Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1.5-mile (2.4 km) round trip trail for biking and hiking, called the
Superintendent's
campground road,
follows Indian Creek south just after the creek crossing. It's a good place
to see birds, elk, and moose. There's an isolated walk-in campsite at the end of the road.
Indian Creek was named in 1878, when Hayden expedition members noticed the travois
marks left by the annual trek of the Bannock tribe.
9.9/11.1
Largest of several Willow Park turnouts for accessing Obsidian Creek. Yel-
lowstone has some 20 varieties of willows. Since moose love willows, this is said to be a favor-
ite spot for them, but a frequent visitor recently quipped, “They need to take down the signs
so the moose will come back there!”
Beaver are known to live in Willow Park, but your chances of seeing one are not good, ex-
cept at dawn or dusk.
Obsidian Creek here meanders along its gentle, clear-watered course through the wide
meadow. It's uniformly 6 to 8 (2 m) feet wide or less and not very deep. This is another good
fishing spot.
10.6/10.4
Moose Bogs. Large parking area with interpretive sign about moose and short
trail to the creek. You can see both Mount Holmes and Dome Mountain from here.
11.0/10.0
Apollinaris Spring picnic area on the west (not signed going south).
Visit the spring across the road.
11.1/9.9 Apollinaris Spring
on the east. Limited roadside parking, more in the picnic area.
The travertine masonry steps from 1925 take you to a charming spot with a cold-water spring,
named in the 1880s after a German spring water that is still being sold.
This water contains minute amounts of several chemicals and was thought by early park
visitors to be healthful, but it does not comply with current standards for drinking water. In
fact, officials recommend that you don't drink from any untreated spring, lake, or river in the
park due to the danger of contracting
giardiasis
(pronounced gee-ar-DI-a-sis), an intestinal
disease.
