There is probably no person who has not heard about the volcano. Its giant caldera, occupying a third of Yellowstone National Park, is the largest supervolcano in the area North America, and more recently – also the object of close attention of scientists and fans of volcanology. Yellowstone is a dormant supervolcano, but in recent years its activity is growing rapidly. Many researchers argue that this could happen as early as 2015–2016, and its consequences will be catastrophic for the population of our entire planet.

Location: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, USA
Height: 3142 m
Type: supervolcano
Number of eruptions: 3

Structure and eruptions of Yellowstone

Yellowstone is located above the so-called hot spot, characterized by prolonged volcanism. For a long time it was believed that under the “lid” of the caldera there was one huge bubble of magma with a depth of over 8000 m, but more recently scientists discovered a much larger reservoir under the upper bubble, 4.4 times larger than the first. The volcano is fed by a large plume (a hot mantle flow with a temperature of 1600 °C), part of which closer to the surface melts into magma and contributes to the appearance of geysers and gas emissions.

Over the past 2.1 million years, Yellowstone Volcano has erupted 3 times:

1. The Huckleberry Ridge eruption 2.1 million years ago was a catastrophe of continental proportions, during which over 160 km³ of rock was ejected. The stones rose to a height of about 50 km, and volcanic ash covered a quarter of the continent.
2. The eruption of Mesa Falls volcano 1.3 million years ago, which ejected 280 km³ of rock.
3. The Lava Creek eruption 640 thousand years ago, which formed a huge caldera with a circumference of about 150 km.

Tourism in Yellowstone

Yellowstone Park is the first national park in the world, founded in March 1872. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and welcomes over 2 million tourists annually, attracted not only by the volcano's caldera, but also by its many canyons, caves and ponds. The park features more than 1,280 geysers, including Old Faithful, which erupts every 63 minutes, and Grand Prismatic Spring, which sparkles in a rainbow of colors thanks to colorful algae and bacteria. Although the probability of a volcanic eruption is quite high, tourists continue to come to the park and enjoy its beauty.

Morning in Yellowstone 06/15/2015

Old Faithful Geyser

HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF YELLOWSTONE

In 1870, a search expedition was sent to the central-northern parts of the United States to explore the territory of the state. At the end of August, researchers approached Mount Washburn, and on August 29, several people climbed to its summit, but the first among them was Gustav Doan, Lieutenant American army. Looking from the mountain to the southern part, the military man saw a huge depression among the Rocky Mountains, which was covered with forests.

Dawn was interested in this territory and in his diary he wrote the following: “I discovered a large depression, most likely it is the crater of a long-extinct volcano that has been dormant for a long time.” And in fact, the lieutenant turned out to be right - Yellowstone is really a volcano, and of gigantic size, and at the same time it does not sleep, it is sensitively awake and from time to time demonstrates its tough temper. Nowadays, on the territory of Yellowstone, hot water literally rises from the ground, as well as clouds of various gases.

The territory was explored for several years, and in 1872, on March 1, Yellowstone National Park was created here. Today it is a large biosphere reserve; it is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Moreover, in those years for the United States it was one of the very first national parks created by the state.

In total, the park covers a total area of ​​898 thousand hectares and is located on the lands of three American states: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND TOURISM IN THE PARK

Yellowstone National Park is an amazingly beautiful place, local coniferous forests, caves, canyons, beautiful waterfalls, rivers, lakes, geysers, all this is literally mesmerizing.

According to many tourists, the real pearl of the park is the lake of the same name, the peculiarity of which is its location. This is one of the highest lakes in the whole world, as it is located at an altitude of 2135 meters above sea level.

Yellowstone Park has a special structure, as it is located on a plateau, and due to the presence of mountain ranges along the perimeter, a special microclimate is created here. Since quite high mountains, on average 2500 meters above sea level, cold winds, and indeed winds in general, cannot blow much on the surface of the park.

The park itself is also located quite high - 2400 meters above sea level. The highest point in the park is Mount Eagle Peak, which is 3,462 meters high. The plateau itself was formed by numerous and constant volcanic eruptions. Each eruption was accompanied by the release of lava, which over time was destroyed, eroded, and a forest grew on its surface.

In addition to the beautiful lake and beautiful landscapes, there are a large number of hot geysers and springs in Yellowstone Park. Also here is the largest geyser, named Excelsior. Steam and a column of boiling water from time to time bursts upward from underground with great noise, and rises to approximately a height of hundreds of meters. The steam rises even higher, about 300 meters.

Moreover, the appearance of a column of water and a column of boiling water occurs completely unexpectedly, and a sudden cessation of emission also occurs. Another geyser, the Old Faithful, is also very popular. It has its own peculiarity - the geyser is very punctual; every 65 minutes it throws a stream of hot water into the air, which rises to a height of 50 meters. The Old Faithful's eruption of water is quite long and takes five minutes, after which everything stops and resumes again after 65 minutes.

Yellowstone Park has a wide variety of flora and fauna. Here you can meet many representatives of the animal world: several species of bears, deer, elk, bison, lynxes, wolves and many other four-legged animals roam the park.

In the numerous rivers and lakes of the park there are about 20 species of fish, even some that are rare. There are a very large number of representatives of the feathered world - about 300 species of birds in the park, most of them breed their chicks here during the warm period.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Yellowstone National Park attracts a huge number of tourists to its territory every year. Despite the fact that hunting is prohibited here, and in some periods there is a restriction on fishing, there is no end to those who want to visit this place.

This is understandable, since the local infrastructure is literally “tailored” for tourist flows. Tourists are offered various tours, varying in complexity, length of stay, method of transportation, etc.

The most popular is the tourist route, the duration of which is from three to 5 days. During this entire time, tourists are offered to see various parts of the national park, introducing them to representatives of flora, fauna, and natural attractions. Without fail, each tour includes a visit to all the main attractions of Yellowstone National Park, from the Mammoth Terraces to the supervolcano.

YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO

The Yellowstone Supervolcano, or as it is also called the Yellowstone Caldera, refers to the entire name of the volcano located within Yellowstone National Park. The peculiarity of this volcano is that it is located in the very center of the tectonic plate, more precisely the North American one, which is not entirely typical for volcanoes, since they like to be in the place where these same tectonic plates connect. Today, the volcano is very poorly studied and scientists have more questions than answers about it.

It is worth noting that the Yellowstone volcano has a non-typical, traditional form for volcanoes. Firstly, it is very huge in size, and secondly, it completely lacks a cone, in fact, it is a kind of volcano in reverse. And this is due to the fact that its upper part sank into the local territory below ground level. After the failure, a large depression was formed, which among scientists is also called a caldera. This word has Spanish roots and is translated into Russian spanish word Caldera means cauldron.

The Yellowstone volcano has a thinned crust throughout its entire territory. Under a small thickness of this very crust there is a huge amount of hot magma. The dimensions of this supervolcano are amazing - the diameter of the caldera is within 60 kilometers.
Recent research by scientists has shown that representatives of science were previously slightly mistaken about the real size of the volcano and its potential danger. In fact, both the area and volumes of hot magma inside the Yellowstone volcano need to be multiplied by at least two and a half times.

SCENARIO OF THE YELLOWSTONE ERUPTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

In fact, Yellowstone is a practically dormant volcano; it has not shown serious signs of life for hundreds of thousands of years. Despite this, under the thin earth's crust there is a large volume of magma, which boils, moves and wants to break out. As a result of regular research and observation of the park, it became known that its entire territory is rising by several centimeters from year to year. This is indisputable evidence that the volcano lives a life of its own and is gradually growing.

Since the Yellowstone volcano does not have a well-known crater, like mountains, hot lava is pumped over almost the entire surface area of ​​the volcano. It is for this reason that there is increased geothermal activity here; it is on the territory of Yellowstone Park that half of all geysers and geothermal springs on Earth are located.

Recent research by scientists has led them to the conclusion that the supervolcano undergoes eruptions almost every 600 thousand years. At the same time, in last time The eruption took place quite a long time ago - 640 thousand years ago. That is, the Yellowstone volcano has been in a rather long hibernation and every year the likelihood that it will wake up increases, but unfortunately no one knows when this will all happen.

Moreover, this can be provoked by a major earthquake, which will cause a fault earth's crust and... 38 thousand cubic meters of hot steam will burst out, and after it huge reserves of lava. According to scientists, if this happens, there will be nothing alive left around Yellowstone within a radius of one thousand kilometers.

So what will be the scenario for the development of the eruption of one of the largest supervolcanoes on Earth?

One scenario has already been played out in the past. Then, 640 thousand years ago, the Yellowstone volcano exploded, and in an instant a huge volume of earth and everything that was on it rose several kilometers into the sky. In just a few minutes, the entire territory of the supervolcano was completely destroyed, leaving only a huge caldera at the site of the explosion - 48 by 72 kilometers.

At the moment of the explosion, the volcano managed to raise about a thousand cubic kilometers of dust, sang and stones into the sky; for comparison, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 was a thousand times smaller. But then, in the early 80s, there were 57 victims from the eruption.

As a result of the explosion of Yellowstone 640 thousand years ago, a lot of dust and ash was formed, which covered everything around for thousands of kilometers. It is worth noting that this was not the most powerful eruption, the most powerful eruption occurred 2 million years ago and it was twice as powerful.

The scenario for the development of the Yellowstone eruption in our time may look like this. First, gases and water vapor will be released from a crack in the earth's crust, after which it will be the turn of hot magma, which will spread throughout the entire park.

Within a few minutes after the explosion, according to analysts, 90 thousand people will die immediately. Further, within a radius of one and a half thousand kilometers from Yellowstone, up to three meters of hot ash will fall in just one day. It is these ashes that will cause the death of a large number of people and all living things; they will literally bury milestones.

Then a huge volume of volcanic ash will begin to spread across the Earth, blocking any movement of air transport, since aircraft simply will not be able to fly in such a density of microparticles.

Also, during a supervolcano eruption, a lot of sulfur volcanic gases will rise into the Earth's atmosphere and they will react with water vapor from the lower layers of the atmosphere. As a result, the entire planet will be enveloped in a kind of gas haze, which will entail changes in climate. Firstly, because of this haze, less sunlight will begin to reach the surface of the earth, and secondly, as a result of the arrival of less heat on the Earth, the average temperature will drop, and significantly - by 15-20 degrees.

Due to the lowering of the temperature regime on the planet, in many regions, part or all of the harvest of cultivated plants will die, crops will turn into huge fields of rotten plants that simply did not have time to ripen. It is for this reason that there may be a large food shortage throughout the world.

Also, according to most scientists, states on almost the entire continent of North America will be destroyed - the USA and Canada will suffer the most.

True, there are more optimistic options for the development of the scenario after the explosion of a supervolcano. According to them, only a few hundred kilometers around Yellowstone will be significantly affected.

First National Park; biosphere reserve of international importance. It is located in three states (Idaho, Wyoming, Montana) and is famous for its abundance of hot springs and geysers. The length of the park is more than 100 km, the total area is about 900 thousand hectares. One of the main attractions is the dormant volcano of the same name. Yellowstone is included in the version of our site.

Its opening took place in 1872. It is believed that this is the first park of its kind in the world. It is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains on the tri-state border. Most of it fell in Wyoming. It's hard to believe, but more than 2/3 of the world's geysers are concentrated in Yellowstone. A special place among them is given to the geyser called Old Faithful. It shoots tons of water strictly on schedule.

Another local attraction is Yellowstone Lake. It is essentially the crater of a dormant volcano and the largest reservoir of water in the state of Wyoming. The lake is located at an altitude of over 2300 meters. The volcano itself has been inactive for more than hundreds of years, but the magma inside it is still boiling, which is why scientists believe that another eruption is just around the corner. This hot spot is being closely monitored.

