Yellowstone. The US' first national park, probably also the most famous, perhaps largely due to Yogi Bear.
Yellowstone is a volcano. A really, really big volcano. According to Roadside Geology of Wyoming, an eruption two million years ago was unlike any other geologic event in recorded human history. The Mt. St. Helens eruption was "trivial" by comparison. The Yellowstone eruption blew ash over a very large portion of North America. Other evidence suggests that this volcano could be headed for another eruption. Best to go see it now.
The volcanic activity in Yellowstone results from a fissure in the earth's crust, probably caused by an asteroid impact. The impact seems to have happened in eastern Oregon. As the North American plate moved over the resulting hot spot, the volcanic activity moved through an area across southern Idaho and now into Wyoming known as the Snake River Plain.
Yellowstone is more than just a place to see fascinating dynamic geology (although it's probably the best place in the US for that outside of Hawai'i). Yellowstone is also a land of stunning beauty. The scenery, both geothermal and erosional, is extraordinary. It's also an incredible place to see wildlife of all kinds--large animals come right up to the road. There's a reason this place is so popular.
Old Faithful, the most famous spot in Yellowstone.
West Thumb, a loop around a small caldera.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, one of the most beautiful places.
Norris Geyser Basin, a fascinating geothermal plain.
Mammoth Hot Springs, known for the stunning beauty of travertine terrace development. (You'll see.)
I'm including on this page a few shots from places along the road where we stopped that were not part of any more major attraction.
At one point, we saw a coyote crossing the road, and Eric told me to grab the camera and take a picture, but, as he was braking, the seat belt wouldn't let me lean forward to grab the camera, which was on the floor in front of me. It just trapped me completely, and I couldn't move at all until the coyote had darted off into a nearby streambed. After that, I referred to the seat belt as the "coyote photography prevention device."
While Yellowstone's beauty was amazing and its geothermal features fascinating, honestly, by the time we left, we had had quite enough of the crowds and were ready to be somewhere else. Other than the petrified trees at the Tower-Roosevelt area, which was rather far out of the way, we had seen all of the major areas of the park. With more time, we could have done some quieter, more out-of-the-way hikes. But, other than not having seen a bear, we didn't particularly feel like we had missed anything. It was tiring to see so much in under four days, but the experience was still superlative.
Distance driven: 763 km
Caches found: 26 total, 22 in and near Yellowstone
On to Glacier National Park.