Distance: Fairy Falls - 5 miles, Monument Geyser Basin - 1.8 miles, Ice Lake - 4 miles
Rating: Fairy Falls - easy, Monument Geyser Basin - strenuous, Ice Lake - moderate
Day three in Yellowstone saw us returning to the heart of the park and several interesting locations inside the caldera region. Our itinerary included Fairy Falls, Monument Geyser Basin, and Ice Lake. All told, we covered about 12 miles between three different hikes on a day that saw some wild variations in the weather. We woke up to a thunder storm (something we don’t usually experience in Denver) which continued on through about the first mile of our hike. In the afternoon, warm conditions prevailed just in time for the steepest hike of the day. Another storm whipped up in the afternoon, creating one of the eeriest experiences I’ve ever had on a hike.
Our first stop for the day was Fairy Falls. This is an easy five mile hike with virtually no elevation gain or loss. The trailhead, just off of Grand Loop Rd, accesses a dirt road that acts as the trail for the first third of the hike. The road passes between a forested area
to the west and southern part of Midway Geyser Basin to the east. There are a few small active springs along the right side of the road. Continuing north, the main thermal features of Midway Geyser Basin come into view (see my Geyser Basin Tour entry). The trail eventually branches off from the road and enters the forest to the west. This was one of the areas that were hard hit by the 1988 fire that wiped out hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. However, like most of the affected areas, the forest around Fairy Falls has come a long way in the last 19 years. Young pine trees are quickly filling in the gaps left behind by the burned out husks. There are still many dead trees littering the landscape, but the forest is clearly rebounding. The trail eventually turns back to the south and hits the falls at about 2.5 miles. The water of Fairy Falls starts out as a relatively thin stream cutting into the cliffs above. As it hits the rocks below, the water spreads out into a beautiful fan-like pattern, making this look a lot like a tropical setting.
The next stop was
Monument Geyser Basin. Situated on a hillside along the banks of the Gibbon River, Monument is a relatively small basin with only a handful of active mud pots and vents. The trailhead is along the west side of Grand Loop Rd, a few miles south of Norris Geyser Basin. Although it is less than 2 miles roundtrip, the hike up to the basin is relatively difficult, as it climbs steeply the entire way. Along the way, there are some very nice views to the north of the winding Gibbon River and the mountains of the Gallatin Range. The trail flattens out for about the last tenth of a mile before ending at the geyser basin. Monument gets its name from several unusually-shaped vents and structures built from the minerals deposited by the geothermal features. One structure in particular has the appearance of a chimney, complete with emanating puffs of steam. Just off the trail to the south is a stone outcropping that acts as a nice overlook for the valley carved out by the Gibbon River.
Our third and final hike for the day took us around Ice Lake, just north of Virginia Cascade (see the Geyser Basin Tour
entry) along Norris Canyon Rd. The hike around Ice Lake is very pretty and surprisingly isolated given its proximity to a major thoroughfare. The lake itself is quite pretty and is surrounded by pine forest. Like Fairy Falls, Ice Lake is in an area that was severely affected by the 1988 fire, and there are still many burned-out trees standing along the trail. The skeletal remains of the old forest helped to create one of the strangest (and downright creepiest) experiences I’ve ever had on a trail. A short time into the hike, a strong wind storm blew in. At first, we thought we were hearing crying voices until we realized that the sound was actually the result of the wind interacting with the dead trees. Making matters worse, we also heard numerous loud snaps and crashes, presumably from the dead trees being knocked over by the strong wind. The intense sounds created an almost haunted feeling to the hike. The trail itself is relatively flat with a few short sections of moderate climbing. Overall, this is an easy 4 mile hike that loops around the lake. On the east side of Ice Lake, a stream has carved out a
shallow canyon with another set of falls (Little Gibbon Falls). Here, we came close to a female elk and her calf grazing in the lush grass along the stream. As the trail begins to head back towards the south, it enters a wide open field where we were treated to another elk encounter. This time, we saw one charge out of a copse of trees. In mid stride, the elk stopped and stared at us before taking off into the forest. The trail climbs gradually and passes in and out of unburned forest before ending at Norris Canyon Rd. The last half mile to the parking lot is along the side of the road.
All three of the hikes mentioned here are quite exposed, so rain gear and sun screen are highly recommended. Of the three, Fairy Falls appears to be the most popular hike. It attracted a substantial amount of foot traffic despite the bad weather in the morning.
Directions: From Canyon Village, heading west, Ice Lake is the closest stop. It is 3.5 miles east of the Norris area on the north (right) side of the road. From the Norris area, head south for 5 miles
to the Monument Geyser Basin trailhead, which is on the west (right) side of Grand Loop Rd. Finally, Fairy Falls can be found along Grand Loop Rd, 1 mile south of Midway Geyser Basin.
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