Yellowstone & Grand Teton Travel Guide
Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs
The Yellowstone & Grand Teton Travel Guide is a resource for those planning to tour Yellowstone National Park and/or Grand Teton National Park. The adjacent national parks are typically visited at the same time and offer very different experiences. Yellowstone offers the world's largest concentration of thermal features such as geysers and hot pools. Grand Teton features one of the world's most spectacular mountain ranges. Both parks offer outstanding opportunities to view wildlife. Using the Interactive MapPlace your mouse pointer on any KEY item (purple or black boxes) or place name on the map. A brief description will appear. Click on the box for a link to detailed information. For easiest use, scroll map to top. Detailed Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park Map in separate window. 
Mammoth Hot SpringsThe Mammoth Hot Springs differ greatly from the geysers and hot pools further south in the park. The presence of limestone in the area, along with a major fault line delivering hot water to the Mammoth area has allowed the creation of a vast area of hot springs, travertine terraces and travertine flows. Limestone is readily and rapidly dissolved by hot water, creating travertine. Also, the area can be very colorful with bacteria in the pools and travertine stained by other minerals. The hot springs are very dynamic. Old hot water fissures may go dormant while new ones start up. Springs that have been dormant for years may become active again. New travertine formations build up extremely quickly. The rapidly shifting activity cause some springs to appear dead. However the location of springs and the rate of flow actually changes daily; on-again-off-again is the rule, not the exception. However the overall volume of water discharged by all of the springs fluctuates little. The Lower Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs can be explored as a self-guided tour on about a mile of boardwalks. The most beautiful and popular formation, Minerva Terrace, is displayed at the top of this page. The terrace has gone through active and inactive periods over the years. When it is very active, the boardwalks can become quickly buried in travertine. The bizarre Liberty Cap, near the north end of the trail, is a 37 foot tall hot spring cone. The Upper Terraces can be explored on a narrow, one-way road (no trailers, vehicles under 25 feet long). The Mammoth area also includes Historic Fort Yellowstone. The park was administered and protected by the U.S. army from 1886 until the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. Because of the permanent nature of the mission, the fort's buildings were constructed to last permanently. Some are still in use to this day. Self-guided tours are available. 
The are numerous good hiking trails in the area, ranging from one to 11 miles. The Beaver Ponds Loop Trail starts by the Liberty Cap and ends near the hotel and runs five moderate miles. The trail passes through meadowland, aspen stands, and past the beaver ponds. There is therefore an excellent chance to see a variety of wildlife such as elk, deer, pronghorn, and possibly black bear. Also, there are excellent mountain views. A link to the Mammoth hiking guide is provided below. Wildlife is excellent in the area. The campground is adjacent to grazing land. Elk, deer, and pronghorn often graze close to or through the campsites. Elk are especially prevalent, particularly in the fall rut when the bugling reverberates throughout the area. 
Helpful links
Services in areaFood and Lodging at Mammoth
Camping at Mammoth
Nearest Visitor CenterAlbright Visitor Center and Museum is located in Mammoth Hot Springs. The rustic building was originally part of Fort Yellowstone and was once the bachelor officers' quarters. Includes visitor desk, backcountry office, theater, and Yellowstone Association book store. The museum focuses on area history but also displays the Moran Gallery of watercolors and the Jackson Gallery of photography. Both men were part of the 1871 expedition which discovered Yellowstone. Other services in areaFood services, medical clinic, general stores, gift shops, gas station, post office, picnic area. Yellowstone National Park Guide Index
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Books
Frommer's Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks
by Eric Peterson
All the up-to-date practical information and candid insider advice you need to have the perfect park vacation. 
Hiking Yellowstone National Park
by Bill Schneider
This thoroughly revised and updated guide features 109 hikes in Yellowstone National Park. Readers will find detailed maps, field-checked information on all of the trails, elevation charts, difficulty ratings, and ratings and information on backcountry camping. Photography
Oxbow Bend View by Gerald Allen
Grand Teton's famed vista at sunrise. Excellent large format.
Prince of Wales Hotel by Gerald Allen
Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada. Excellent large format. Buy This Print! Related Pages
The three great national parks of the Rockies are Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier. These parks highlight the northern Rockies.
Glacier NP Travel Guide Location
Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, directly north of Grand Teton National Park. Route US-191 runs through the park, about 250 miles north of Interstate-80, as does US-89, about 75 miles south of Interstate-94. Grand Teton National Park is located in northwest Wyoming, directly south of Yellowstone National Park. Route US-191 runs through the park, about 210 miles north of Interstate-80. Local Weather
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