Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
farther along the road on the right. Researchers believe prehistoric peoples used and perhaps
altered it. Tree sections dam up the spring, creating surprisingly regular sides. Thermal areas
to the right and left of the road are closed to all visitation.
(2.1) Parking area for Firehole Lake and its associated hot springs (sometimes called
Black Warrior Springs).
Take the boardwalk to the left of the road—and the left branch of the boardwalk—to ex-
perience being close to the
Hot Cascades
of water from
Steady Geyser
and see the black and
red-brown algal streamers under the bridge. Steady Geyser is a perpetual spouter that may be
the world's largest, sometimes erupting to 15 feet (4.6 m). In this area the small oval or scal-
loped formations
(geyser eggs)
are made of travertine rather than geyserite.
Pink Cone's deposits are tinted by manganese compounds.
At your left is
Hot Lake,
which is primarily a collecting basin rather than a lake but may
have hot springs within it. The outlet (western end) of Hot Lake is cool enough for Canada
geese to swim on it. They sometimes nest on grassy hummocks next to the lake. The lake cre-
ated by Steady Geyser's runoff is
Black Warrior Lake,
named for its unusual dark olive green
or almost black lining.
