Yellowstone: Mud Volcano, Sulphur Caldron & Hayden Valley
Vital Stats
Name: Yellowstone
Type: Supervolcano
Eruption Status: Active
Last Eruption: Approximately 640,000 years ago
Location: 44.4280° N, 110.5885° W
Northwestern Wyoming/Southeastern Idaho
We continued our journey north from Yellowstone Lake along the Southern Loop Road. The Yellowstone River runs adjacent to the road and here you can find some great fishing spots. LeHardys Rapids is one of them. In the summer months, you can watch the cutthroat trout doing acrobatics as they leap up over these rapids in seach of their upstream spawning grounds. Keep on going through the heavy forest and you’ll come to a section of the park that really stinks.
You get out of your car at a place called Mud Volcano. Whewie! I wasn’t kidding, was I? The place smells quite a bit like you left some eggs out on the porch to rot for a month. But the smell should tip you off to some pretty fascinating volcanic features. So let’s go take a look around.
Yellowstone National Park: South Entrance & West Thumb Geyser Basin
Vital Stats
Name: Yellowstone
Type: Supervolcano
Eruption Status: Active
Last Eruption: Approximately 640,000 years ago
Location: 44.4280° N, 110.5885° W
Northwestern Wyoming/Southeastern Idaho
It was a long drive to Yellowstone through a lot of flat and rather uninteresting prairie, but we made it. The late afternoon sun was pouring down onto the golden autumn leaves and making the creek sparkle. Instead of heading directly into Yellowstone, my partner in crime and I took a detour south toward Jackson. We stopped at a few places along the Grand Tetons and did a little hiking at Taggart Lake to stretch our legs. These mountains are not volcanic, but they certainly are magnificent. Bathed in the rich colors of fall, they were a sight not to be missed. While you’re in the area, make sure you stop and take a look. You won’t be disappointed.
And of course, if you’re hankering for some pretty darn delicious food, don’t miss the Gun Barrel restaurant down in Jackson and take a bite of their bison prime rib. Yum. Just… yum.