West Yellowstone to Roosevelt Arch

Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by

A Yellowstone Mini Road Trip

This section of the Grand Loop Road is highlighted by Norris Geyser Basin, and Mammoth Hot Springs and Village. It is a 120 mile round trip taking about 3 and a half hours without stops, but in addition to the major attractions, this route has a lot of pullout observation points. The ideal for this mini road trip would be an overnight in Mammoth or Gardiner, giving yourself two leisurely days instead of one longer day.
Each of the included hikes on this loop will likely take close to 4 hours, especially if you enjoy a cup of tea at the midway point like we do, so doing them both in one day is likely not an option.
Most of the pull-off spots also have at least some form of additional trail and Mammoth Village and Gardiner can probably occupy a whole day just shopping. Hurts my feelings just to write that.
The road coming in from West Yellowstone also has a pretty regular elk herd in the fields on the southern side of the west entrance road causing some traffic slow downs.

Yes, the 6AM wake up call is a shock to the system. I used to be a morning person. I’m not quite sure what happened. Alas alak, first world problems. The drive is always nice, starting with the early morning elk herd that greets us just inside the West entrance. Grand Loop Road has a family of Sandhill Cranes in the meadow leading up to Norris Geyser Basin. And, as has been our experience up to this point, we saw one lone bison. Best part of the morning drive – we were stuck in construction traffic (I know what you’re thinking – probably the same thing as Shawn) right next to beautiful rock formations that I was able to jump out of the car to get some pix of. There are no stopping points along this stretch due to narrow passage through the mountains so I was pretty excited. Started the morning with my rose colored glasses on.

Firehole Falls Drive

Firehole Falls Drive is slightly out of the way for this loop, but makes the most sense to add it to this itinerary. When you reach Madison, turn south and then enter the two mile one way loop turnoff. When you are through, simply head north back towards Norris Geyser Basin.

There is a pretty powerful forty foot waterfall, and one of the two swimming areas in the park is here. Don’t be fooled – there is nothing ‘fire’ about the swimming area. There aren’t any parking lots, but the side of road offers plenty of opportunity.

Purple Mountain

Purple Mountain trail (unfortunately I did not download this one to All Trails so the generic map is attached) was a return to the scene of the crime of our trip out here for our sons graduation, and it proved some vindication for Angela.

It’s a 6 mile round trip with 1500 feet of elevation gain. Our last time up was marked by significantly more huffing, puffing, and rest stops. Tons of switchbacks, almost like they knew the fat guy was going to hike this and would need regular breathers. The view at the top was somewhat diminished by the smoke from the entire west coast being on fire, but still worth the hike.

Day one in the park and I decided we should do the Purple Mountain Trail first as an Ode to Our Summer Road Trip four years ago. We did the 6 mile hike in less than four hours and that was with two small stops on the way up to stretch (and pee, of course) and a nice stop at the top for tea and treat. 1500 foot elevation gain in 3 miles. Can I just say, VINDICATION! On the way down, we saw a breeding western tanager. She was absolutely beautiful with a soft orange cap instead of the usual yellow and black (which is also quite beautiful). Hopping from baby pine to baby pine closer and closer to us she gave us quite a show. Who needs the movies when you have nature?!

On the way down the mountain I started to get a headache which turned into a full blown migraine (wavy rainbow vision and all) on the drive back. Needless to say, I did not want to stop at all the pullouts like Shawn and I had decided to do at the beginning of the day. We did, however, decide to drive the River Road back instead of the main road. Then, darn it, Shawn pulled off into Gneiss pullout (probably because I directed him there) which made me a little grumpy because my head was splitting with every bump of the drive. That all being said, we had the happiest coincidence. There was a group of three elk crossing the Madison River – one was a calf who was riding on the back of one of the females. Nature – constantly astonished.

Artists Paintpots

A side trip to the Artist Paint Pots rounded out our day. These are interesting because of the consistency of the pools being more like paint (or mud) than elsewhere in the park. This is due to the fact that these pools, unlike all of the others in the park, are fed from water running down from the mountain and accumulating in pits rather than water being forced up from below. A very short side trip to stretch your legs before climbing back into the car for the hour long drive home or to continue your journey north.

Great little side trip. Unfortunately, no bathrooms. AND, I didn’t have my pee pack on me. I didn’t realize quite how bad I had to go until we got about half a mile up the trail. Things went downhill fast as I could barely keep walking. Alas, I pulled a Kathy and found a secluded spot to squat in. First world problems. After that I could finally enjoy the paint pots. Pretty amazing and great colors. Nice way to round out the day.

