Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Yellowstone National Park – Favorite Park, Favorite Feature
Despite two gorgeous parks in my own backyard – Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park – my favorite national park is still Yellowstone, the world’s first, and largest in the continental United States.
I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve visited. From our first trip, tent camping back in the eighties, to our last, upgrading to Snow Lodge at Old Faithful.
No, we haven’t seen it all, at 3,400 square miles that would take a lifetime. But we have seen some of the best in the park, including Upper Geyser Basin, home to 150 thermal features including Old Faithful, Riverside Geyser and Crested Pool.
We saw hundreds of Buffalo, concentrated mostly in their favorite places, Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley.
And what’s not to like about these grand and glorious falls?
Yellowstone is home to the largest, high elevation lake in North America, sitting at 7,733 feet.
While the lake is too cold for swimming, and the hot springs would scald you to death, you can swim in the Firehole River.
There are many other wonders to enjoy when visiting all four corners of the park and walking the boardwalks among the thermal features.
But it was on my most recent trips to Yellowstone (2018, 2021) that I discovered my favorite feature of all – Grand Prismatic Spring.
“Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest and one of the most brilliant of Yellowstone’s many colorful hot springs. Its massive expanse stretches approximately 200 ft. across. The high temperatures of its water (160F) ensures that the spring is often cloaked in steam. Deep underneath us, magma from an active volcano heats water that rises to the surface through fissures in the rocks. The result is a hot spring that pours almost 500 gallons of water per minute into the Firehole River.”
I saw it the first time at ground level, shrouded in steam, mysterious and golden.
It was awesome but I couldn’t grasp its enormity and true colors until our next trip when we discovered the overlook. (See the tiny people on the hill above?)
We learned about the trail from staff when we stayed at Old Faithful, who told us it was a must-see while we were there. Yes indeed! The short, moderate hike took us high above the springs for a bird’s eye view, one I will never forget!
Can you say ooooh-la-la?
To commemorate this special place, I even created a little framed version of the spring using the National Park Service App.
Hope there is at least one more trip to this magnificent park in my future! I hope there’s one in yours too!
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
We loved it there the one time we visited.
It’s truly magnificent. Every time we go, we discover something new.
It is still on our list to visit – your photos are spectacular!
Thank you so much! 😊 You’ll love it! We like to go in September after the crowds thin out.
You captured so much beauty in your photos, Susanne! Such an amazing place that I’ve never seen in person. I have read articles about the massive volcano under the entire area. Will it blow soon? Nobody knows for sure.
Thanks so much, John! I could make the trip every year and find something new!
As big as the park is, I’m sure you would!
Been there twice, twenty years apart. Old Faithful is still operating like clockwork.
One of the constants in the park! Along with so much other natural beauty!
Great photos Susanne. I loved visiting there, though there are many parts of it I still haven’t seen.
Thanks, Graham. It’s huge and the wonders are endless!
One of the places I most regret never having visited. You showcase it beautifully, Susanne.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks so much, Pete. It’s a special place and for us, not that hard to get to. A 12 hour drive, a perfect road trip. I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures. 😊
We spent several nights in Yellowstone when touring Wyoming (one in a cabin near Old Faithful, two by the lake). I was awed by the sights but somehow didn’t fall in love with it as I’d expected to. Just the same, it’s wonderful to see it again through your lens 🙂
Glad you got to see it; maybe it’s an acquired taste. I found that the longer I spent there, the more I appreciated the wonders throughout the park, and my experience improved with each trip. We also travel off season and avoid the crowds which makes for a better experience.
Please don’t get me wrong, I did like it a lot. But we’d been in the Grand Tetons prior to arriving in Yellowstone and on balance I preferred that I think.
No problem.. 😊 The Grand Tetons are gorgeous, and the park smaller and more intimate.
I would love to visit one day ! Even though, like you point out, one cannot see everything of that very large park, especially in a unique visit.
It’s a very special place. I hope you get the chance to visit! 😊