Auto Tour, Yellowstone National Park

Overview

A figure-8 wagon road laid out in the 1880s.

Overview

It may not look like it at a casual glance, but the park is actually a volcanic caldera.

Overview

Yellowstone has more geysers than any other place in the world.

Overview

Hot springs work similarly to geysers, but lack the constrictions in their underground plumbing.

Overview

Cracks in the Earth's surface similar to those that produce geysers and hot springs

Overview

A pool of bubbling mud formed when amounts of heated water comes in contact with soil.

Overview

Yellowstone National Park is vast, but represents just one-sixth of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Overview

Large-scale fires are a frequent and necessary part of the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Overview

Today there are 14 packs of wolves in Yellowstone and about 100 wolves total.

North Entrance

Gardiner, Montana is the only year-round entrance to Yellowstone.

North Entrance

Dedicated in 1903 by then-President Theodore Roosevelt, considered the father of U.S. National Parks.

North Entrance

Defined by the junction of the Gardiner and Yellowstone rivers.

North Entrance

There's a hair-raising story behind this mountain's name.

North Entrance

A good place to spot some of Yellowstone's bighorn sheep.

North Entrance

The 7,831-foot Mount Everts was named after an early European explorer of Yellowstone.

North Entrance

Water heated far below the earth's surface flows through a limestone-rich fault at Mammoth Hot Springs.

West Entrance

A scenic Rocky Mountain valley at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

West Entrance

The 14-mile access road quickly crosses the Montana-Wyoming Border.

West Entrance

The Madison River is one of the fly-fishing meccas of the world.

West Entrance

A popular place to pull over and enjoy a quiet picnic lunch.

West Entrance

Named for the first official photographer of Yellowstone National Park.

West Entrance

The spot where members of the Washburn Expedition first discussed turning Yellowstone into a public park.

West Entrance

Like the Madison River, Gibbons River is a popular fly-fishing destination.

West Entrance

The Firehole River gets its name from several geothermal features along its path.

Northeast Entrance

The start of your 29-mile drive to Tower-Roosevelt.

Northeast Entrance

Named for an early park guide and entrepreneur.

Northeast Entrance

Known for its fly fishing and beautiful waterfalls.

Northeast Entrance

A fisherman's paradise!

Northeast Entrance

Named after the second superintendent of Yellowstone.

Northeast Entrance

Named for a 19th century paleontologist.

Northeast Entrance

An extinct geyser dome.

Northeast Entrance

Popular for fly-fishing and viewing wildlife.

Northeast Entrance

Lamar Valley, often called the "Serengeti of North America," is one of the most spectacular and wildlife-rich areas of Yellowstone National Park.

Northeast Entrance

One of Yellowstone's wolf packs has settled here.

Northeast Entrance

Used to conduct field studies of the park's wildlife population.

Northeast Entrance

Yellowstone has more than a dozen petrified forests.

Northeast Entrance

The longest undammed river in the lower 48 states.

Northeast Entrance

Theodore Roosevelt reputedly camped near this spot in 1903.

East Entrance

One of the high-country entrances to Yellowstone.

East Entrance

A 8,541 foot pass over the Absaroka Range.

East Entrance

Named after a distinctive gap between its north and south summits.

East Entrance

Offers views of the Yellowstone caldera.

East Entrance

Named after the steam-powered machines of the early explorers time.

East Entrance

One of the largest mountain lakes in North America.

East Entrance

Once part of a large volcano that sat outside of the present Yellowstone caldera.

East Entrance

A classic log-and-stone "parkitecture" building.

South Entrance

Closest to Jackson, Wyoming.

South Entrance

Moose Falls is a plunge type waterfall on Crawfish Creek.

South Entrance

Carved from ancient ash flows of the Yellowstone caldera.

South Entrance

The falls drop approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) and are easily seen from the road.

South Entrance

The third-largest lake in Yellowstone National Park.

