Yellowstone National Park

These are the last photos from the tour of Yellowstone National Park that I'll be posting. They are, starting with the first inset, a photo of the Firehole River north of Firehole Cascades, a photo of the cascades where the river drops into Firehole Canyon, a photo of Firehole Falls, and finally this photo of the Firehole River Swimming area. After passing the cascades and near the west entrance road where we began our tour, one arrives at the entrance to Firehole Canyon Drive, a one-way road that heads south again and comes out at the cascades. Along the way are the Firehole Falls and this swimming area. We've often gone there in the summer when it is hot. There is a quiet area and further up an area where one can jump into the river and float down a short series of cascades.

These are the Firehole Falls along the Firehole River Drive on the west side of Yellowstone National Park.

This is the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park between Fountain Paint Pots and the west entrance road. At this point it is a shallow and placid river but a bit north drops into Firehole Canyon where it become much deeper and wilder.

At the end of and across the road from Firehole Lake Drive is Fountain Paint Pots, the last of the geyser basins we will be visiting. From the parking area the boardwalk leads through an area of runoff and dead trees, killed by geothermal activity..

These trees have been killed by geothermal activity. They are near the parking area at Fountain Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park.

These trees, killed by geothermal activity, are near the parking area for Fountain Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. Some of the Lower Geyser Basin is visible in the background.

This is hot runoff water from Celestine Pool in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. The area is called the Fountain Paint Pots for its colored pots of boiling mud.

Firehole Lake Drive, a short one-way road, is on the lower west side of Yellowstone National Park. At the far end of the road are three spring-fed lakes, this one, Firehole Lake, which drains into Black Warrior Lake and that into Hot Lake. The geysers here are Young Hopeful on the right and Artesia in the back. We are in San Antonio, Texas, and visited the Alamo twice yesterday, the second time at night, and are leaving shortly to bike the mission trail, visiting missions Concepion, San Juan, San Jose, and Espada. It is a beautiful, sunny day here, about 70F (21C). We'll take some snacks along and will be gone all day.

This is Firehole Lake and Artesia Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. They are along the Firehole Lake Drive on Yellowstone's lower west side.