Norris Geyser

This is a very popular stop and likely going to be very congested. Our visit typically saw cars parked along the Grand Loop Road even though the parking lot is down a side road another quarter mile away. We did not take the opportunity to visit here due to the overwhelming traffic, but it deserves mention because it is a major tourist destination.
The basin has provides some excellent examples of geysers, fumaroles, hot springs and mud pools. There are two distinct sections of this area, Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. Due to the intensity of the heat and acidity of the water, the area is pretty desolate, providing a pretty unique landscape to visit. Trails surround each area, offering about a 3 mile loop in total.
Steamboat, the world’s tallest geyser, also calls Norris Geyser home. Unfortunately, this geyser is completely unpredictable, with major eruptions coming anywhere from 4 days to 50 years apart.

Roaring Mountain

We drove up to the north side of the park to visited Mammoth Hot Springs, Gardiner and Norris Geyser Basin. Theme of the day? Fog. Can’t complain though, I finally did get a great picture of Roaring Mountain (which actually does make noise), but also looked great in the early morning with steam vents in full force.

A quick stop just north of Norris Geyser Basin, Roaring Mountain offers a treat to one of the senses not generally associated with Yellowstone – hearing. Roaring Mountain contains many steam vents (fumaroles) in a very small area. Just before the water reaches the surface, it flashes to steam created a hiss of sound. In the early 1900s, the number, size, and power of the fumaroles was much greater than today, but if you catch it at the right time, the roar of the mountain is still present.
We stopped several times on our way to and from the northern end of the park and heard mostly whimpers, but did manage a good roar once. The site of all the steam venting from the mountain edge is worth the quick stop regardless.

Obsidian Cliff

Obsidian is formed in volcanic areas rich in silica and when the cooling temperatures is just right, this black glass is left behind. Ordinarily, obsidian is found in small rocks but here is a formation nearly 100 feet high.
Obsidian was a critical early tool of Paleoamericans because it flaked easily into a razor sharp edge. Evidence suggests this area had been mined nearly 11,000 years ago. Further evidence show the Obsidian Cliffs to be the most widely dispersed source of obsidian by hunter-gatherers in the US. It has been found along trade routes from western Canada to Ohio and in 90% of the burial mounds of the Hopewell people.

Did You Know?
Today, obsidian is still used to make superior surgical scalpels used for the most delicate areas, such as eye surgery. These tools are hand made using the same stone age technique of pressure flaking.

This site was of sufficient interest to warrant the construction of the the kiosk in 1931. It was the first wayside exhibit in a US national park and named by, you guessed it, Superintendent Norris. In 1996, the site was subsequently designated a National Historic Landmark.

Sheepeater Cliff

The cliffs are basalt left by lava flows 500,000 years ago. What remains are these really interesting almost perfect hexagonal columns.
Superintendent Norris named the cliffs, and let’s face it, Norris seems to have done only one thing during his time as Superintendent – name things after himself or make up names. In this case, Norris allegedly found remains of wickiups he attributed to a tribe of Shoshone known as Tukudeka, or sheepeater. A wickiup is similar to a tipi except that it is short and squat and typically left behind when the tribe moved on. There is an unmarked, one mile trail, that will take you to Tukuarika Falls. This is a trail we researched, but did not walk ourselves.

Golden Gate

The Golden Gate area signifies entry into the interior of the park from Mammoth dating back to the age of the stagecoach. Lichen formations on the canyon walls give off an orangey-gold glow in the sunlight providing support for it’s name. In 1885 Lieutenant Daniel Kingman and the U.S. Corp of Engineers built the first trestle made entirely of wood to navigate the canyon. As a result of that engineering feat, Kingman Pass was named in his honor, thus becoming the first site in the park not to be named Norris. Probably not true.

This trestle made navigation into the interior possible and was absolutely critical for the development of the park as a tourist destination. Over the years, the bridge has been reconstructed several times using modern materials.
There are two excellent pullouts with great views of the bridge and Rustic Falls. The more southern lot also has a fairly steep trail toward the base of the falls that makes for great pictures. (Although, honestly, not what we captured here).

There is also a tiny alternate drive, maybe a tenth of a mile known as silver gate. Drive too quickly and you’ll miss it. It’s a one way street from the north, so if you’re heading toward Mammoth the turn is a little tricky and during busy times probably best avoided. Initially, I thought NPS was being clever because it is a little tiny version of Golden Gate, but in fact it was named by early tourists due to the color. The rock formations on the loop are actually travertine remnants of what once may have been terraces similar to Mammoth Hot Springs.

