Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Continue past Steady Geyser and cross the road to take the other boardwalk along
Fire-
hole Lake
and its several spouting springs. Firehole Lake, like Firehole Spring (at 0.8 mile on
this side road), got its name from the blue flamelike appearance of the large steam bubbles
you can often see rising from within it.
Three small geysers on the edge of Firehole Lake may be erupting when you're here.
Nearest the road are the many vents of
Young Hopeful Geyser,
erupting almost perpetually
from two craters, which formed when it underwent a steam explosion in the 1970s. Close to
Young Hopeful is
Gray Bulger Geyser.
Its numerous small vents constantly spray water or
emit steam, making an entertaining racket. Farthest from the road is
Artesia Geyser,
whose
eruptions are usually under 5 feet (1.5 m) high.
(3.3) Junction with Grand Loop Road. Opposite is the parking area for the Fountain Paint
Pot area. Turn left for Old Faithful, right for Madison Junction.
Black Water and Travertine
Why are Firehole Lake and some of the nearby springs black? There are large amounts of
manganese oxide being deposited, more than anywhere else in the park. In fact, George
Henderson, tour guide in the 1880s and '90s, liked to call this part of the Firehole River
Valley “Ebony Basin.”
Around Firehole Lake, the mineral
travertine,
which is
calcium carbonate
in the form
deposited by hot springs, is deposited along with geyserite. This is unusual, because in all
but four of the park's thermal areas, the geysers and hot springs deposit only geyserite. At
Mammoth Hot Springs, the terraces are made entirely of travertine. The only other easily
accessible area where both minerals are deposited is the Terrace Spring area near Madison
Junction. Look for the egglike travertine formations that exist in both Black Warrior and
Firehole Lakes.
Continuing on the Grand Loop Road 9.5/7.5
Just south of a quiet meadow
(unofficially called Whiskey Flats) is Whiskey Flats picnic area. Yellowstone Park sign maker
Virgil Hall gave up making “Whiskey Flats” signs, when 18 of them were stolen in less than
two years' time!
9.9/7.1
Midway Geyser Basin.
