Our last full day in Yellowstone and we covered a lot of territory. After a quick breakfast at the grill, we drove towards Tower-Roosevelt. We stopped at Undine Falls then a bit farther up the road, we took an unpaved side road, Blacktail Plateau Drive, which was one of the original roads into the park. It turned out to be a good choice because about midway through, we found a car stopped in the road. They had spotted a black bear up on the side of the hill. We watched for a while with only 3 other cars backed up behind us. No way could you do that on the main roads! Also saw a couple of deer cross in front of us – much like we see at home.
We did a drive-by of the Petrified Tree then headed on to Canyon. After a stop for road construction, we went to see Tower Fall, (no “s”, the only waterfall in the park without one). Love the waterfalls! Drove past Mt. Washburn through Dunraven Pass, lots of beautiful (and steep) scenic views.
Since we hadn't made many stops, we decided to head down into Hayden Valley. The bison were out in full force! We also saw a coyote at a convenient location to pull off the road and watch. It was a good wildlife day for sure.
After a quick stop at the Mud Volcano area, it was time for lunch and we found a beautiful picnic area beside the Yellowstone River. If we had more time, it would have been an ideal spot to just sit and watch the river for a while.
At this point, it was time to turn back to Mammoth. Once there, we decided to ride out to the northern entrance to see the Roosevelt Arch. “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people” - words from the Act of Congress that set aside Yellowstone as a protected place. Heading back into the park, we stopped to watch sheep (one taking a stroll in the road) in the edge of the river.
For our last evening in Yellowstone, we had dinner at the hotel dining room then watched the elk for a while. A good ending to a great few days.
Yellowstone is an amazing place. You can drive through a geyser basin, then a pine forest, then you're on the side of a mountain, then a sagebrush plain. The rivers, the animals, the history, it surrounds you at all times. And we only scratched the surface. Hopefully, we will return!
A few pics from the day:
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| Bison in Hayden Valley |
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| Coyote in Hayden Valley |
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| Roosevelt Arch |
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| Pardon me, coming through |
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| Yellowstone River picnic |
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| Undine Falls |
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| Black Bear |
Nice photo of the 2 of you at the Roosevelt Arch - it might look nice in a small frame. Just saying. :)
ReplyDeleteYou set a fine picnic table - isn't eating outside with breathtaking scenery wonderful?