Against the backdrop of a variety of water reservoirs, valleys, canyons, rich flora and fauna, a special place is occupied by the Great Prismatic Spring, the water temperature of which reaches 70˚C. The bright color palette of this source has long been business card site. In winter, its banks are painted dark green, and in summer - orange. This riot of colors is due to the presence of a special kind of bacteria in the water.

You can get to your destination by car from the nearest city - West Yellowstone. Also, Wyoming Cody Airport is 80 km from the park. IN summer period Buses depart from Salt Lake City towards Yellowstone.

Photo attraction: Yellowstone National Park

One of the most famous national parks in the USA is undoubtedly Yellowstone National Park, located in the state of Wyoming in the western USA in the crater of an ancient supervolcano. Millions of tourists from all over the world flock here every year. In the summer, when all the roads in the park are open, and especially on weekends, the place is crowded. Why is Yellowstone Park so popular? We knew that you could see a huge number of different geysers there. And an elderly couple from a neighboring state we met earlier near one of the beautiful rivers told us that there were also wild bears and a huge number of buffalos - bison. And we, of course, wanted to see with our own eyes whether the park was worth the laudatory reviews that travelers from all over the world wrote about it.

National Park was established on March 1, 1872, and is the very first national park in the United States and the world, as well as a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geysers and geothermal springs, and a variety of wildlife make this park very attractive to visitors (fifth most visited in the US; could be more visited if it were not so far from other interesting attractions in North America, as well as limited access due to heavy snowfalls in winter and the high location of the territory - about 2500 meters above sea level). Despite the fact that officially the territory Yellowstone Park, covering an area of ​​about 9,000 sq. km, belongs to three states - Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the park is considered to be the main attraction of the state of Wyoming.

Description of the park

What is so attractive about Yellowstone National Park? Its popularity is based on a unique combination of three elements, each of which individually makes the park interesting to visit.

• The first and most surprising thing that attracts millions of tourists to the park every year is about ten thousand active geothermal sources- geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (steam escaping from the ground) and mud volcanoes, which are the result of volcanic activity occurring in the bowels of the earth under the territory of Yellowstone Park. They occupy about a third of the park's territory and are concentrated in a circular area, which is part ofthe caldera of the huge supervolcano Yellowstone, which could begin to erupt again at any moment.Most of them are located in close proximity to roads that pass through the park, making them easier to access and increasing visitation, although there are many lesser-known geysers in the park's wild areas. In general, about half of the world's geysers are concentrated in Yellowstone Park (about 450 of the 970 geysers known on planet Earth). The main and most famous geothermal springs are concentrated in the areas of Heart Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Shoshone, West Thumb, Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins. The latter is where the park's most famous geyser is located - Old servant(or Old Faithful, Old Faithful).

How do geothermal sources work and what types are they?

• Secondly, in national park Yellowstone is beautiful mountain landscapes, with high peaks, turbulent rivers flowing along the bottom of canyons, as well as beautiful full-flowing multi-cascade waterfalls, a large lake and several smaller ones, as well as a picturesque Grand Canyon the Yellowstone River, which stretches 30 kilometers in length and reaches a depth of more than 300 meters.

The steep banks of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River preserve information about what was here millions of years ago

• The third component is wildlife. And these are not empty words.Yellowstone National Park is one of the few places in the United States where huge bison live in their natural habitat (they are also found in the national park), and grizzly bears also feel quite at ease within the park. In addition, inwolves live in the park, re-induced into the park in 1995 to control the number of bison, as well as many black bears, moose, deer and other smaller animals.

Animals and birds of Yellowstone Park

Park information

Name	Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone National Park
Where is	In the USA on the border of three states - Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
Address	2 Officers Row Yellowstone National Park Headquarters Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
Nearest cities	Jackson, Idaho Falls
GPS coordinates	44° 40′ 0″ N, 110° 30′ 0″ W 44.666667°, -110.5°
What is	Yellowstone Volcano Caldera. The park is famous for its beautiful and unusual landscapes in an area of ​​volcanic activity. The territory has geothermal springs, geysers, rich flora and fauna
Park foundation date	March 1, 1872
Opening hours	Every day around the clock. Some services close overnight and are sometimes unavailable throughout the year
Attendance	3,000,000 people per year
Cost of visit	Weekly pass - $30 per car ($50 with Grand Teton) Weekly Pass - $25 per motorcycle or snowmobile ($40 with Grand Teton Park) Weekly pass - $15 per pedestrian ($20 with Grand Teton) Annual membership – $60 Annual pass to all US national parks – $80
Visitor centers	Canyon Visitor Education Center Fishing Bridge Visitor Center & Trailside Museum Grant Visitor Center West Thumb Information Station Albright Visitor Center Norris Geyser Basin Museum and Information Station Museum of the National Park Ranger Old Faithful Visitor Education Center West Yellowstone Information Station Madison Information Station and Trailside Museum NPS Desk at West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center
Official website	https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Yellowstone Park on a map of the USA

Legend:

• Burgundy color on the map– towns near the borders of Yellowstone Park where you can spend the night
• Orange– camping in Yellowstone Park
• Purple stars– the most important sights
• Blue– other attractions in the park

Distances to Yellowstone Park

Distances to Yellowstone National Park from cities and other US parks and how long to travel (travel time by car):

• — 1635 km (16 hours)
• — 1180 km (11 hours)
• — 1495 km (15 hours)
• Jackson (Wyoming) - 140 km (2 hours)
• Idaho Falls (Idaho) - 173 km (2 hours)
• Salt Lake City (Utah) - 512 km (5 hours)
• — 1340 km (13 hours)
• — 697 km (7 hours)
• — 625 km (7 hours)
• — 843 km (9 hours)
• — 876 km (8.5 hours)
• — 920 km (9 hours)
• — 1150 km (13 hours)
• — 1382 km (15 hours)
• — 96 km (2 hours)
• — 364 km (5 hours)

How to get there

First of all, you need to realize that it is quite possible to visit the crater of a supervolcano, and then decide to do it. So, the conditions are prepared, the cards are collected, the camera is at hand. Don't forget to bring enough food with you for several days. And then you need to find out how to get to Yellowstone Park. The park is located in the northwestern part of Wyoming, and in the south it connects with another national park - and the city of Jackson. You can get there through several entrances:

• From Montana, the gateway to Yellowstone is Yellowstone West to the west;
• Gardiner in Montana to the north;
• Wyoming provides entry options from Cody in the east;
• Cooke City in the northeast;
• And, of course, from the south through the city of Jackson and Grand Teton Park.

