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Published: April 4th 2008
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Distance: Yellowstone Falls ~ 2 miles, Mud Volcano ~ .5 mile, Natural Bridge ~ 3 miles
Rating: Yellowstone Falls - moderate, Mud Volcano - easy, Natural Bridge - easy
On our fourth and final day in Yellowstone we did a bit of recovering after the previous day’s hikes. We decided to hit the Upper and Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcano, and the Natural Bridge. All three of these stops are along the east side of the caldera zone and served as nice stops on our way south to the Grand Tetons.
During our four nights in Yellowstone, we stayed at the Canyon Campground which is a short distance from the spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Carved out by the Yellowstone River, this canyon gets its name from the oxidized iron that lines its walls. The most popular section of the canyon is in the area surrounding the spectacular Upper and Lower Falls. The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River is one of the most photographed and painted sites in the entire park. Unfortunately, one of the most famous vantage points for viewing the falls—Artist Point—was closed off during our visit. There is,
however, an approximately two mile series of mostly paved trails that lead to observation points above both sets of falls. Starting at Lookout Point, the path runs along the edge of the canyon before descending steeply down to the 300 ft tall Lower Falls. From this vantage point, the water running over the edge of the falls is absolutely mesmerizing. In places, the water takes on a deep green hue, presumably caused by obstructions under the surface. After climbing back up to the top of the canyon, the trail heads west and begins to descend again towards the 110 ft tall Upper Falls. The Upper Falls are actually visible for a time along the higher levels of the trail. As it descends, the trail passes over a smaller set of falls from a tributary stream feeding into the Yellowstone. Although not as tall, the Upper Falls are just as impressive as their counterpart to the east. While this is a fairly short series of trails, the switchbacks leading down to the falls can be steep at times.
Our second stop for the day was the aptly-named Mud Volcano. This area gets its name from the series of mud pots
lining the hillside and surrounding meadows. Like most of the other popular geothermic areas, the Mud Volcano area is traversed using a series of boardwalks and paved paths. There is some stair-climbing to do along the way, but nothing too difficult along this 2/3 of a mile path. Due to the high acidity of the water in this area, Mud Volcano’s springs and mud pots lack the bright colors of other geyser basins. The highly acidic water takes on a light gray color rather than the greens and blues of other springs. Thanks to the high concentration of Hydrogen sulfide under the surface, the area tends to reek from an odor that is even more pungent than other active areas. Perhaps the most impressive feature in the area is Dragon Mouth Spring along the lower section of the boardwalk. This spring sits at the mouth of a cave that emits constant gurgling noises and puffs of smoke. In the late 90’s this spring’s water changed to its current gray color from its original green. The actual feature called the Mud Volcano was once an active mud geyser that shot its contents over the surrounding trees. However, some time during the
late 1800’s, the geyser’s cone apparently collapsed, leaving the boiling mud pot we see today. One of the more interesting aspects of our visit to Mud Volcano had nothing to do with the geothermic activity. This area is part of the broader grazing grounds of the park’s immense bison herd. One of my oldest memories of visiting Yellowstone twenty years ago is of bison roaming the paths along Mud Volcano. I remember the bison practically walking the paths with the tourists. Well, nearly the same thing happened again this time. As we climbed the boardwalk, a large bison could be seen roaming along the hill, scratching itself on the needles of a small pine tree.
Our final stop on our way out of the park was Natural Bridge. The path to the Natural Bridge is a pretty, but fairly unremarkable three mile stole through the forest. The bridge itself is an arch rock formation carved out by a small stream cascading over cliff. Technically, natural bridges are the result of water erosion, while arches are typically caused by wind. Either way, the formation process is about the same. Compared to the more famous arches found in the high desert
areas of Utah, this natural bridge leaves something to be desired. In fact, the park service has put up a sign near the bridge that shows just how unimpressive it is by comparison. On the whole, this was a nice opportunity to stretch our legs before heading south, but I wouldn’t suggest going out of the way to make this trip.
Directions: The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Upper and Lower Falls are all within a short distance of Canyon Village. The parking area for Lookout Point is along North Rim Road, which makes an arc from within Canyon Village to its connection with Grand Loop Rd. From Canyon Village, head south along Grand Loop Rd to the Sulfur Caldron and Mud Volcano areas. Grand Loop Rd continues south and follows the western shore of Yellowstone Lake. The trailhead for Natural Bridge is in the Bridge Bay area.
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