We finally got to the entrance and it kind of reminded me of the entrance to Jurassic Park in the film - perhaps they used it as inspiration? Most annoying part of the day was paying $25 to get in the park - then being told at our motel the park is free to enter for a whole week from tomorrow - doh!!!
The park is massive, about 3,500 square miles - so we will be coming back tomorrow that's for sure! First stop we made was at the Mammoth Hot Springs. It is a large mountainside that has been formed by calcium deposits left by hot mountain springs rising from the depths of the mountain. Bacteria also grow on the calcium giving off some wonderful colours and shapes....
On our way south in the park you drive along a road called the Golden Gate. It was one of the first tracks used by white settlers to navigate through the park and still maintains its crazy weaving pattern through the mountains - its not for the faint hearted! (below)....
One thing about the springs and in particular the mud cauldron and sulphur springs is the smell - eggs, eggs and eggs galore!!!! It was getting a bit dark by the time we reached our second spot - it was called the Paint Pot Springs - named so due to its mud cauldron looking like bubbling/boiling paint.
Next to the cauldron is the first of the sulphur pools - they are like something from Mars....
There are billions of bacteria that live in and around the sulphur pools and they take various forms - the below ones make it look like a lava flow....
It was now almost dusk so we stopped short of visiting ol faithful geyser and made our way out of the park to find a motel.
The setting sun brought some amazing sights as we left...
These Bison were heading somewhere - perhaps they heard I was in town and didn't want to become dinner so were clearing out!
But best of all was the setting sun on the mountains and remaining snow - Spectacular.
So its back into the park tomorrow - might try and seek out Yogi bear....
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