South Entrance

Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Yellowstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Once the bachelor officer's quarters for the U.S. Cavalry.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Don't expect luxury: rooms are described as "simple yet comfortable".

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Established in 1891 to literally protect the park.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Described as "a cave turned inside out."

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Includes the Opal Terrace, which grows by about a foot a year.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

A one-way, 1.5-mile scenic road through hot springs and travertine formations.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

A tall, narrow rock formation with a hard capstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Plunges more than 1,400 feet in less than three miles.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

One of Yellowstone's wolf packs has a territory centered on the sage-covered Swan Lake Flat.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

Broad but shallow -- just three feet deep!

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

These column-like basalt cliffs are about half a million years old.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

This cliff exposes a rhyolite lava flow that hardened partly into obsidian, a type of volcanic glass.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

You can see a 25-minute movie during your visit on the story of the National Park Service.

Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris

The Norris Geyser Basin is the main attraction of the Norris area of Yellowstone National Park.

Norris to Madison

Even among hydrothermal areas, the Norris Geyser Basin is pretty hot.

Norris to Madison

The museum is housed in a classic "parkitecture" stone and log building.

Norris to Madison

Pulsating Porcelain Basin is alive with steam and boiling water.

Norris to Madison

The forested Back Basin is perhaps best known as the home of Steamboat Geyser.

Norris to Madison

The Gibbon River flows from the Elk Park meadow into the smaller Gibbon Meadow.

Norris to Madison

The Great Loop Road runs through the dark and rocky Gibbon Canyon.

Norris to Madison

There are more than 50 springs, geysers, vents, and mud pots here.

Norris to Madison

Isn't one of Yellowstone's grander peaks, but it does boast a very accessible 2.6 mile trail to the summit.

Madison to Old Faithful

One of Yellowstone's original trailside museums.

Madison to Old Faithful

You can see the 40-foot Firehole Falls and the Cascades of the Firehole.

Madison to Old Faithful

You'll see steaming geysers, Goose Lake, and the Grand Prismatic Spring from the road.

Madison to Old Faithful

Contains a wide variety of geothermal features within its 12 square miles.

Madison to Old Faithful

Eruptions of the Pink Cone Geyser take place in 18- to 25-hour intervals and can last up to two hours.

Madison to Old Faithful

The only predicted geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin, erupting once every 9 to 15 hours.

Madison to Old Faithful

The deep blue color of Surprise Pool stands in sharp contrast to the crusty white sinter around it.

Madison to Old Faithful

The Young Hopeful geyser is a hit or miss experience.

Madison to Old Faithful

Firehole Spring is known as a "perpetual spouter".

Madison to Old Faithful

Named for the whitish deposits on its conspicuously tall sinter cone.

Madison to Old Faithful

Seems rather ordinary until you realize that the entire lake is filled with hot - and sometimes boiling - water.

Madison to Old Faithful

Steady Geyser is the largest constantly erupting geyser on Earth.

Madison to Old Faithful

Steaming water from Black Warrior Lake spills over this small waterfall into Hot Lake.

Madison to Old Faithful

This two-mile road leads to the Great Fountain Geyser -- a spectacular sight if it's erupting.

Madison to Old Faithful

It gets its dark color from the manganese oxide produced by the geyser.

Madison to Old Faithful

This lake stays hot all year, and is especially picturesque in the winter or in the evening.

Madison to Old Faithful

The great writer Rudyard Kipling dubbed this area of large hot springs "Hell's Half Acre".

