New Sights in Yellowstone

You might think that since this is our second visit to Yellowstone within a year (we came last August) that this time would be less exciting. Not so; there is so much to see we could visit several more times and still be discovering new things. Plus, seeing it with our grandson, Adler, was a special delight. He loved everything.

This trip we went to see the falls and canyon of the Yellowstone River. Last year, when we got near the area there were so many cars we were discouraged. An advantage of coming in on the east side was getting there early enough to beat the crowds. This is a view of the Upper Falls.

This is called the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and you can see why. This is a view along the path to Artists Point.

Walking out to Artists Point I caught this view of the Lower Falls framed with trees.

From Artists Point itself you get an unobstructed view of the Lower Falls and the canyon below.

We then drove around to see the brink of the Upper Falls from the other side of the canyon. I loved the mist in the morning light. I think all the mist was from the falls, but being Yellowstone there could have been thermal features there, too.

Our final stop in the area was Inspiration Point for a panoramic view of the canyon. There were other overlooks and other trails we could have taken, but we had a full day of touring planned. Next time.

Last August the part of the Grand Loop Road from Canyon to Tower-Roosevelt was closed, so we wanted to drive that this year. The area was very different from the other parts we had visited. This was an Alpine environment. The road went up and over Dunraven Pass, where I took this picture. It’s at 8859 feet above sea level.

We drove up Chittenden Road, a gravel road that takes you up towards Mount Washburn. There Adler was delighted to find snow, so he got to throw a snowball on July 10th.

Looking north from there the wilds of Yellowstone stretch as far as the eye can see.

We then headed west to Mammoth Hot Springs and drove along this section of the highway where the road bed had been carved into the cliff. We missed this last year because we took a side road looking for animals. Always more to see.

As we approached Mammoth Hot Springs from the east we were treated to this stunning view that shows how huge the travertine terraces are. We didn’t see this before, just because we were traveling the other way on the loop! I don’t know if or when we will return to Yellowstone National Park, but if we do I know that we will find new wonders.