Yellowstone National Park is the Ultimate Feast for the Senses!

Yellowstone National Park is a mecca for those who are interested in geological attractions; no one can deny that! I’ve wanted to visit this amazing park shared by Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, ever since I can remember! I knew I’d get there someday when some things fell into place but this happened kind-of suddenly, and I wasted no time to embrace the idea. Now that I have this bucketlist item checked off, let me tell you that I was treated to some absolutely intoxicating sights and I’m going to be tipsy from this trip for a long time, now!

If you’ve been to the area, you know how extraordinary this US National Park is. If you are yet to visit and don’t mind a little teaser, trip along and you might also get a little high from the sights of Yellowstone NP.

Much as I was excited to see the famous features of the park, I was anxious about making the most of our time there and intensely hoping nothing would go wrong to mar this experience. And here’s how it went —

Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful Geyser

We made our entry into Yellowstone National Park through the south entrance as we were staying in Jackson Hole, WY. We first headed for the Upper Geyser Basin where Old Faithful Geyser puts up its big show. When we got there and walked through the visitor center, behind which, this giant lies, there was absolute silence in there despite a large number of people in the building. Out back, there was a cloud of steam building up, and the human beings out there watching nature’s grand exhibition seemed gobsmacked!

Old Faithful, however, seemed to be in no great hurry. It puffed up some steam, then slowed down a bit and continued to tease us, mere mortals. The pregnant silence and the pent-up energy was palpable. Copious fumes began to fill the scene once again and after a few more minutes or so it seemed, there was a spurt and then another, and then the water shot up into the sky. So did the collective sighs. What a spectacle!

After this extravagant show that nature put up, we decided to go grab some brunch before we set out to explore the Upper Geyser Basin. After some chili dogs and flatbread, we returned to the area to hit the trail that runs behind Old Faithful and guess what — the most predictable geyser in the basin was setting the stage for another act. Welcoming another show into our day was only a pleasure. This time, we caught the eruption from another side of the geyser, and the wind and steam chose a different direction. The hot steaming water danced again and this time, the crowd burst into a loud applause at the end. 🙂

As the crowd dispersed yet another time, we began walking north, catching one side show after another, each one, fascinating! We passed Sulphide Spring, Anemone Geyser and Beehive Geyser before crossing the Firehole River and then seeing Grand Geyser and Turban Geyser. And in between were Depression Geyser, Heart Spring, Goggle Spring, Liberty Pool and Tardy Geyser, to name a few of the geothermal features we witnessed that afternoon.

That morning on the Upper Geyser Trail, and our destination had been set to Morning Glory Pool but the trail was blocked off after the Grand Geyser area due to bear activity, and we had to abide by the signs. I can’t say I was not disappointed that I couldn’t see Morning Glory but it been just a week since a bear-related incident in the park south of this one. As such, we were thankful for the care the park was taking.

From the Grand Geyser, we retraced our steps and walked past Spasmodic Geyser, Twilight Spring and Sawmill Geyser, crossed another part of Firehole River and Castle Geyser and then came something I was not exactly hoping for — a bison on the trail!

We waited patiently as the American Buffalo stopped on the side of the trail and contemplated its next move. There were people taking pictures of the large quadruped, some a bit too close for comfort. I quickly zoomed-in and clicked a picture of it, all the while, hoping it wouldn’t be one of those not-so-pleasant days Yellowstone had. After what seemed like 5-8 minutes of taking stock of the situation, the seemingly gentle giant began to cross the trail and soon got engrossed in its grazing once again. People began to pass it, and as I went by the bison fear and fascination mixed, and my heart was in my mouth. Thankfully it was an uneventful pass. 🙂

Back in the Old Faithful area, people were beginning to assemble, and whiffs of steam could be seen rising from the mouth of the geyser. And as we walked into the visitor center again, I was stupefied by the silence in there, and how respectfully they all waited albeit with bated breath for Old Faithful to go off again. Belive me, we almost tip-toed out of there. 

Midway Geyser Basin

Our next stop was the Midway Geyser Basin to see Grand Prismatic Spring and its neighbors. I wasn’t too familiar with the names of the features in this basin at first but I left there enchanted by what I had seen. 

We began the tour of the area by watching scalding spring-water make a dive into the colder waters of the Firehole River. And that was quite a sight by itself, thanks to the thick steam, the streaming hot water and the mineral stains in its path.

