Yellowstone

National Parks Panoramas Photography Wyoming Yellowstone

Midway Geyser Basin Panorama, Yellowstone

Midway Geyser Basin is one of my favorite parts of Yellowstone National Park. Early mornings and cold days are great here. The Firehole River steams as it flows through the basin, and numerous hot springs on either side of the river create shifting fogs and mists. In this panorama, formed…

adminFebruary 8, 2009

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Elk Photos

It's the time of year when the bugling of rutting elk echoes around Yellowstone National Park. Here is our collection of elk photos (Cervus candensis), all from Yellowstone National Park, most taken in the fall during the elk rut but a few in summer as the elk antlers are still…

adminSeptember 1, 2008

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Elk Flehmen Response

This bull elk (Cervus candensis) had a fine harem of females along the Madison River. He was bugling often and loudly, raising his head and lowering his antler rack behind him as he did so. Note how the bull's upper lip is curled back. This is an example of the…

adminDecember 6, 2007

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Photos of Yellowstone Elk

Ok, here is the last photo of the bull elk (Cervus candensis) that I photographed just outside Mammoth Hot Springs. Bull elk in sage brush with large rack of antlers during the fall rut (mating season). This bull elk has sparred with other bulls to establish his harem of females…

adminDecember 1, 2007

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Bull Elk in Sage

Here is another look at the fine bull elk (Cervus candensis) I spent an afternoon photographing near Mammoth Hot Springs. Bull elk in sage brush with large rack of antlers during the fall rut (mating season). This bull elk has sparred with other bulls to establish his harem of females…

adminNovember 30, 2007

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Bugling Elk at Mammoth Hot Springs

The bull elk (Cervus candensis) I photographed one afternoon near Mammoth Hot Springs is seen here bugling, an audible cue and a form of posturing intended for both his harem of females and nearby males, meant to establish his dominance and access rights to the females and warn other males…

adminNovember 29, 2007

Elk National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Mammoth Elk Photos

After spending a few days in the Madison River area looking at the elk (Cervus candensis) herds there, I drive over to Mammoth Hot Springs. The bulls are bigger and have nicer antler racks there, so I have heard, but they need to be outside of town to get good…

adminNovember 28, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of a Moose in Snow

We found this moose (Alces alces) beside Soda Butte Creek, between the Lamar Valley and the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. A male moose, bull moose, on snow covered field, near Cooke City. Image ID: 19680 Species: Moose, Alces alces Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

adminNovember 27, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Madison River Coyote in Snow

I spotted this coyote (Canis latrans) before sunrise one morning along the Madison River on the western edge of Yellowstone National Park. I was looking for elk but the bulls with their harems were not out in the meadows, preferring the cover of the trees. This fellow caught my eye…

adminNovember 26, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is one of the principal geothermal areas of Yellowstone National Park. Loaded with fumeroles, steaming hot springs, geysers and other generally hot-as-hell nasty holes in the ground, Norris Geyser Basin is best seen on a cool morning when it billows forth steam. The two photos below are…

adminNovember 7, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of a Coyote Hunting Voles

The meadows around Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park are a good place to look for coyotes (Canis latrans) hunting voles. This coyote was found working the tall grass. He would stalk quietly through the grass, stop and listen, poise, leap high and and drop on his prey. Brutally…

adminNovember 6, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Coyote at Sheepeater Cliffs

I usually stop once or twice at Sheepeater Cliffs while in Yellowstone National Park, hoping to photograph the yellow-bellied marmots that are found there. This time I was disappointed: it was too late in the year and they had gone to ground for the winter, and I could not find…

adminNovember 5, 2007

National Parks Stories Wyoming Yellowstone

Watching Wolves with Laurie Lyman

Update 12/28/07: Wow! This morning Laurie was pictured and quoted in an Associated Press article about the trend of people moving to western states such as Montana and Wyoming, appearing in newspapers throughout the United States. Our main motivation for visiting Yellowstone National Park this past October was to find…

adminNovember 4, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Grand Prismatic Spring in Winter

One of my favorite places in Yellowstone National Park is Midway Geyser basin. Here two of the largest geothermal features in the entire world lie just yards from one another: Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser. These two huge holes in the ground are filled with superheated water, direct links…

adminNovember 3, 2007

Brown Bear National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of a Grizzly Bear in Snow

A few days into my Yellowstone National Park trip I found the ursine suspect in a double murder case. I was not looking for bears, rather just cruising around and admiring all parts of the park, and I was lucky to stumble upon him and get off a few good…

adminNovember 2, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Yellowstone Deer Photos

In October I was in Yellowstone National Park primarily to see and photograph the elk rut. However, my daughter's 3rd grade teacher now lives in Gardner, MT and spends her time studying the wolves, so I made a several drives up to the Lamar Valley to see her and check…

adminNovember 1, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Snow, Grass and Fire Trees

Near the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park is a stand of fire-scorched trees, or "fire trees" as our younger daughter named them during her first visit to the park five years ago. The ground surrounding a section of these trees is often steaming, hinting at the subterranean warmth…

adminOctober 31, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces and Dead Trees