Yellowstone National Park is diverse and vast. And it's worth spending a lot of time on. So if you manage to dedicate two to him full days- that's already good!

Although this wonderful place is located far from the beaten path, it is still worth getting there. You can fly into Jackson or Idaho Falls and rent a car if you don't want to drive across the country to Yellowstone. At least in order to form your own opinion about the very first US national park created on the territory of a volcano.

Hotels near Yellowstone

Small towns located on the borders of Yellowstone National Park are great places to stay if you don't want to camp in the park itself. There are several campgrounds throughout Yellowstone where you can stay in a tent or camper if you're traveling in an RV. Read more about this below.

But hotels and motels near Yellowstone are in great demand, although they are much more expensive than in other US cities. Therefore, we recommend booking them in advance. It is convenient to stay near the borders of the park, since every time you return from the wonders of the most famous national park in the USA, coziness and comfort will await you. We have made a selection of the best hotels near the park, located at each of the five entrances to Yellowstone.

Here are the best hotels near Yellowstone Park:

Inn on the Creek 3*(from $150 , rating 9.8 ). This hotel is located in downtown Jackson, just south of Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. A stream flows next to it and a garden is laid out. Spacious and chic rooms feature a spa bath and fireplace. Breakfast with homemade cakes is included in the room rate.

(from $170 , rating 8.9 ). This West Yellowstone hotel is located at the west entrance to the park. The cozy cottages at this lodge are equipped with a kitchen and veranda and will be especially comfortable for two couples, as each house has two bedrooms, or big family. There are barbecue facilities in the garden.

Yellowstone Gateway Inn(from $115 , rating 9.4 ). As its name suggests, this hotel is located in the natural setting of Gardiner, at the northern entrance to Yellowstone. It offers spacious and comfortable cabins with a fully equipped kitchen, living room and views of the mountains and park. You can have a barbecue in the garden next to the hotel.

Soda Butte Lodge(from $130 , rating 7.8 ). Another good hotel is located in Cooke City at the northeastern entrance to the park. Inexpensive spacious rooms with mountain views. Guests note the cleanliness and homely atmosphere.

Chamberlin Inn 4*(from $135 , rating 9.4 ) is the best hotel in Cody (east exit of Yellowstone) with the highest rating on Booking.com. It is famous for maximum comfort and the union of traditions with modern technologies. All rooms are elegantly decorated and very cozy, and there are family apartments. The hotel has a bar and a cozy library where you can work in peace, as well as a small garden with barbecue facilities.

Read a detailed review of Yellowstone Park hotels and lodges at.

Park map and attractions

The main attractions are indicated on the diagram (clickable!)

Main attractions of Yellowstone Park:

• Old Faithful Geyser (Old Faithful)
• Large prismatic source
• Upper and lower terraces of Mammoth
• Norris Geyser Basin
• Roosevelt Tower
• Grand Canyon
• Artist Point
• Gibbon Falls
• Waterfall on the Firehole River
• Yellowstone Lake
• Lake Shoshone
• Hidden Valley (Hidden Valley)
• Grand Loop Road Historic District
• Bison and wildlife grazing in the park

Supervolcano Yellowstone

In the park there is caldera dormant and largest volcano in the world - Yellowstone supervolcano. In its history of more than 2 million years, it has erupted three times, and can do so again at any time.

Let's figure out what this most dangerous supervolcano in the world is.

• Beneath the crater of the Yellowstone volcano lies a huge bubble of hot magma, the temperature of which exceeds 800 degrees.
• Beneath the magma there is a huge 600-kilometer superheated mantle rock column, the temperature of which exceeds 1600 degrees. Closer to the earth's surface it melts into magma, fueling volcanic activity.
• As a result, the minerals of the rocks surrounding the Yellowstone supervolcano gradually melt and form on the surface geysers And mud boilers, and also comes out hydrogen sulfide, which is a by-product of chemical reactions.
• At any moment, with even greater heating of the column of mantle rock, a sharp rise and activation of the release of magma to the surface can occur.

Breathtaking landscape

Chronology of Yellowstone volcano eruptions throughout its history:

• First eruption happened more than 2 million years ago. As a result of overheating of the underground boiler, big bang, which led to the rupture of mountain chains on the surface, and the cloud of emissions rose to the upper boundary of the stratosphere to a height of 50 km. Much of North America was covered in ash. It was a global catastrophe on planet Earth, and in the entire history of mankind such catastrophes have never happened before.
• Second Since the Yellowstone volcano erupted about 1.3 million years ago, it was 10 times weaker than the first and not so destructive for planet Earth.
• Third The eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago, and it was 2 times weaker than the first. As a result, the cone of the Yellowstone volcano, formed in two previous eruptions, melted and fell underground, forming a caldera - a giant depression on the earth's surface with a circumference of more than 150 kilometers.

When will Yellowstone start to erupt?

Based on the three previous eruptions, only probabilistic predictions of the next eruption of Yellowstone volcano can be made. Scientists estimate this probability at 14 hundred thousandths of a percent per year. However geological processes are not regular and cannot be accurately predicted. Therefore, no one knows exactly when Yellowstone's next eruption might occur. On the one hand, it can happen at any moment, but on the other, it will never happen.

