September 23…. Mammoth Hot Springs

As mentioned previously, Yellowstone NP is enormous. From our campsite, Mammoth is one of the farthest areas in the park at over 90 minutes. We made the trek.

Yellowstone National Park was the very first designated national park in the United States, in 1872. In those days, there was no National Park Service, so the management and protection of the park was handed to the Army. Mammoth is one of the originally settled areas in the park, and you can see a definite Army influence. The remaining buildings, barracks, the officers housing, and the overall organization of the settlement is very “army base” like. Since then, a lodge and general store and cafe have been added but the vibe hasn’t changed.

But the draw to that area is the hot springs, another thermal area of the park.

Perched on a hillside just outside the settlement area is a massive cascade of travertine just running down the hill.

As the water percolates up from below, it dissolves all kinds of minerals which get deposited on the hill as the water trickles downward. Over the years, multiple levels build as pools form and break free.

We explored the lower part of the hill and then headed out of the park to visit Gardiner MT, just outside the gate. Small town, not much to it, completely based on tourism as people stay or pass through to YNP.

One cool thing out there is the actual gateway to Yellowstone National Park. A huge stone archway built in 1903, named The Roosevelt Arch, cornerstone laid by Teddy Roosevelt himself. Teddy was a huge proponent of the national park system, creating 5 new national parks and 18 new national monuments, the most of any president in history.