Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [404]
At Dragon's Mouth Spring, steam and sulfurous gases propel turbid water from an underground cavern to the surface, where it colors the earth shades of orange and green. The belching of steam and the attendant sound, which is due to the splash of 180°F (82°C) water against the wall in a subterranean cavern, creates a medieval quality; hence the name of the spring.
Nearby Mud Volcano is an unappetizing mud spring, the product of vigorous activity caused by escaping sulfurous gases and steam. The youngest feature in the area is Black Dragon's Caldron, which is often referred to as "the demon of the backwoods," and rightly so. The caldron emerged from its subterranean birthplace for the first time in 1948 when it announced its presence by blowing a hole in the landscape, scattering mature trees hundreds of feet in all directions. Since then, continual seismic activity and intermittent earthquakes in the area have caused it to relocate 200 feet south of its original position.
The road across the Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge was once the only eastern exit in the park, the route leading over Sylvan Pass to Cody, Wyoming. The bridge, which was built in 1902, spans the Yellowstone River as it exits Yellowstone Lake, and is another prime spawning area for native trout. The Fishing Bridge Visitor Center (☎ 307/242-2450) has a first-rate wildlife display. You'll find an excellent hiking trail, Elephant Back Loop Trail, leading off the short strip of highway between Fishing Bridge and the Lake Village area.
YELLOWSTONE LAKE AREA
As if the park didn't have enough record-setting attractions: At 7,773 feet, Yellowstone Lake is North America's largest high-altitude lake. The lake exhibits its multifaceted personalities daily, ranging from a placid, mirrorlike surface to a tantrum whipped by southerly winds that create 3- to 4-foot waves. Because the lake has the largest population of native cutthroat trout in North America, it makes an ideal fishing spot during the summer.
Lake Village, on the northwest shore of the lake, offers a wide range of amenities, the most prominent of which is the majestic century-old Lake Yellowstone Hotel (☎ 307/344-7311), perhaps the most beautiful structure in the park.
Just south of Lake Village is the Bridge Bay Marina, the center of the park's water activities. Here you can arrange for guided fishing trips or small boat rentals, or learn more about the lake during an informative and entertaining 1-hour narrated boat tour. The marina is usually open from mid-June to mid-September.
Though the Natural Bridge, near Bridge Bay, is well marked on park maps, it's one of the park's best-kept secrets, and you may end up enjoying it by yourself. The mile-long path down to the bridge, a geologic masterpiece consisting of a massive rock arch 51 feet overhead, spanning Bridge Creek, is an excellent bike route.
The West Thumb area along the western shoreline is the deepest part of Yellowstone Lake. Because of its suspiciously craterlike contours, many scientists speculate that this 4-mile-wide, 6-mile-long, water-filled crater was created during volcanic eruptions approximately 125,000 years ago.
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is notable for a unique series of geysers. Some are right on the shores, some overlook the lake, and some can be seen beneath the lake surface. Three of the shoreline geysers, the most famous of which is Fishing Cone, are occasionally marooned offshore when the lake level rises. Fortunately, boardwalks surround the area, so it's easy to negotiate. Maps and details on the area are available in the West Thumb Information Station (no phone; open daily in summer 9am–5pm).
As you depart the West Thumb area, you have two choices: head south toward Grand Teton National Park, or head west across the Continental Divide at Craig Pass, en route to Old Faithful.
GRANT VILLAGE TO THE SOUTH ENTRANCE
In contrast to the forgettable Grant Village, the 22-mile drive to Grand Teton