Park features

Perhaps it will also be interesting to know that the way Yellowstone National Park looks is one of the stages in the development of our planet, preserved for our eyes by some lucky chance. There is another such place in the USA, in the John Day National Park, where you can also see what the Earth was like millions of years ago. So Yellowstone is an even more ancient picture of the planet’s past. We took many photos in various parts of the park, and from them you can see for yourself the amazing past of the planet.

The park is also home to thousands of bison, who quite calmly graze in the lush meadows and imposingly cross the road. This causes a wild rush among photographers and creates traffic jams on the roads passing through the park.

Best time to visit Yellowstone Park

It is believed that May to October are the best months to visit Yellowstone. However, there are some nuances here too.

• Summer in the USA it’s time for vacations and trips with children into nature, and therefore the number of people per square meter roads in the park can be overwhelming. Moreover, at this time there are often traffic jams on the park’s roads, which will take a lot of time to overcome. If you choose summer, it is better to go in late May-early June.
• Therefore, it is best to watch Yellowstone in the first 2-3 weeks autumn, just after Labor Day ( Labor day), falling on the first Monday in September. The number of visitors at this time sharply decreases, and at the same time prices for hotels around the park fall, making it easier to find a place in a campsite on the territory. So early autumn the best time for those who want to see the park quickly.
• In general, Yellowstone National Park is open all year round, and in winter time The park area is especially beautiful. Therefore, despite the cold and possible snowfalls, do not miss the opportunity to see hot geysers in the middle of a cold winter and look at frost-covered bison.

Buffaloes walk down the road

Bison crossing the road in video from Yellowstone Park

Fairytale landscape

The geyser spits out a huge column of water and steam

The eyelash of the Oko (Prism) geyser is formed by many heat-loving bacteria

Most best view to the Grand Prismatic thermal spring - from above

Plan your visit to Yellowstone

Yellowstone Park welcomed us in the fall. And since October, a good part of the roads here are usually closed. And we were unlucky: two whole roads were no longer functional for tourists. This made route planning very difficult. After all, a regular tour of the park is a figure eight, which is convenient to drive around, dividing it into two parts. Therefore, you need to allocate at least two days to explore the national park. And with the routes from Norris to Mammoth and Craig Pass to West Thumb closed, the task became more difficult. Now we had to drive along the same road twice.

But even in such not very pleasant conditions, we decided to admire the famous volcano hidden underneath.

• Recommendation: A regular city car will do for a trip to Yellowstone, as the roads in the park are very good. It’s better to look for a car for rent (at a price of $20 per day) at Rentalcars >>

Weather

Most of the park is located at an altitude of more than 2000 meters above sea level, so weather in Yellowstone very changeable. At any time of the year, quite serious fluctuations in air temperature are possible, and rain or snow falls here both in summer and winter.

• Spring and autumn characterized by fairly cool air. Daytime temperatures range from 0 to 20C, with frequent frosts at night, down to -20C. In spring it often snows, and it may not stop throughout the day.
• Summer in Yellowstone quite warm, on average about 22-25°C. Sometimes the air temperature on a sunny day is 30°C. However, the nights in the park are quite cool, sometimes the temperature drops even below zero. Precipitation is not frequent, but sometimes there are rains and thunderstorms (usually in the afternoon).
• in winter Daytime temperatures fluctuate below zero (from -20°C to -5°C). Severe frosts often come at night, and the thermometer can even drop to (-54C). It often snows and blizzards occur. Park visitors sometimes have to wait for park workers to clear the road after another snowfall.

Before visiting Yellowstone Park, check the accurate weather forecast for the coming days and be sure to take a warm jacket and rain protection with you, and in case of wind, insulate yourself with multi-layered clothing.

Interesting events in the park throughout the year by month

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular (after) parks in the United States for a reason. Visitors to Yellowstone Park can find something to enjoy in the park throughout the year. Of course, most tourists come here in the summer - in June, July and August, when the holiday season is at its peak in the States and school holidays. IN summer time There is literally no crowd here, and traffic jams often occur on the roads in the park due to people stopping to look at the bison, blocking the passage of everyone else.

Therefore, for a quieter visit to the park, we recommend choosing spring (April/May) or autumn (September/October). We ourselves were here in early autumn, and it was probably the best choice of the possible options. Before traveling to Yellowstone, be sure to check the park's website for Current Conditions, as some roads and access to attractions may be closed, mainly due to inclement weather.

Here are the highlights of Yellowstone Park by month:

Month	What to see and do
January	Geysers surrounded by snow fields, wild bison, wolves, foxes and coyotes, skiing and snowmobiling.
February	Overnight near Old Faithful, snow-covered meadows throughout the park, trumpeter swans in the wormwood.
March	Grizzly bears wake up from hibernation and emerge from their den. Various migrating birds begin to arrive. March 1st is Yellowstone Park Day.
April	Bison give birth, you can see moose and grizzly bears, swamp frogs and marmots wake up, and migratory birds arrive. The flowering season of meadow plants begins.
May	In the lowlands you can go hiking, the first campsites are opening in the park, and wild flowers are blooming. All roads within the park are open to visitors on Memorial Day.
June	Boating, fishing, hiking and wildlife watching. Songbirds and animals appear in all their glory. In mid-June, the navigation season on Yellowstone Lake begins and all remaining organized campsites open.
July	Bison and their offspring wander through the meadows, where rare wildflowers bloom at this time. The water level in the Yellowstone River is falling, a large number of mosquitoes are appearing, and campsites are starting to operate in uninhabited areas.
August	The park conducts controlled fires, the smoke from which may be somewhat disturbing to visitors. US National Parks Day is celebrated on August 25th.
September	Some campgrounds are starting to close. Moose and black and grizzly bears can be seen in roadside meadows. There are fewer mosquitoes in the park. Predators, following bison, migrate from one territory to another. As nature turns into fall colors, the boat ramps on Yellowstone Lake wind down.
October	Bears return from mountainous areas to lower ones and begin to prepare for winter. They can often be seen along roads. Sometimes snow falls and some of the mountain roads in the park are closed for the winter.
November	Bison and bighorn goats migrate to the plains, and snow begins to accumulate, on which wolves can sometimes be seen in the Lamar Valley. Fishing season is ending in Yellowstone Park.
December	Yellowstone Park's winter operating hours are upon us. Many roads are closed, but there are opportunities for skiing, snowmobiling, and hot geysers surrounded by snow and ice.

