The Extended Tour

Closest entrances: Norris is 28 miles from the West Yellowstone (west) entrance; Mammoth Hot Springs is 5 miles from the Gardiner (north) entrance

Distance: 21 miles from Norris to Mammoth Hot Springs

From Norris Geyser Basin, it's a 21-mile drive north to Mammoth Hot Springs, past the Twin Lakes, beautiful, watery jewels surrounded by trees. During the early months of the park year, the water is milky green because of the runoff of ice and snow. This is an excellent place to do some bird watching.

This stretch of road between Norris Junction and Mammoth Hot Springs presents yet another excellent opportunity to see the effects of the 1988 fire. Try to use one of the turnouts to avoid blocking the roads. The large meadow, on the west side of the highway, which begins 3 miles from Norris, is popular with moose, thanks to water from bogs, marshes, and a creek. As you travel alongside Obsidian Creek, you'll notice the smell of sulfur in the air, olfactory evidence of thermal vents.

On the east side of the road, 4 miles from Norris, is Roaring Mountain, a patch of ground totally devoid of brush and plant life, covered with trees and stumps from the fire. Its bareness is attributed to the fact that, as steam vents developed here, the ground became hot and acidic, which bleached and crumbled the rock, taking the undergrowth with it. Historians say that the noise from the Roaring Mountain was once so loud that it could be heard several miles away; these days, it is silent.

Just 2 miles up the road is the Beaver Lake Picnic Area, an excellent little spot for a snack. Keep an eye out for moose.

As you wend your way a half-mile to Obsidian Cliff, the terrain changes quickly and dramatically, and you'll find yourself driving through a narrow valley bisected by a beautiful green stream. Obsidian Cliff is where ancient peoples of North America gathered to collect obsidian, a hard black rock that was used to make weapons and tools.

If you didn't stop at Beaver Lake, consider taking time for a short (3-min.) detour on the road to Sheepeater Cliffs (unless you're driving an RV or pulling a trailer), which, like most park attractions, is in a well-marked area just off the pavement. Though close to the main road, this quiet, secluded spot sits on the banks of the Gardner River, beside a cliff of columnar basalt rock that was formed by cooling lava following a volcanic eruption. This area, once inhabited by the Sheepeater Indians, is now home to yellow-bellied marmots (nicknamed "whistle pigs") that live in the rocks, safe from flying predators and coyotes.

As you travel the final few miles to Mammoth Hot Springs, you'll be in an area with especially interesting geologic diversity. You'll see evidence of the fire, large springs and ponds, and enormous glaciated rock terraces and cliffs.

Exiting the valley, head north onto a high plateau, where you'll find Swan Lake, flanked by Little Quadrant Mountain and Antler Peak to the west, and Bunsen Peak to the north.

At the northernmost edge of the Yellowstone Plateau, you'll begin a descent through Golden Gate. This steep, narrow stretch of road was once a stagecoach route constructed of wooden planks anchored to the mountain by a massive rock called the Pillar of Hercules, the largest rock in an unmarked pile that sits next to the road.

Beyond Hercules are The Hoodoos, an ominous-looking jumble of travertine boulders on the north side of the road, which have tumbled off the mountainside above to create a pile of unusual formations.

From the 45th parallel parking area on the North Entrance Road, north of Mammoth Hot Springs, a short hike leads to the Boiling River. Here you can take a dip during daylight hours, where a hot spring empties into the Gardner River. The best time to soak is just before sunset, tending to muscles made sore by hiking; and, you'll get a dramatic demonstration by the hordes of bats in the area. As far as facilities go, there is only a restroom with pit toilets here.