Madison to Old Faithful

The largest hot spring in the United States but also the third largest in the world.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Many of the thermal features of Biscuit Basin are named for jewels, a testament to their colorful beauty.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Its name is from the obsidian grains of sand you'll see scattered around its pools and geysers.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The Old Faithful Inn, originally constructed in 1904, is one of the oldest hotels still standing in any U.S. National Park.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The Old Faithful Visitor Education Center features a large theater and exhibits on hydrothermal features.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Old Faithful is unquestionably the most famous geyser in the world.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

There are only a few places in Yellowstone where bicycling is permitted.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Backcountry geysers can be just as spectacular as the ones popular with tourists, but minus the crowds.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The Upper Geyser Basin has numerous boardwalk and hiking trails.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The moderately difficult Mallard Lake Trail is a 6.8-mile roundtrip into the backcountry.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The 70-foot Mystic Falls is full of geothermal features from top to bottom.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The Fairy Falls trail near the Midway Geyser Basin leads to several backcountry highlights.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

If you want to get some moderate exercise while enjoying some of Yellowstone's greatest sights.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Begins near the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and follows a steep path to the Fern Cascades.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

A lucky Yellowstone tourist was honored by having this mountain pass named after her.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The mountain range that divides the U.S. into watersheds draining to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Noteworthy because it's one of the few bodies of water that drain into both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

The second-largest Yellowstone lake and is popular with kayakers and canoeists.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

Not too many people make it to Shoshone Geyser Basin.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

The shortest and easiest hiking path to the shore of Shoshone Lake.

Old Faithful to West Thumb

You also can see the Grand Teton Mountains from here.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

Early visitors to Yellowstone would typically see Old Faithful and then take a stagecoach to West Thumb.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

The central basin is the low-lying area occupied primarily by Yellowstone Lake.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

If you want a quick tour of all the geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

The largest high-elevation lake in North America.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

The Absaroka mountain area is a vast uplifted plateau that forms the eastern edge of the park.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

For a close-up view of Yellowstone Lake, take Gull Point Drive off of the Grand Loop.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

If you want to get out onto Lake Yellowstone, Bridge Bay Marina is the place to rent canoes and kayaks.

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

The largest island in Yellowstone Lake and can easily be seen from the northern end of the lake.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

The Lake Yellowstone Hotel was built in 1891 and underwent an extensive renovation in 1990.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

You'll find casual lodging and dining at the Lake Lodge.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

A bridge built in 1902 at the north end of Yellowstone Lake quickly became a popular fishing spot.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

The river runs for 670 miles until it meets the Missouri River in North Dakota.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

Known for it muddy hot pools, bizarre landscape, and pungent odors.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village

Once an arm of Lake Yellowstone, the Hayden Valley is sort of the Main Street for Yellowstone's wildlife.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

After the last major eruption, the Yellowstone River slowly eroded the soft rock of a former lava flow.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

Drops 109 feet over a ledge of hard volcanic rock that is eroding slower than other rock in the canyon.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The ferocious Lower Falls send more than 37,000 gallons of water plummeting 308 feet every second.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

You can see both falls from overlooks along the South Rim Drive.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The Upper Falls Viewpoint not only gives you a good look at Upper Falls but also Crystal Falls.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The one-way North Rim Drive takes you to the aptly-named Brink of Lower Falls Trail.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

If the volcanic nature of Yellowstone intrigues you, don't miss the displays at the Visitor Center.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The Canyon Lodge has little of the architectural charm associated with other buildings in Yellowstone.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The highest-elevation spot you can drive to in Yellowstone

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The range is dominated by 10,243-foot Mount Washburn.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

This one-mile side road provides access to one of two trailheads of the Mount Washburn Trail.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

Monolithic volcanic formations stand guard around this 132-foot waterfall.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

The slimmest part of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

Enjoy views of the Narrows area of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt

Named for its most prominent natural and manmade features -- Tower Falls and the Roosevelt Lodge.

Canyon Village to Norris

Fires have repeatedly scorched Yellowstone over the past 12,000 years.

Canyon Village to Norris

This one-way, two-mile road will take you to a picnic area and viewpoint for the Virginia Cascade.

Tower-Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot Springs

This rustic lodge and its guest cabins was built in 1920.

Tower-Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot Springs

This stump of an ancient redwood tree was buried in volcanic ash and fossilized millions of years ago.

Tower-Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot Springs

This seven-mile dirt road gives you the option of visiting the Blacktail Deer Plateau.