Ruddy Duck Pond

A small, seasonal pond located little more than a mile from Tower Junction, southeast of Junction Butte.

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Ruddy Duck Pond Details

Ruddy Duck Pond is a small, seasonal pond located along the north side of the Grand Loop Road a little more than a mile from Tower Junction, southeast of Junction Butte. The lake's water comes from runoff and seepage, and leaves via a channel on its western end into the Yellowstone River. The lake is named for the ruddy ducks that occasionally inhabit the area. Park historian Aubrey Haines believes this was the lake known as Lake LaCombe, which was given that name after Burton LaCombe, the park's chief bison keeper in the 1930s, crashed his car into the lake. As the lake is seasonal, it contains no fish.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

Region

N/A

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Nearby Points of Interest Around Ruddy Duck Pond

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0.4 mi away

Yellowstone River

Located 1.2 miles east of Tower Junction on the Northeast Entrance Road.

0.4 mi away

Yellowstone River Picnic Area Trail

Short but scenic trail follows the eastern side of the canyon's edge.

0.5 mi away

Calcite Springs

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0.7 mi away

Yellowstone River

The longest undammed river in the lower 48 states.

0.9 mi away

The Narrows

The slimmest part of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.