot thermal springs flow into the lake. The basin includes mudpots, boiling springs and geysers.
Like all the other hot spring areas in Yellowstone, West Thumb has a boardwalk over looking all the thermal areas. It was short enough that we were able to walk the whole trail.
The Mimulus Pool reminded me of the mud volcanoes we saw the day before.
We were most impressed with the Abyss and Black Pools as the color of the turquoise water was incredible!
Now here is where it gets really interesting. When you reach the lake shore, you see the water flowing into the lake. Here are some interesting colors the waters produce on the rocks.
The combination of the thermal attractions with the spectacular lake views make this a worthwhile stop. Unfortunately, we were there so early in the morning that there was a lot of fog, so I would suggest waiting until later in the day to visit. It is one of Yellowstone's least visited basins in the park, and they have quite a large parking lot (Funny, I know. And then the more popular places have hardly any parking), so you don't have to worry about congestion. In fact, if you want to get away from the crowds, go to West Thumb!
Here is a short video of one of the lakeshore geysers.
These "cones" remind me of beehives.
Getting out early in the morning is always your best chance to see wildlife. I saw a large elk in the forest while driving, then we saw the elk in the parking lot, and finally we were treated to a river otter both resting on a rock and swimming in the water. It was so fun to watch!
River Otters!
Well our adventure in Yellowstone was over, but our journey was not, for now it was time to explore The Grand Tetons! Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons are right next to each other, so if you are ever in the area, you might as well see them both!
As we exited Yellowstone, we went out the South Entrance on the way to Jackson Hole Wyoming where we would spend the next few days. But you actually have to drive through the Grand Teton National Park and right past the Tetons to get to Jackson Hole, so we stopped and got a photo of the sign.
The Grand Tetons!
And here is a peek of the Tetons. The drive to Jackson Hole is absolutely breath taking as you have incredible views of the Tetons all the way.
I hope you enjoyed my Yellowstone posts and that I have provided you lots of useful information for your future trip. Next week I will cover the incredible western town Jackson Hole! You don't want to miss that one!
Have A Great Day! Amy
Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!
For more information on Yellowstone, please check out these posts:
Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch
The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge
Gorgeous photos of an amazing place! It's definitely on my list to visit. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you get there someday.
DeleteOh I have been loving this series and I can't wait to hear even more.
ReplyDeleteThat is so good to hear. Thank you so much.
DeleteThose thermal attractions and the colors found in the lake are breathtaking! I'm sure it was extra beautiful in the morning hours! Thanks for taking us on this journey with you!
ReplyDeleteThey sure are! I think it would have been prettier to see in the afternoon when the fog lifted, but it sure was peaceful seeing it so early in the morning.
DeleteWhat a wonderful trip this must be! Loved seeing your pictures of Yellowstone. We visited and enjoyed seeing wildlife early in the mornings as well. It is such a magnificent area!!! Loved all your pictures and information :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it was. Thanks so much.
DeleteWhat an amazing experience. Nothing like it.. Your photos are wonderful. My niece used to work there for 6 months.I had no idea how vast this park is.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Oh, I'd love to work in a NP. That would be a dream job for me.
DeleteLooks like an amazing trip! The West Thumb Geyser Basin and the wildlife you saw must’ve been incredible. Excited for the Jackson Hole post!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.itsjulieann.com/
It was amazing and incredible! Glad you're looking forward to hearing about Jackson Hole.
DeleteLovely photographs of Yellowstone. I live on the other side of the country in New Jersey, about fifty miles from the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. I enjoy reading the blog posts of others around the world and in my country. I found your blog post through the Link-Ups in the My Corner of the World Challenge for this week.
ReplyDeleteThank you. We're headed your direction this spring. There is so much to do and see on the east coast.
DeleteOh wow Grand Teton looks like an absolutely wonderful place to visit! We really need to treasure our national parks. Thanks for sharing this I loved all your photos and videos. What a great trip and such wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
It is a beauty. Thanks so much!
Deletethe turquoise colors of those pools are taking my breath away. i breathe a sigh of gratitude, Amy, in looking at His gorgeous creation.
ReplyDeleteAren't they beautiful? Our God is amazing!
DeleteSo very beautiful and stunning. What a great place to visit. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteSuch a pretty place. I need to up my US Travel game and check out some of the wonders of the West!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, the west is so beautiful and there is so much to see.
DeleteOh wow.. that first picture.. the water is just so blue.. beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYes, the color of the water is incredible!
DeleteSuch great pictures and views. The elk is huge!! And sorry about the fog, it does make some great mysterious pictures but I can imagine how amazing the scenery would be without. Can't wait to read about the Grand Teton National Park!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, the fog was both a blessing and a curse.
DeleteWhat a wonderful trip. Yellowstone is on my list to travel to next. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTake care and best wishes,
Thank you!
DeleteAmazing place, Great to read your post. Awesome photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteAmy, I enjoyed your adventure! Always a great read, and I love the photos you included. Thank you for sharing at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party.
ReplyDeleteThat is so good to hear. Thanks so much!
DeleteRiver otters?! Wow! I didn't know there was such a thing. How neat is that?! I love seeing your pictures--the color of those pools are just stunning. I don't think I've ever hit West Thumb on my visits to Yellowstone in the past--I'll have to do that next time! :) Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #57 linkup. We hope to see you at #58 sharing new or old posts again--it opens on Monday. :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we have them in my home state too. West Thumb is one of the least visited basins, probably because it's at the bottom of the loop. But it is so cool!
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