Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin
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On our third day in Yellowstone, we broke camp at Bridge Bay and headed west toward Madison Campground. First stop was West Thumb Geyser Basin, a gorgeous spot right on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. It’s part of an old volcanic caldera, and the boardwalk took us past deep blue hot springs, steaming vents, and bubbling mud pots, all with the lake as a backdrop.
American Avocets on Yellowstone Lake taken from West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk
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Next stop, the famous geyser Old Faithful. The parking lot was completely packed, and with the camper in tow, we needed a double spot. Just when we were about to give up, one opened up and we snagged it. We grabbed a quick lunch, then headed to the viewing area, which was packed with people.
While we waited for the eruption, I took advantage of the rare cell service to call my mom (cell service is basically nonexistent in most of the park). Meanwhile, Danny struck up a conversation with a nearby people from Georgia and happened to mention I was originally from Georgetown, SC. Suddenly, a voice from a nearby bench called out, “You’re not from Georgetown, are you?” I paused my convo with my mom, confirmed I was and shared my name, and then came the next question—“Are you John’s sister?” Yep, sure am. Turned out two couples from Georgetown were traveling together, and they knew my parents too. I put Mom on speaker and we all had a chat and a little hometown reunion. Small world, Yellowstone edition.
After the geyser show, we wandered the boardwalks around the Upper Geyser Basin, which is packed with thermal features. We strolled by hot springs, colorful pools, and smaller geysers bubbling and steaming all over the place. It’s one of the most active geothermal areas in the park.
As we were leaving, we saw a huge traffic backup in the direction of our campground. Not wanting to deal with the jam, we turned south in search of something quieter. We stopped at Kepler Cascades, a roadside waterfall just a couple miles from Old Faithful. After checking out the overlook, we noticed a small side path that ran along the river. With portable chairs and books in hand, we followed it until we were completely alone. No people, no traffic noise, just river and rocks.
We spent a couple of peaceful hours there, reading and relaxing in complete solitude. When we finally packed up and headed to Madison Campground, the traffic had thinned out.
What a great day full of a world famous geyser and pure peace in the wilderness.
While we waited for the eruption, I took advantage of the rare cell service to call my mom (cell service is basically nonexistent in most of the park). Meanwhile, Danny struck up a conversation with a nearby people from Georgia and happened to mention I was originally from Georgetown, SC. Suddenly, a voice from a nearby bench called out, “You’re not from Georgetown, are you?” I paused my convo with my mom, confirmed I was and shared my name, and then came the next question—“Are you John’s sister?” Yep, sure am. Turned out two couples from Georgetown were traveling together, and they knew my parents too. I put Mom on speaker and we all had a chat and a little hometown reunion. Small world, Yellowstone edition.
After the geyser show, we wandered the boardwalks around the Upper Geyser Basin, which is packed with thermal features. We strolled by hot springs, colorful pools, and smaller geysers bubbling and steaming all over the place. It’s one of the most active geothermal areas in the park.
As we were leaving, we saw a huge traffic backup in the direction of our campground. Not wanting to deal with the jam, we turned south in search of something quieter. We stopped at Kepler Cascades, a roadside waterfall just a couple miles from Old Faithful. After checking out the overlook, we noticed a small side path that ran along the river. With portable chairs and books in hand, we followed it until we were completely alone. No people, no traffic noise, just river and rocks.
We spent a couple of peaceful hours there, reading and relaxing in complete solitude. When we finally packed up and headed to Madison Campground, the traffic had thinned out.
What a great day full of a world famous geyser and pure peace in the wilderness.