Last Yellowstone Day

On Thursday we got in the car and headed out to circle the park on the Grand Loop Road.  This took us up past the north rim of the Canyon where we got more views of the Falls and even spottted a young eagle on a very protected pinnacle-top nest.

We drove on up through heavy bison land to Mammoth Hot Springs and marveled at the palette of colors produced by generations of calcium laden hot water as it evaporated leaving behind pools of wet color.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Then it was down the west side of the loop with a very fortunate stop at Artists’ Paint Pots.  Many people miss the sign and drive past this short walk to a cluster of bubbling pools of great color variety ranging from pure white to pinks and blues.  We felt that we had found a secret favorite spot.

Just one of the Artists’ Paint Pots.

Our last stop of the afternoon was at the Grand Prismatic Spring, a gigantic circular pool that not only  displays its own range of yellow-orange-brown-blue colors but also sends a multicolored waterfall down into the Firehole River.

Grand Prismatic Spring.

We ended the day with dinner at Old Faithful Inn and our last great campfire back at the campground.  Tomorrow we are off to the Grand Tetons.