Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs

In this video, we show you the northern part of Yellowstone National Park. We start at the deep gorge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its impressive Yellowstone Falls, visit the colorful travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, and admire the abundant wildlife of Lamar Valley with its bison herds and grizzly bears.

Yellowstone is the world's first national park! Established on March 1, 1872, the park protects a geologically unique area: much of its land lies within the caldera of a dormant supervolcano. The immense heat beneath the earth's crust feeds more than 10,000 geysers, mud pots, and hot springs. This geological activity is the driving force that constantly reshapes the landscape and makes the park's biodiversity possible.

We begin our tour at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in the north-central part of the national park. The approximately 32-kilometer-long (20 mi) canyon was carved by the Yellowstone River. The canyon's yellowish and reddish walls were formed by the chemical weathering of rhyolite rock, altered by hydrothermal gases and hot water—a process that indirectly gave the park its name. The main attraction is Yellowstone Falls, which consists of the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. At 94 meters (308 ft) high, the Lower Falls are the most impressive. They are almost twice as high as Niagara Falls! The most famous viewpoint is Artist Point. Located on the canyon's South Rim, it offers the iconic view upstream of the Lower Falls. It got its name because landscape painter Thomas Moran was believed to have made his famous sketches here, which were instrumental in the establishment of the national park in 1872. Now in May, the river has a lot of water, making the falls particularly impressive.
We hike on the North Rim Trail along the canyon's upper edge. With viewpoints like Inspiration Point, the trail offers more magnificent views of the canyon.

Next, we visit Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern part of the national park. Unlike the colorful springs in the center of the park, which are characterized by silica, the terraces here are made of travertine (limestone). The hot water flows underground through the limestone, dissolving the calcium carbonate and depositing it on the surface in the form of white terraces. Thermophilic bacteria, which live in the different temperature zones of the water, give the rock formations their characteristic colors. Well-known formations include Liberty Cap, an 11-meter-high (37 ft), cone-shaped tower of travertine, and Palette Spring with its extraordinary range of colors. The lower part of the terraces can be reached on foot from the Visitor Center. The Upper Terrace Drive, a scenic road, leads us through the upper area. It is only accessible by car; buses, RVs, and trailers are not allowed. Angel Terrace is particularly impressive, a surreal landscape with dead trees and snow-white rock formations.

But besides its volcanic activity, Yellowstone National Park is also known for its abundant wildlife. The Lamar Valley in the northeast of the park, in particular, is often called the "Serengeti of North America." We see bison herds again and again. Yellowstone is the only place in the USA where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Their numbers have recovered after they were nearly wiped out by excessive hunting at the end of the 19th century. Now in spring, there are also many calves. And we see several grizzly bears. They are out and about after their winter hibernation, searching for food. Elk cross our path, and we see bighorn sheep, a moose, and even a coyote.

A truly beautiful national park! Our video about the southern section, including Old Faithful, the geyser basins and Yellowstone Lake, can be found here:    • Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA - ...  

The GPS track for the hike on the North Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone can be found here: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/274...

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The complete channel playlist for our trip to the USA can be found here:    • USA Roadtrip  

Visited in May 2024

Chapter:
00:00 Intro
00:49 Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Upper Falls
02:46 Lower Falls
04:18 North Rim Trail
06:47 Mammoth Hot Springs with grizzlies and bison
08:21 Lower Terraces
12:11 Upper Terraces
14:20 Petrified Tree and Tower Fall with bison and grizzly
16:57 Lamar Valley with bison and bighorn sheep
19:43 Outro