We spent time checking out the travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, in the northwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park. Several thousand pounds of calcium carbonate, carried in solution from the hot springs that bubble up through thick limestone, are deposited onto the enormous terraces each day. As the terrace…

adminOctober 30, 2007

Brown Bear National Parks Wildlife Wyoming Yellowstone

Yellowstone Grizzly Kills Two Other Bears

Shortly before my visit to Yellowstone National Park this fall to photograph elk, I learned that not one but two female grizzly bears had been killed, presumably by other bears. Fratricide among adult grizzlies is not particularly unusual, but two killings within days of one another is strange. Since both…

adminOctober 29, 2007

Funny National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Poor Table Manners

Never went to finishing school: Bison. Image ID: 19610 Species: American bison, Bison bison Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA Because its there. A lick in time saves nine. A boog in hand is worth two in the nose.

adminOctober 28, 2007

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Crested Pool, Yellowstone National Park

Crested Pool, in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, lies just steps away from Castle Geyser. Crested Pool extends 42 feet deep and is constantly superheated, achieving temperatures to at least 237Â°F. Crested Pool is always at least boiling and occasionally domes to heights of 10 feet. In…

adminApril 15, 2006

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park

Morning Glory Pool, one of the most popular and beautiful pools in Yellowstone National Park, earned its name in the 1880's due to its deep blue coloration and likeness to the Morning Glory flower. Morning Glory Pool was once reached by car, bringing it fame as one of the first…

adminApril 14, 2006

Grand Teton National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Visiting Yellowstone National Park

Following are some thoughts about a first visit to Yellowstone National Park. Avoid Mid-Summer If Possible I recommend avoiding the summer crowds by visiting before school lets out in June or after Labor Day. While I have not found summer crowds at Yellowstone to be a major problem (like they…

adminMarch 3, 2006

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Artist Point, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 7 Artist Point is a popular and dramatic spot to view Yellowstone Falls. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone lies before you with its steep cliffs and striking yellow-orange-pink colors, the result iron oxidation and sulfur in the soil. The Yellowstone River churns at the bottom of…

adminSeptember 23, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Yellowstone Falls from Lookout Point, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 6 Yellowstone Falls marks the point at which the Yellowstone River plunges 308 feet into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It is a spectacular waterfall, one of the highlights Yellowstone National Park. (Actually, there are two falls, Upper Yellowstone Falls and Lower Yellowstone Falls, within a…

adminSeptember 16, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Gibbon Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 5 Gibbon Falls, on the Gibbon River between Madison Junction and Norris Geyser Basin, is one of the most stunning waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park. Gibbon Falls marks the point at which the Gibbon River flows off Yellowstone's northern escarpment and drops into the Park's lower volcanic…

adminSeptember 15, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Castle Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 4 Castle Geyser is, after Old Faithful Geyser, perhaps the most-viewed of the large predictable geysers in Yellowstone National Park. Castle Geyser is a short, easy walk from the Old Faithful Inn, and is well predicted with intervals of about 10 hours. Since Castle Geyser stands in…

adminSeptember 14, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Grand Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 4 Grand Geyser is one of tallest geysers in the world, and the tallest predictable one. It is amazing, reaching heights of 200' and often erupting simultaneously with Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser, both of which are very near to Grand Geyser and are connected to it…

adminSeptember 13, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Lion Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 4 Lion Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park along the Geyser Hill boardwalk, was a lucky happenstance for me. Lion Geyser, part of the Lion Group which includes a few other geysers, is difficult to observe since it is not one of geysers…

adminSeptember 12, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Riverside Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 3 Riverside Geyser is our favorite geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Riverside Geyser lies right at the edge of the Firehole River. It is a cone-type geyser with a tight, hose-like flow angling out over the river and reaching heights of 80' or more. Low afternoon light…

adminSeptember 11, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Daisy Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 3 Daisy Geyser is one of the most accessible and impressive geysers in Yellowstone National Park. Daisy Geyser is in the Upper Geyser Basin and is reached by an easy paved foot and bike path from the Old Faithful Inn area. The park rangers include Daisy Geyser…

adminSeptember 10, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Pink Cone Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 3 Pink Cone Geyser lies along Firehole Lake Drive in the Lower Geyser Basin area of Yellowstone National Park, between White Dome Geyser and Firehole Lake, on the left as you drive along. Pink Cone Geyser is a small cone-type geyser whose eruptions, though widely spaced at…

adminSeptember 9, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 2 White Dome Geyser lies along Firehole Lake Drive in the Lower Geyser Basin area of Yellowstone National Park. White Dome Geyser is a cone-type geyser whose eruption, through a narrow opening of about 6 inches, reaches heights of 30' (10m). It erupts relatively frequently -- sometimes…

adminSeptember 8, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 2 Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is an enormous and colorful example of thriving thermophilic bacteria. The temperature of the water in Grand Prismatic Spring cools as it moves outward from the spring's center. Different species of thermophilic bacteria occupy different areas of the spring…

adminSeptember 7, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Lewis Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 2 Lewis Falls is between the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park and Grant Village, just before Lewis Lake. A short trail ends near the 30-foot falls, but to view the falls from the riverside one must leave the trail and hop down an embankment. Lewis Falls…

adminSeptember 6, 2005

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Moose Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip: Day 2 Moose Falls is at the southern edge of Yellowstone National Park, just inside the south entrance for visitors arriving from Grand Teton National Park. The falls are just a few yards off the highway, indicated by a small sign and a turnout for parking. They are…

adminSeptember 4, 2005

Icons National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park is such an icon that photos of it have become cliche. It is the most accessible and watched of all the geysers in the park. However, it is still a wonderful sight to behold regardless of how many people have seen it before…

adminMarch 10, 2005

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