Acid Caldrons, Mud Volcanos and Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

At the top of Yellowstone National Park at the North Entrance is Fort Yellowstone, that once housed soldiers in Yellowstone National Park. It's also home to Mammoth Hot Springs, which is our next destination after spending the night in a Frontier Cabin at Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

After road tripping from Central Texas to Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, the carful of kids are trekking through Yellowstone National Park on their first visit to the First National Park. We have stayed in the Old Faithful Inn and most recently at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

The carful of kids will be on the move again as we drive north towards the Tower-Roosevelt Junction before heading west to the Mammoth Hot Springs Area. We are taking our time to explore the different regions of this park that's larger than Delaware and Rhode Island put together.

The exterior of the Frontier Cabin in the Lake Village, there are free-standing hotel rooms complete with bathrooms inside.

But first the kids want to eat. The Frontier Cabin in the Lake Village is much nicer on the inside and features a stocked coffee maker so I grab a cup before walking to the Lake Yellowstone General Store with the carful of kids.

It's an easy walk to breakfast from our Frontier Cabin in Lake Village.

The Lake Yellowstone General Store serves up a simple breakfast with cereal and my carful of kids love cereal. You can also pick up some souvenirs or a loaf of bread here in an original YNP building that was built in the 1890s.

Breakfast at the Lake Yellowstone General Store

Loaded in the SUV, the carful of kids pull out headed for our next stop the Mud Volcano, which to a kid sounds cool. This area is the most acidic in the park and sometimes there's toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide--the boys can wait to see the boiling pots of mud and deadly gases.

Not appreciating the geological wonders of the Mud Volcano Area--too many rotten eggs.

The carful of kids are ready to go until we get out of the SUV and get our first whiff of rotten eggs. I have to coax them onto the boardwalk ( .6 mile walking trail ) to explore features with names like Dragon's Mouth Spring and Grizzly Fumarole.

Along the boardwalk in the Mud Volcano Area.

With trees that have been steamed to sticks and bubbling pools of mud, the features are completely different from the crystal blue geyser pools around Old Faithful. Along the boardwalk, you will probably encounter a herd of bison that roam this area year-round due to the steam vents; the Park Rangers on patrol will remind you to keep the 25-yard distance recommended for safety.

What kid doesn't want to see a bison but keep a safe distance.

Across from the Mud Volcano is another feature straight out of a comic book--the Sulphur Caldron, with a pH of 1 to 2, it's like battery acid. This is a popular stop and should not be missed, though parking is limited.

We drove through Hayden Valley once, the wildlife-rich valley in the center of Yellowstone named after the geologist instrumental in creating the park. This time, we stop and get out to see the action--this area bottlenecks with everyone trying to get a glimpse of bears or wolves.

Checking in with the wildlife photographers, who know the latest in Hayden Valley.

The carful of kids had overheard that something was up in this area on the Park Ranger's radio at the Mud Volcano and the carful of kids are all eyes. I have three wanna-be animal trackers in the SUV so we pull over and park.

You will find wildlife photographers camped out here with their 400mm zoom lens, that cost as much as a used car, trying to get the perfect shot. They know what has been seen and are friendly enough to share the latest animal sitings.

In the distance across the Yellowstone River near a grove of trees, we see the action--a wolf and a grizzly bear are duking it out over the carcass of an elk. Wow, the boys are crawling up my legs trying to snag the binoculars to see it.

As a Mom, I'm more interested in the patch of wildflowers but the boys are giddy with excitement so I hand over my binoculars and let them soak it up. This is a congested area with limited parking so keep an eye on the kiddos.

I have to bribe the carful of kids back into the SUV with snacks so we can continue trekking north. Since we toured the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we continue on to our next destination, past Canyon Junction.

Once you leave Canyon Junction, the traffic thins out as this area of the park is less visited. Along this route, you will pass Mt. Washburn, for a closer look you can take Chittenden Road.

Just north of Dunraven Pass ( 8,859 feet ), is the turn-off for the 1.5 mile road up Mt. Washburn ( 10,243 feet ). This is a great viewpoint to see the vastness of the northeastern part of Yellowstone, in my opinion the most picturesque.

We love waterfalls and Tower Fall is 132 feet tall and a quick walk.

I'm a huge fan of waterfalls so I'm excited for our next stop, Tower Fall, along Tower Creek just a few miles south of Tower-Roosevelt Junction. It's a quick walk up a paved path to view Tower Fall, a picture-perfect spot.

There are also restrooms and a store here, which is nice because this area of the park is sparse. The carful of kids turn and head west at the Tower-Roosevelt Junction to Mammoth Hot Springs.

Grazing on green grass, the elk are everywhere in Mammoth.

