Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10.2/11.3 Lewis Falls
parking along the road at both ends of the Lewis River bridge. At
the falls the flow of the Lewis River turns sharply from south to east. A rocky climb to the top
of the falls on the upstream side of the bridge provides a pleasant short hike.
The river is gradually cutting down through the Pitchstone Plateau lavas that filled the Yel-
lowstone Caldera to overflowing in this area. The presence of black shiny obsidian shows that
the lava cooled too fast to form crystals. Lewis Falls is approximately at the caldera's southern
boundary.
Lewis Falls drops about 30 feet (9 m).
East of the bridge, the river turns south again. The wide, calm river in its peaceful meadow
gives no hint of the deep canyon it's scouring a few miles downstream. Soggy meadows like
this one are good places to find moose, who love to browse standing in water.
11.4/10.1
A short side road to the west leads to
Lewis Lake Camp-
ground,
picnic area, and boat launch site. The campground has 85 sites available on a first-
come, first-served basis. here are no showers here. Ironically, this campground may be closed
early in the summer due to excess water.
Lewis Lake formed where the rocks of the caldera rim resisted erosion by the Lewis River,
creating a natural dam. The lake is about 3 miles (4 km) long and nearly as wide, with a max-
imum depth of 108 feet (33 m). Anglers catch unusually large nonnative lake trout and brown
trout here.
The lake was named for Captain Meriwether Lewis of the famous 1803-6 Lewis and Clark
Expedition. Although the men did not enter the park's territory, the expedition added a great
deal to the knowledge of the vast American west and bestirred the public's curiosity about it.
All types of boats up to 40 feet in length are permitted on Lewis Lake. A popular option is
to launch a canoe here and follow the western shore of the lake to the channel that connects
