Part 3 of an 8 part virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park. Today’s featured tour route is Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village, which travels through the heart of Hayden Valley and can be seen on all of Austin-Lehman’s Yellowstone Vacation Packages.

Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village, Part 3 from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

The road from Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village begins at Yellowstone Lake and follows the Yellowstone River through the Hayden Valley. There is plenty of opportunity to view native wildlife including large herds of elk and bison and the occasional grizzly bear. The highway itself features several turnouts that ease traffic in the event of a wildlife spotting.

Thermal features on this route are very unique and include Sulfur Caldron, Mud Volcano and Black Dragon Caldron. These features were some of first geothermal features to be discovered in Yellowstone by early explorers.

The last stop as you near Canyon Village is The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The canyon is one of the most popular and scenic features in Yellowstone and is home to the magnificent Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. A drive through the Grand Loop will provide access to several viewing points along both the south and north rim of the canyon.

From the south rim, you will be able to access popular viewing points of the falls including Uncle Tom’s Trail, Point Sublime and Artist Point. From the north rim you’ll find the Brink of the Upper Falls, Lookout Point and the ever-famous Inspiration Point. Each of these viewing points offer unique and breathtaking views of the canyon and it’s many natural features.

When you reach Canyon Village, you will have the chance to visit the Canyon Visitor Education Center. Visitors will learn about the geology of the park and the Yellowstone super volcano through interactive exhibits and audio/visual productions.

This ends Part 3 of our Virtual Tour of Yellowstone Park. Our next tour route will take us from Canyon Village to Madison.

Part 2 of an 8 part virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park. Today’s featured tour route is Old Faithful to Fishing Bridge, including the colossal Yellowstone Lake, featured on all of Austin-Lehman’s Yellowstone Vacation Packages.

Old Faithful to Fishing Bridge, Part 2 from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

The road from Old Faithful to Fishing Bridge features a very scenic stretch of Yellowstone Park. You’ll cross the Continental Divide twice and then descend to the West Thumb Geyser Basin, on the western banks of Yellowstone Lake. This basin features thermal features such as Percolating Spring, Fishing Cone, and Abyss Pool.

The highway continues along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, providing glorious views of the largest freshwater mountain lake (above 7,000 feet) in North America! At an elevation of 7,732, the lake spans 136 square miles and has 110 miles of shoreline. The average depth of the lake is around 140 feet and it is home to a large number of cutthroat trout.

The northern banks of the lake are home to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Fishing Bridge, both historic landmarks. The hotel was originally constructed in 1891 and has been renovated several times since, providing a mix of historic architecture and modern amenities. You’ll also find some of the best cuisine in Yellowstone in the hotel dining room.

The last stop of today’s route is Fishing Bridge. Although, fishing is no longer allowed from the bridge, it is a great spot to view the lake and surrounding scenery. The bridge was once a very popular spot to fish for spawning cutthroat trout and some say as many as 50,000 fishers have fished from the bridge over the last century!

This ends Part 2 of our Virtual Tour of Yellowstone National Park. Tomorrow we will travel from Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village.

Part 1 of an 8 part virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park. Today’s featured tour route is West Yellowstone to Old Faithful which you can explore first hand in Austin-lehman’s Yellowstone Vacation Packages.

West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, Part 1 from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

The west entrance of Yellowstone National Park is located just outside of the small Montana town that is aptly named West Yellowstone. The highway winds along the Madison River and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to see some great wildlife right off the bat. You may see a majestic bald eagle fishing in the river as you drive right by a giant eagle’s nest. You might even see an immature bald eagle waiting patiently to leave the nest.

As you turn left and head towards the Lower Geyser Basin, the road will follow the Firehole River, which is one of 2 major tributaries of the Madison River.  Hundreds of geothermal features empty into the river, which got its name from the steam that commonly rises from it.

A walk along the boardwalks of Lower Geyser Basin will give you a great introduction to the park’s thermal features. You’ll see geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mudpots, like the ever-bubbling Fountain Paint Pots. A few miles down the road is the Midway Geyser Basin, home of the breathtaking Grand Prismatic Spring. Grand Prismatic is the largest natural hot spring in Yellowstone and the 3rd largest hot spring in the world!

Today’s final stop is at the Upper Geyser Basin, home of the world-famous Old Faithful geyser. The Upper Geyser Basin is about 2 square miles in area and contains almost one-quarter of all of the geysers on Earth. You’ll also have the chance to see the Old Faithful Inn, which was completed in 1904 and is one of the largest log buildings in the world!

The combination of thermal features and wildlife make this the perfect introduction to Yellowstone Park!

Thanks for coming along on Part 1 of our Virtual Tour of Yellowstone National Park. Tomorrow we’ll tour from Old Faithful to Fishing Bridge.