Mammoth Hot Springs is another popular area and it's the Northern Gateway into the YNP. It's also the Park Headquarters and this area is plowed and accessible year-round to cars.

The first thing you notice when driving into Mammoth are the elk, they are everywhere and roaming free, grazing on grass. The second thing you notice are the Park Rangers honking and reminding visitors to stay away from the elk over their loud speakers.

The Park Rangers stationed in Mammoth patrol constantly to prevent elk and visitor encounters.

The carful of kids find a picnic table outside the newly renovated Albright Visitors Center for lunch and watch the elk nibble on flowers as we nibble on sandwiches. After packing up our picnic, we head into the Albright Center--it's dedicated to the wildlife of the park with stuffed species so the kids can get an up-close look.

In the visitors center, I find a walking tour map of Fort Yellowstone. In the early days of the park, poachers and renegade hostelers ran amuck so in 1886 the army was called in to patrol the park.

During the next 32 years, the cavalry patrolled the park and eventually built residences in Mammoth, where officers brought their families to live. This area is also the Park Headquarters and the original fort buildings are private residences now.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, built in 1913 with an addition in 1937.

The carful of kids have a reservation for the night at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, another Robert Reamer renovation dating back to 1913 with a large addition in 1937. Reamer, a 29 year-old architect, designed and built the Old Faithful Inn as well as renovating the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, both of which we have stayed at on this trip.

Our room in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

The property is spartan but comfortable compared to the laid-back glamour of the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and modern for the times compared to the log-cabin hotel, the Old Faithful Inn. This area also contains lots of cabins in several different configurations that are quite popular. Mammoth Hot Springs Campground has 85 sites and is open year-round, the only campground to do so in Yellowstone.

With the lower elevation, Mammoth is a little warm compared with the rest of Yellowstone.

The next destination on our list is of course, Mammoth Hot Springs, a series of travertine terraces that you have to explore. This area is divided into three areas, the main terrace, the lower terraces and the upper terraces.

He loves everything Orange, including water.

You can walk from terrace to terrace via a series of stairs and boardwalks or there's parking lots at the upper and lower terraces. This is a popular destination and parking can be scarce during the middle of the day.

After thoroughly exploring the Hot Springs, we stop in the Mammoth General Store for some ice cream, Huckleberry is our favorite flavor and a specialty of Yellowstone. You can also find some groceries, gas and souvenirs here as well.

The Dining Room at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is elegant and family-friendly.

The afternoon has faded and now the carful of kids are hungry after exploring Mammoth. The Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room is in a separate building but offers family-pleasing meals in an elegant art-deco inspired facility. Reservations are accepted but we didn't have a problem getting a table without one.

The Map Room, designed by Robert Reamer and features 2,544 different species of wood.

After dinner, the carful of kids check out a Ranger Program in the famous Map Room of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, designed by Robert Reamer the map features 2,544 different species of wood. Definitely worth a peak if you are near the Hotel.

Up Next: An adventure at the Roosevelt Lodge

Know before you go:  Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry to the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic.

Reservations are recommended for all lodging and camping in Yellowstone National Park during the high season.

This is Grizzly Country and it is recommended to carry and know how to use Bear Spray at all times.

The Canyons, Valleys and Lakes of Yellowstone National Park

After road tripping from Texas to Jasper National Park, the carful of kids are exploring Yellowstone National Park for a week. With two amazing days at the Old Faithful Inn behind us, we're moving on to the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel, the most glamorous property in Yellowstone NP.

Yellowstone National Park encompasses almost 3,500 square miles, that's larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined. So when you don't stay in the park, it makes for long days but with over 2,000 rooms or cabins and close to 2,200 campsites, you don't have to leave the park.

On my first trip to Yellowstone NP fifteen years ago, I camped for four days in the centrally-located Canyon Campground. When it came to plan the carful of kids' trip, I am doing things a little different. I want to explore a few different areas so we are moving around the park in a circle at a leisurely pace to make this trip a memorable one.

Our final destination for the day is Yellowstone Lake but we will take the long way to get there. The most congested part of the park is the southern entrance so I route the carful of kids around that area as much as possible.

To get to Yellowstone Lake from the Old Faithful Inn area, we drive north to the Madison and Norris Junctions before heading east to Canyon Junction. With this route, we will bisect the park.

At the Norris Junction, the carful of kids stop to explore the Norris Geyser Basin after a quick walk through the Norris Geyser Basin Museum that's dedicated to the geothermal activity in the area.

The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most changeable of the Yellowstone Caldera, the supervolcano that creates all the geothermal activity and at least 1,000 earthquakes a year. The bubbling and hissing can be heard from the top of the trail that leads down to the basin; a few steps down the path the carful of kids hit of wall of invisible stink.