What to see in 2 or 3 days

When all the roads in the park are open, the most best way see Yellowstone in 2 or 3 days like this:

• Having entered along one of the roads, say through the southern entrance from Grand Teton, you immediately find yourself in West Thumb Geyser Basin. Get to know the wide variety of mud springs and geysers of the Yellowstone kitchen.
• Moving west through Craig's Pass you come to the most famous geyser - Old Faithful. He demonstrates his skills on a schedule (about once every hour and a half). If you are late for the start of the next show of the Old Faithful eruption, then you should wait a little and take a walk along the valley of geysers nearby.
• Then on the way Midway Geyser Basin- one of the most significant in the park. Here you can admire the huge, beautiful and dangerous hot springs Exilior And Grand Prismatic Spring.
• There are several trails nearby - up to Ojo Caliente, another hot spring, or to the waterfalls - Fairy Falls.
• Don't miss it Firehole Lake Drive- a separate ring road, along which there are several more geysers, as spectacular as Old Faithful, if you can catch them erupting. By the way, the schedule can be checked at the visitor center at Old Faithful.
• On the way out is another collection of bubbling springs and mud volcanoes - Fountain Paint Pot.
• It’s also worth spending time on one more road - Firehole Canyon drive. Please note that traffic here is one-way.

There are more than enough impressions for the first day. Next, you need to decide on an overnight stay - check into the Madison campsite (as we did) or leave through the western gate of the park and stay in the small town of West Yellowstone (I recommend the hotel Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone).

• The next day, when entering the park, you can start exploring with observation platforms to the river and waterfalls Gibbon.
• Artists Paint Pot— regular colorful baths with mud and volcanic activity.
• And then we drive along the road to the upper loop of the so-called “eight” - a double ring road passing through the park, and we go north, to Norris Geyser Basin.
• The next goal is Mammoth Hot Springs- These are hot springs that have already died, but still make an indelible impression on visitors. There are wooden decks built along them, on which you can walk for a very long time in search of good angles for photos.
• Further on the way to the east, to Roosevelt Tower you can visit Ondine waterfall, considered the most beautiful in the national park.
• You can complete the program of the second day at the same Roosevelt Tower, stopping at another charming waterfall called Tower Falls.

If you have spent a lot of time exploring the sights of Yellowstone, then at the Roosevelt Tower you can go outside the park to Cooke City and spend the night there (see hotel Soda Butte Lodge) or stay at a simple campsite at Tower Falls.

• On the third day you can return to the park again or continue to the side Grand Canyon Yellowstone. This is an impressive place with colorful rocks and waterfalls, where all visitors have the opportunity to see the green Yellowstone River, which created a huge canyon.
• On the way to Yellowstone Lake you can visit the following mud volcanoes And small waterfalls LeHardys Rapids.
• Yellowstone Lake- this is the last point of the program, after relaxing at which it is most convenient to take the scenic road to the south, towards Grand Teton Park and the city of Jackson.

Multi-cascade waterfall

Where to stay and stay in Yellowstone

Of course, it would be better to spend the night in one of the campsites in the park to have quick access to the attractions. And there are opportunities for this in all parts of the park. We have chosen camping madison, since it is in the center of the figure eight, and this is very convenient. The cost is $25 per day, and these are the most basic conditions. At your disposal is a place for a car, a tent, a table and a shared toilet. And also bears, from whom you need to hide food so that they are not tempted to get to know you personally.

Camping Madison

Our tent in Yellowstone Park

Entering Madison Campground. There are no vacancies in the evening

There is also the option to stay outside the park, in small towns near the border with the park (West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cooke city and others), but hotels and motels there will be more expensive, and campsites will be cheaper. But why settle in a tent not in the park itself?

Opens from viewpoint beautiful view the Yellowstone River from above

The hill looks like it’s made of marshmallows (Lower Mammoth Terraces)

Unusual patterns created by mineral deposits in a thermal spring

Camping in Yellowstone Park

There are 12 campsites in Yellowstone National Park where you can stay overnight if you have a tent and everything you need for an overnight stay, a campervan or caravan (also called an RV in the US). There are approximately 2,200 sites available across all campsites.

Since there are quite a lot of visitors to Yellowstone National Park, you must either reserve a campsite in advance or arrive no later than 10-11 a.m. and reserve a place to spend the night yourself. For the convenience of visitors, the national park website contains information about the availability of places in campsites, which can be viewed.

Camping name	Number of seats	Terms	Opportunity reservations	Price
Mammoth	85	A,F,G	No	$20
Madison	278	A,F,NS,DS,G	Yes	$23,50
Fishing Bridge RV	>325	F,S/L,2S,DS,G, hookups	Yes	$47,75
Norris	111	A,F,G	No	$20
Bridge Bay	432	A,F,NS,DS,G	Yes	$23,50
Tower Fall	31	V	No	$15
Canyon	273	A,F,S/L,2S,DS,G	Yes	$28
Indian Creek	70	A,V	No	$15
Pebble Creek	27	V	No	$15
Slough Creek	23	V	No	$15
Lewis Lake	85	V	No	$15
Grant Village	430	A,F,S/L,2S,DS,G	Yes	$28

Explanation of symbols:

Yellowstone Campgrounds Map

Camping in Yellowstone Park

Our review

We visited a unique place with amazing nature, fueled by the powerful underground energy of the dormant giant Yellowstone volcano. Rivers and streams, beautiful waterfalls and a picturesque canyon, thermal waters, terraces of mineral deposits, huge fields of geysers and mud pots, including the tallest geyser in the world, as well as thermal springs and free-roaming bears and bison - this is all very important to us It was interesting to see with my own eyes.

