Yellowstone: The Wilderness

A few years back, our family took a trip with my siblings and their families to Alaska where we saw some amazing scenery and wildlife. Since then - particularly while living in New England - I’ve been reminded how hard it is to find a massive expanse of pristine wilderness. Yellowstone National Park fits the bill perfectly.

Monday morning we piled all 23 members of Chad’s parents’ family, along with food, luggage, and toys for a week, into four cars and set off for Yellowstone. As we traveled north, the landscape became gradually greener, and forest eventually replaced sagebrush. After entering the Park, we skirted a huge lake reflecting a long line of snow-capped mountains fronted by straight rows of pines. Streams meandered through lush valleys. It was absolutely gorgeous.

On the way to our cabins at Canyon Village, we stopped at Big Springs, where Chad’s mother visited with her family each summer growing up. Peering into the rushing creek below the log-railed bridge, we spotted massive rainbow trout. Grandpa was quick to supply quarters to grandchildren anxious to feed the fish. Posing for a spontaneous family picture, we were sprayed by a dog drying himself off after a brief swim.

Our first day of adventuring took us to Old Faithful at the center of the Park. We arrived nearly an hour before the next “show”. Exploring the trails behind the famous geyser, we discovered an excellent view away from the crowds. What luck! How fun it was to share such a view with the whole family.

We were quick to discover that Old Faithful is not the only major attraction in the area. Walking along a three-mile boardwalk loop, we took in the eruption of Riverside Geyser right alongside the river, a view we considered even more impressive than Old Faithful. In contrast to the two- to five-minute eruption, Riverside Geyser spurts water and steam for a full twenty minutes. (The downside is a potential eruption window of an hour as opposed to twenty minutes.)

Along the way were geysers of all shapes and sizes, most of which erupt unpredictably. Boiling pools sent up columns of steam, and brilliant colors caused by various bacteria emanated from others. Occasionally we passed odd-looking monuments formed by the mineral deposits of ancient geysers. It was all spectacular.

The next day took us to Mammoth Hot Springs, where trickles of steaming water still cascade down colorful formations created in days when the water flowed more freely. While many of the spectacular views have diminished with the water volume, it was fun to see the strange shapes and colors of the land.

On our next stop we joined dozens of swimsuit-clad tourists on a short hike to where the Boiling River pours into the Gardiner River. After carefully easing ourselves into the narrow not-too-hot, not-too-cold region near the bank, we spent a leisurely hour enjoying the sunshine and watching the kids float on the current.

Our first morning in the Park we had stood on the rim of a steep canyon looking down on the rushing, curving Yellowstone River cascading over two falls. Before leaving Canyon Village, we hiked down to the brink of the lower falls. As we zigzagged down the sharp switchbacks, I started wondering how we would get eleven children back up to the top. But after a stunning view of the top of the falls leading down to the river below, we had to chase them to the top. What a great group of kids!

On our way out of the Park we stopped at Mud Volcano in search of mud pots. The “volcano” has worn away enough of the earth to resemble more of a roiling pool, but is nonetheless still impressive. We stopped to gaze at the Dragon’s Mouth, the heaving, steaming head of a boiling stream. The path to some possible mud pots being unfortunately blocked by a roaming bison, we made one more stop in hopes of finding some mud pots. West Thumb Geyser Basin featured a miniature volcano with mud bubbling out the top.

Our adventurous brother-in-law Nate took us on an adventurous journey on a dirt road that took us out of the Park and beyond. After a couple of hours of beautiful forest scenery we traded the bumpy ride for fields of hay and alfalfa – and an amazing view of the Tetons.

Up next - Yellowstone: The Wildlife