This is as close to the Norris Geyser Basin the carful of kids are willing to go.

There's a revolt on the stairs and the carful of kids decide for themselves aren't exploring the basin along the wooden boardwalks. They aren't walking any farther.

"But, it's cool and educational," I protest.

With noses pinched, the carful of kids shake an emphatic No in unison and head back up the stairs--my oldest leading the way.

What can I do but surrender and the carful of kids load back up in the SUV. Sometimes it's not worth the battle. We head out to our next stop, Canyon Village--home to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

The Canyon Village has all the necessities including a small grocery store, gas station, laundry facilities, pay showers and a post office. There is one of the larger campgrounds with 273 reservable sites and a lodge with over 500 rooms and cabins, complete with a deli and restaurant.

The Canyon Village, completed in 1957, was the first project completed for the National Park Service's 50th Anniversary and the Mission 66, a program to revitalize our national parks. The carful of kids stop and walk around, pick up a loaf of bread and a bag of ice before we head over to the Canyon Visitors Education Center, a great stop for the family with an educational movie and lots of interactive displays.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is on the Must-Do List

Our next stop is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone--a 20 miles long, 1,000 feet deep canyon formed by the Yellowstone River. This is an area that should not be missed if you are short on time.

There are two routes along the Grand Canyon, the North Rim Drive and the South Rim Drive, both have limited parking and the North Rim Drive is one-way. Each side should be explored, there are restrooms and picnic tables in this area, the carful of kids grab one for lunch.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a postcard picture area--don't miss it.

If you're not up for a hike, there's a walking path next to the rim with great overlooks, like Lookout Point or Inspiration Point. For an up-close look, you can hike the Brink of Lower Falls Trail or Uncle Tom's Trail, both include lots of stairs.

The carful of kids explore the Grand Canyon and find an Osprey's nest with chicks before we load up to head south through Hayden Valley. Yellowstone is rich with wildlife and the valleys of Yellowstone are the best places to find them.

Bison sit along the road through Hayden Valley.

Hayden Valley is named after the geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, who lead the first official expedition in 1871 that convinced Congress this area needed to be protected as the World's First National Park. The valley is actually an old lake bed that's bisected by the Yellowstone River as it heads south to Yellowstone Lake.

Home to herds of bison, grizzlies, elk, wolves, coyotes and moose as well as many species of birds, it is one of the areas wildlife photographers camp out for photos. Be sure to have your binoculars ready as you drive through the heart of Yellowstone.

The carful of kids start to see the water of Yellowstone Lake, at 136-square miles it's the largest freshwater lake in North America above 7,000 feet. This area houses the Lake Village, Bridge Bay Campground with 432 tent sites and Fishing Bridge RV Park with 325 sites for hard-sided RVs along with a marina.

The Lake Yellowstone Hotel, the oldest hotel is an elegant retreat.

The carful of kids have a reservation for tonight in the Lake Village area but first I want to pop in on the tour of the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel, departing everyday at 5:30 from the lobby. It is the oldest standing hotel, dating back to 1889, and is the most refined property in Yellowstone.

Inside a room of Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

While Robert Reamer was building the Old Faithful Inn, he renovated the Lake Yellowstone Hotel by adding the classic white columns to the hotel. It features a gracious turn of the century lobby with a string quartet each evening and a great bar.

The Bathroom of a Lake Yellowstone Hotel Room

After an insider's tour of the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, we check in at the front desk for our Frontier Cabin. They are great for families, as the hotel rooms cater to the quiet life of adults.

The exterior of our Frontier Cabin, I think it needs a window box.

I was a little hesitant  because the outside of the Frontier cabins looked a little shabby but the interior is nice and basically a free-standing hotel room. Within walking distance of our cabin is the Lake Yellowstone General Store with its lunch counter that's open from breakfast to dinner serving family-friendly favorites and ice cream.

The interior of the Frontier Cabin

The Bathroom of the Frontier Cabin

The carful of kids beg to eat at the general store and we agree, leaving the babysitter/older sister in charge while we head over to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room for an upscale date night on vacation. Dinner alone is a treat and served on the only white tablecloths in Yellowstone National Park.

A date night on vacation, yes, please!

We make it back to the cabin and find the carful of kids playing games, remember there are no TVs in Yellowstone National Park before calling it a night.

Up Next: Exploring Yellowstone's Northern Entrances


Know before you go:  Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry to the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic.

Reservations for the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room are made when you check-in for your room or cabin.

Reservations are recommended for all lodging and camping in Yellowstone National Park during the high season.