We really enjoyed the lower Mammoth Terraces, the Old Faithful Geyser, the picturesque canyon and the Grand Prismatic Spring, which we were able to view from the top of the hill. Repeatedly in Yellowstone Park we met amazing and powerful wild animals - bison (buffalo), for which this park is so famous. They literally walk wherever they want and are not shy at all. But, fortunately for us, we never met any bears.

We visited Yellowstone National Park in the fall, when not so many people were on vacation and schoolchildren were back at their desks. But still, sometimes I had to experience some discomfort due to the large number of visitors to the park. Therefore, get up early and go to watch the sunrise where you think it will be most interesting. If you need a campsite and have not booked it in advance, we recommend that you reserve it in the morning, otherwise you risk being left without a place to spend the night in the park after lunch.

Our photos

Two bison grazing

Coyote came out to hunt

Articles about attractions in Yellowstone Park

Please note that in each of the posts, in addition to photos, we also collected short videos from the park. So we delight you not only with photographs, but also with an immersion in reality!

The Yellowstone volcano has been causing active controversy among scientists and fear in the eyes of ordinary residents of the Earth for several years now. This caldera is located in the United States, and it does not matter in which state, because it is capable of destroying an entire nation in a matter of days. Forecasts regarding the proposed explosion change time after time with the arrival of new data about the behavior of natural phenomena in the Yellowstone Park area, but latest news make you think about the future of every person on the planet.

What is special about the Yellowstone volcano?

Yellowstone Caldera is not an ordinary volcano, because its eruption is more like the explosion of hundreds of nuclear bombs. It is a deep depression containing magma and covered with a frozen layer of ash from the last time of activity. The area of ​​this natural monster is approximately 4 thousand square meters. km. The height of the volcano is 2805 meters, the diameter of the crater is difficult to estimate, since, according to scientists, it extends for hundreds of kilometers.

When Yellowstone wakes up, a real global disaster will begin. The earth in the crater area will completely go underground, and the magma bubble will fly up. Streams of hot lava will cover the area for hundreds of kilometers, as a result of which all living things will be completely destroyed. Further, the situation will not become easier, as dust and volcanic gases will cover an increasingly larger area. If fine ash gets into the lungs, it will disrupt breathing, after which people will instantly pass away into another world. The dangers in North America will not end there, as the likelihood of earthquakes and tsunamis that could destroy hundreds of cities will increase.

The consequences of the explosion will affect the entire world, as the accumulation of vapors from the Yellowstone volcano will envelop the entire planet. The smoke will impede the passage of sunlight, which will trigger the onset of a long winter. Temperatures around the world will drop to -25 degrees on average. How does this phenomenon threaten Russia? Experts believe that the country is unlikely to be affected by the explosion itself, but the consequences will affect the entire remaining population, as there will be an acute shortage of oxygen, perhaps due to the drop in temperature, first there will be no plants left, and then animals.

Prerequisites for a large-scale explosion

No one knows when a supervolcano will explode, since no source has a reliable description of the behavior of such a giant. According to geological data, it is known that there have been three eruptions throughout history: 2.1 million years ago, 1.27 million years ago and 640 thousand years ago. According to calculations, the next explosion may fall on contemporaries, but no one knows the exact date.

In 2002, the activity of the caldera increased, which is why research began to be carried out more often on the territory of the reserve. Attention was paid to various factors in the area where the crater is located, among them:

• earthquakes;
• volcanic activity;
• geysers;
• movement of tectonic plates;
• water temperature in nearby bodies of water;
• animal behavior.

Currently, there are restrictions on free access to the park, and in the area of ​​a possible explosion the entrance to tourists is closed. During the monitoring, an increase in the activity of geysers was revealed, as well as an increase in the amplitude of earthquakes. In September 2016, a video appeared on YouTube that the caldera had begun its eruption, but the state of the Yellowstone volcano has not yet changed significantly. True, tremors are gaining strength, so the risk is becoming higher.

Throughout October, the supervolcano is being monitored continuously, as everyone wants to know what is really happening with the natural “bomb”. Photos from space are constantly analyzed, the coordinates of earthquake epicenters are noted, and it is checked whether the surface of the caldera is cracked.

Today it is difficult to say how long is left before the explosion, because even 2019 may be the last in human history. There are many predictions about the coming disaster, because even Vanga saw in her dreams pictures of a “nuclear winter”, which is very similar to the consequences after the eruption of the Yellowstone volcano.

Yellowstone Volcano is a volcanic caldera in Yellowstone National Park, located in the US state of Wyoming.

Yellowstone is among the 20 most famous supervolcanoes on the planet, the eruption of which could lead to climate change throughout the Earth.

Yellowstone National Park

Supervolcano Yellowstone

According to recent studies by American scientists, the Yellowstone supervolcano may erupt in the near future. As a result of this disaster, about 70% of the territory will be destroyed.

According to volcanologists, with a possible explosion, the magma under high pressure will rise high into the sky, and there will be so much ash that it will cover the surface of the earth with a 3-meter layer at a distance of 1600 km.

As a result, tens of millions of people will die, and the territory will become uninhabitable due to high level.

As of today, the lava has approached the surface of the earth's crust so close that the soil has already risen by as much as 1.5 m.

An interesting fact is that in some areas of Yellowstone you can feel the heat of magma without the help of any instruments. This once again proves that a volcanic eruption can indeed begin at any moment.

