Geology
A Rocky Mountain
© National Park Service
Located near the Madison River at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park,
West Yellowstone is tied to both the tourism base of the park - and it's geology.
Yellowstone represents an ancient "supervolcano". The collapsed surface of the volcano formed a wide caldera, or crater of sorts,
spanning many miles. The formation is made up of mountain ranges, large stretches of forest, and open valleys that drain into
both the eastern and western river systems on either side of the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains. Nearby rivers
include the Henry's Fork of the Snake River on the Pacific side, and the Madison River and Gallatin River on the Atlantic side. more info
Direct evidence of the ancient Yellowstone volcano can be seen in the thermal features in and around the park. Here the earth's crust is thin. Steam vents, geysers, boiling mud pots, and hot springs tell the tale of the earth's heat beneath the surface. The unique combination of rare geological features, soaring mountain peaks, rushing streams and trout-filled rivers, seemingly endless forest lands, and abundant wildlife make Yellowstone National Park a truly special place to visit.
55F
