Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are so close together that we had no reason not to visit. Since we were staying outside of Jackson, WY, we only planned to spend a day there. But as most of our plans go, we arrived later than planned.
The drive was beautiful
We took advantage of some overlooks to view the Lewis River.
A stop at the visitor center allowed me to ask a ranger for something to do quickly and with a dog. He suggested some of his favorite picnic spots along Yellowstone Lake and told me that dogs are allowed to walk trails at picnic areas. Off we went.
What we didn’t realize was that we were near West Thumb Geyser Basin.
We pulled into the parking lot and took turns walking the boardwalk around the geysers. I read that more people are injured and die due to injuries caused by scalding than wild animals in Yellowstone. There are more than enough warnings about the dangers of thin crust and high temperatures. I was more than happy to stay on the boardwalk and enjoy the beauty from afar.
The shoreline was interesting too. Crater-like contours and a deeper profile than the rest of the lake were caused by a massive explosion 125,000 years ago.
The ranger I spoke to at the visitor center happened to be at the West Thumb Geyser Basin while we were there, so I got to talk to him some more. He said this was his favorite geyser area, and he thought it was underrated.
After a very enjoyable and informative visit, we headed back to our dispersed camping spot.
WanderLyd 