Yellowstone volcano

But how did it all start? In 2002, two new geysers with medicinal water appeared in the Yellowstone Nature Reserve.

In this regard, travel companies began to invite people to visit the national park to improve their health, and at the same time enjoy the beauty.

As a result, the annual number of tourists who want to see the healing springs with their own eyes has increased to 3 million people.

At first, no one gave serious importance to the formation of natural geysers. However, after 2 years the situation began to change dramatically.

Yellowstone Caldera

The US leadership has tightened restrictions on visiting Yellowstone Park, and entry into some areas has been banned altogether.

In addition, the number of guards, as well as scientists researching the supervolcano, has noticeably increased.

The area of ​​the reserve is 3825 km², with the caldera measuring approximately 55 km by 72 km.

Initially, volcanologists did not assume that the caldera could be such a huge size, but after careful research, this fact was confirmed.

In this regard, it became clear that the water emanating from the geysers was heated by the influence of hot lava.

In 2007, during the presidency of George W. Bush, a special scientific council was formed. The best American geophysicists and seismologists began to seriously study the Yellowstone volcano.

Even intelligence officials and the US Secretary of Defense got involved in the work. Meetings were held every month, chaired personally by the president.

As it turns out later, such measures were not taken in vain. It turned out that the gushing hot geysers were harbingers of the awakening of the Yellowstone supervolcano.

In addition, seismologists recorded a sharp rise in the soil under the reserve. During the period 2007-2011. it rose by 1.8 m. It should be noted that over the previous 20 years, the rise of the soil did not exceed 10 cm.

Over the many thousands of years of its existence, Yellowstone has erupted 3 times. According to scientists, the last eruption occurred about 600 thousand years ago.

Previously, experts thought that this supervolcano no longer poses any threat to the Earth, but after careful research, everything turned out to be completely different.

Over the past ten years, experts have noted constant growth soil temperatures and active rise of lava.

More and more cracks were also discovered, through which hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide contained in the magma were released. Naturally, this could not but worry American scientists.

Feature of supervolcanoes

It should be said that the eruption of an ordinary volcano occurs at one specific point.

But supervolcanoes cover large areas, and can have several ordinary volcanoes on their territory.

Their danger lies in the fact that they do not erupt, but literally explode over a gigantic area.

Supervolcano explosion

Scientists were able to simulate a potential explosion of a supervolcano. The picture turned out to be downright apocalyptic.

It all starts with magma rising up under high pressure. Next, a “hump” is formed, which can reach a height of several hundred meters and be up to 20 km in diameter.

Then cracks and countless vents begin to appear around the perimeter. At one point, the central part of the hump cannot withstand the load and collapses down. As a result, the collapsed rock pushes millions of tons of magma and ash out of the depths of the earth.

Scientists suggest that the explosion power of the Yellowstone volcano will be a thousand times stronger atomic bomb dropped on the city.

An interesting fact is that not long ago bison began to rapidly leave the Yellowstone Nature Reserve. And these, as you know, have the ability to anticipate future disasters, which is further evidence of an impending large-scale cataclysm.

Following the bison, they began to run away from the park, which alerted not only the scientists, but also the rangers. Recent studies have shown that helium accumulation and the number of mini-earthquakes in the Yellowstone region have increased 1,000-fold.

How will Yellowstone explode?

Volcanologists suggest that before the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano, the earth will rise another few tens of meters. At the same time, the soil temperature will heat up to 70°C.

The explosion will immediately release volcanic ash, which will rise approximately 50 km into the sky.

This will be followed by a release of magma that will cover a gigantic area. All this will be accompanied by powerful .

In the first minutes after the explosion, about 200 thousand people will die from the hot lava alone. Then people will die from subsequent and.

Ultimately, the number of deaths will reach 10 million. All this will resemble the legendary Armageddon.

It is worth noting that volcanic ash particles are so tiny that respirators cannot prevent them from entering the lungs. Once in the human body, the ash begins to harden and turn into stone.

Thus, people living even thousands of kilometers from the volcano will also be in mortal danger.

In addition, the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano will provoke the formation of, as a result of which the level of radiation will sharply increase.

The territory of North America and the southern part will turn into a scorched desert.

The explosion of Yellowstone will cause hundreds of other volcanoes across the earth to erupt. Within a few days, all living things will die from earthquakes, magma emissions and suffocation.

In a few weeks, huge masses of ash will be covered, and cosmic darkness will descend.

Nuclear winter

After the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano, they will go for a long time acid rain, which will destroy the harvest and all fauna. Due to the lack of solar energy, the temperature on the planet will fluctuate between -20°C and -50°C.

Winter will continue for several more years, resulting in the death of all plants and a serious lack of oxygen.

According to scientists, people living in the center of Eurasia and the Eastern European part have the greatest chance of survival.

An inglorious end

If you believe such forecasts, then many questions involuntarily arise. For example, why is there so little talk about this in the press and on television?

Some sources claim that the authorities considered it inappropriate to cover this topic, since humanity is unable to prevent the impending catastrophe.

According to the leadership of the United States of America, the wisest thing to do is simply not to cover this topic, so as not to cause unnecessary panic among the population.

Yellowstone today

American scientist Howard Huxley has been studying the Yellowstone volcano for a long time. He and his like-minded people formed the Foundation for Saving Civilization.

In their opinion, after the disaster, the entire elite will go to live in Liberia, located in. Such conclusions were made based on the fact that cash injections began to flow into this country en masse.

They began to build good roads, airports and special bunkers designed for a comfortable existence for several years.

Perhaps in connection with this, American billionaires also built a “Doomsday Vault” in which the seeds of most plant varieties are stored. This structure is a huge armored safe built in Spitsbergen.

From all that has been said, the conclusion suggests itself that even if some people manage to survive the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano, their continued existence on Earth is still doomed to death.

But this is already the area of ​​​​exclusively hypotheses and assumptions.

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