The Midway Geyser Basin Trail then led us to a mighty Excelsior Geyser and its heavily-steaming crater, the vibrant Grand Prismatic Spring and its gentler steam, and a pretty Opal Pool with its more delicate hues. 

This was another lovely area with wondrous sights.

Grand Prismatic Spring 

After the Midway Geyser Basin, we decided to call it a day. As we began that drive south, there was no dearth of wayside sights. We sighted many a bison and some elk too. (And we also passed through the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park.)

The next day, we decided to take Teton Pass, cross over to Idaho, pass through a small portion of Montana and enter the park through the west. Madison River that flowed beside the West Entrance Road seemed to show us the way into the heart of the park. There were more bison along the way and a few elk too. (Late spring is a great time to be here, y’all!)

That morning, we drove past a steaming Roaring Mountain, Obsidian Cliff and Bunsen Peak. We made a pit stop at Golden Gate Canyon to look down into the depths, see the yellow stone on the canyon walls that give Yellowstone National Park its name, and also catch sight of Glen Creek falling into the canyon as Rustic Falls.

As we drove further north, the landscape began to change too. Lighter colored rocks came into view. There’s more limestone in these parts, I guess. And then we were in the Mammoth Basin!

Mammoth Hot Springs

This northwestern corner of the park seemed to be made of more detailed features. There were more hot springs too but the features here seemed more sculptural. There were terraces filled with pastel-colored water, delicate deposits in the pools and on the walls of the pools, and there was dainty smokey steam posing as a halo around the springs.

Here, we set our eyes upon the Liberty Cap, and got on the Mammoth Terraces Trail, which led us to Palette Spring, Minerva Terrace, New Blue Spring and the Main Terrace Outlook. We also saw Canary Spring and Cheops Mound from afar.  Later, we walked down the hills of the Lower Terraces to get some lunch at Mammoth Terrace Grill.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

Refueled, we made our way to some other sights we couldn’t miss – the Yellowstone Canyon to see Yellowstone River and the Yellowstone Falls (the upper and lower ones).

The canyon was mighty just like everything else in this national park. And deep down in the canyon was a seemingly calm Yellowstone River meandering through the canyon floor. This is what I saw at the Lookout Point on North Rim Drive and at the Grand View, another stop along the route.

And then, at the Lower Falls overlook, I saw another side of the deceptively tranquil river. Here, as if out of character, it vigorously gushed down a large cliff, matching all the other larger-than-life-attractions of the park. It only seemed right. And what a majestic view it was!

Later, we stopped by the Upper Falls and there at the edge of the waterfall, spotted a spray in rainbow colors — an almost psychedelic sight.

Further down, at the lowest level of the vista point, we saw the upper falls rush down another drop and cascade away. The roar seemed to ensure that this waterfall was not too behind the Lower Falls as far as ‘might’ was concerned. 😀

Mud Volcano Area

Next on the itinerary was what might have been the area that’s there to create a lasting memory for the olfactory system, not that it’s not a visual delight, as well. At this stop, there are some interesting sounds to catch too.

The Mud Volcano area is also ‘up to the mark’ with its steaming clay pools, bubbling mud pots, a boiling Mud Volcano and a rumbling Dragon’s Mouth Spring, to name a few features. Nature sure reaches out to the human senses of sight, smell and hearing. (And we all know that if we could and would touch and tastes these features it would be a sensory banquet!)

Yellowstone Lake

We didn’t leave Yellowstone National Park without seeing Yellowstone Lake. We got more than a glimpse of it as we drove down Grand Loop Road and made a couple of stops along the way. This beautiful blue lake, which is the largest in the park, is spread over 136 square miles. It is another grand attraction in this grand national park of the United States.

Looking back at our trip to Yellowstone, I’m proud of all that we were able to fit into those two days. The days were longer and for that, I was grateful. With all that I saw, I should be saying I had my fill. However, I’m not going there today. I think I want to return to this uber-interesting national park, sometime. I’d like to see the Grand Prismatic Spring from afar — the overlook, to be precise. I want to able to see the Morning Glory Pool, and I’d like to see Firehole Canyon, too. Maybe I’ll just return to Yellowstone National Park a couple of years or so later. 😉

Have you been to this National Park, yet? If you have, is it a place you’d like to return to sometime? What are your favorite attractions or ones that you think I shouldn’t miss when I go that side again? I’d love to hear from you. 🙂 Thanks in advance.

You might also want to visit:
~ more Volcanic Sites featured on Tipsy from the TRIP
~ more US National Parks on TftT

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My Corner of the World

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