Mammoth Hot Springs

I’m not certain, but I think that this area was perhaps one of the first developed in Yellowstone.  It is one that is open year ‘round, and is the first place you come to when you enter Yellowstone from the north.  This is a huge hot springs area, altho some of the springs seem to have sprung, if you catch my drift, so all that’s left in those areas is a sort of prehistoric looking landscape.  You’ll see…..

 

It’s very hard to see from photos, but the more colorful part of this image is where the hot springs are actually flowing down, as a sort of boiling, steaming waterfall.  It’s a rather surreal sight, but is how these hot springs came to be formed.  The sentiments just sort of built up on top of each other until you have this enormous collection of hot springs.

 

This gives you a better idea of what I meant by some of the springs having sprung.  The foreground of this image is of just that type of area, completely dry (at least now), with mineral deposits left over that reminded me of salt, altho I don’t think that’s what it was.  I’m not certain if this spring is completely dead, or just “resting”, tho!  In the background, you can see a spring that’s actually looking more like a little geyser – in any event, definitely very active.

 

The springs are so large, there’s actually an auto driving “path” to follow to drive up among the hot springs that make up Mammoth.  This is one hot spring that was actually flowing steaming water, altho you can’t really see it from the photo.  The color seems to be the giveaway.  If there’s color, the water (and oxides) are flowing, creating color!

Enjoy!