Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ser
(
Click here
a
nd
Click here
)
. The road climbs past Scaup Lake, the Spring Creek Pic-
nic Area (site of the park's biggest stagecoach robbery in 1908) and the Continental
Divide Trailhead before reaching
Isa Lake
at Craig Pass (8262ft).
Craig Pass
is an unassuming spot of deep significance. Lily-choked Isa Lake sits
astride both the road and the
Continental Divide
and in spring drains (or rather seeps) in-
to both the Atlantic and Pacific drainages. The west side of the lake drains year-round into
the Firehole River, which flows into the Missouri and Mississippi before finally reaching
the Atlantic
to the east;
the east side (in spring only) flows into Shoshone Lake and then
the Lewis, Snake and Columbia rivers and thus the Pacific Ocean
to the west
. The lake
was named after Isabelle Jelke, the first park tourist to visit the lake, and it freezes solid in
winter under around 15ft of snow.
From the pass, the road descends to the
DeLacy Creek
Picnic Area and Trailhead (see
the hike description
Click here
)
and shortly afterward offers a tantalizing sliver of a view
towards remote Shoshone Lake. From here the road ascends back across the Continental
Divide (8391ft), before finally descending to excellent views of Yellowstone Lake and the
turnoff to West Thumb. See
Click here
f
or routes onward from here.
Bechler Region
Visitors must go out of their way to find the Bechler region. Located in the remote south-
west area of the park, it cannot be reached via the main entrance points or loops. Known
for its numerous waterfalls and the park's highest rainfall, the remote Bechler (
Beck
-ler)
region, also known as Beckler Corner or Cascade Corner, is largely the preserve of hardy
backpackers, outfitters and horseback riders who brave flooded streams, monster mosqui-
toes and boggy marshland to access beautiful backcountry with the park's largest water-
falls and outstanding thermal soaking springs. The 8000-hectare meadow is home to di-
verse wildlife, including sandhill cranes, moose and coyotes. Early-season visits are im-
practical here - trails are often flooded into July and mosquitoes are often brutal along the
river until the beginning of August.
Visitors en route to a hike in the region or traveling Grassy Lake Rd might want to de-
tour by car or foot to the Cave Falls cascades and swimming hole (
Click here
)
.
Bechler is accessed via Bechler Ranger Station or Cave Falls Trailhead, both off the
mostly unpaved Cave Falls Rd via US 20, 26 miles from Ashton, Idaho, itself a two-hour
drive from West Yellowstone, Montana, via ID Hwy 47 and Marysville Rd. Alternative
approaches include coming from Driggs, Idaho, to the south (joining US 20) or the brutal,
unpaved Grassy Lake Rd/Reclamation Rd, from the turnoff just north of Flagg Ranch,