It’s a quick little stop, but totally worth it for the overlook, an opportunity to stretch your legs, and do some ‘micro’ rock climbing.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

The hot springs are a must visit, and are unlike any other formation in the park. The terraces are formed by thermal water pushing through the limestone layer until it reaches the surface where carbon dioxide is released and calcium carbonate is deposited, forming travertine.

There is an extensive boardwalk system around the hot springs with a half dozen entry points from small parking lots along the road.

There is also a short two mile one way drive along the upper portion offering access to some features not visible from the boardwalk.

We saw some really cool rock formations and terraces at the Mammoth Hot Springs which overlooks the original town of Mammoth Springs. (You have to click on the pictures to actually see the town in the background.) Nice walk along the boardwalk, but right out in the open sun. I was definitely hot by the time we finished. Welcome to menopause.

We wandered over to the little “town” of Mammoth and it’s what you’d expect to see when you think about old fashioned Yellowstone. All the original buildings built by the Army Corp of Engineers. Wicked neat and now they house the few lucky NPS employees. We also saw elk up close and personal in the green space of town.

Mammoth Village

The official park headquarters, the village of Mammoth Hot Springs is seemingly frozen in time, offering visitors a more rustic approach to Yellowstone. Following the failures of the first park superintendents, the US Army was brought in to restore order, prevent poaching and preserve the natural resources. In 1886, Company M, First United States Cavalry under the command of CPT Moses Harris was dispatched to Mammoth. For five years they lived in temporary frame buildings, followed by clapboard buildings in 1901. The fort expanded with another round of clapboard in 1897, and finally in 1909 the stone buildings were constructed.

35 structures remain from the 1890s and early 1900s and are currently used for administrative support and employee housing. Take a stroll along the tree lined street and you can easily take yourself back into the turn of the 20th century.

The bachelor officer’s quarters are what is now the Albright Visitor’s Center. The visitors center has an excellent museum, a Forever Yellowstone store, and of course, a wealth of information on planning your trip by the always helpful Park Rangers.

The rest of the village contains the absolutely massive post office, built at a time when the federal government wanted to emphasize its presence, restaurants, an ice cream shop, lodging and a gas station.

There was also a family of elk just strolling around the village posing for photographs. Unfortunately the Rangers had to intervene on their behalf from some overzealous tourists, but we came back from our hike and they were still out on the village green, so it looks like the Rangers prevailed.

Beaver Ponds

We hiked the Beaver Ponds Loop only to discover the beaver have been replaced by muskrat, nonetheless entertaining to watch. Also, despite numerous signs and warnings, we saw no bear, elk, or moose. It’s a relatively tame six mile loop with less than 400 feet of elevation gain. Warning signs abound, and it is certainly lightly travelled enough, that it seemed the area would be ripe for wildlife. Alas, no.

And, we were totally decked out for a bear encounter. One might say, Shawn was actually looking forward to a bear encounter (from a healthy distance). We had bear spray, bull horn and my Steve and Isis wedding knife (though I can’t really be trusted with it, but there you have it.) Still, no grizzlies, no black bear, no beaver. I think someone needs to update the NPS website.

Either that or rename the trails. It’s about to become a theme for our trip in Yellowstone. The muskrat was wicked cute. Swimming under to get food then coming back up to float on his back and eat. Over and over again. I could have stayed there all day.

The front half of the trail was by far the better end of the deal with a fairly steep but short climb to a plateau, followed by a couple miles through pine forest before arriving at the ponds. The return trip takes you back into what I have regularly described as Nevada high desert – buttloads of sagebrush and the occasional rogue wildflower. Not a bad hike, but more hiking for hiking’s sake than for some reward on the trail. The absolute lowlight of the hike for me came at the very end where we saw an 11 foot bull snake who had just eaten a small child on the side of the path. High marks to me for not screaming like a little girl although I was beyond annoyed at the hikers coming from the other direction who failed to give notice. Maybe it was their kid who had been eaten and they were hoping to distance themselves from the incriminating evidence.

Surprisingly Shawn did not scream like a little girl. What I got was, “I can’t believe you didn’t stop to get a picture.” Being the good wife that I am, I purposely didn’t stop because someone REALLY doesn’t like snakes. I, on the other hand, am enamored by them so I promptly turned around to see where I could get the best view (IE picture) of him. The follow up retort from Shawn went something like this, “Seriously??!! Do you know what kind it is? Is it poisonous?” To which, I giggled a little, and replied, “He’s not rattling. Plus, he can barely move for that small child he just ate.” Picture taking ensued and as you can see, he was no where near 11 feet long. I do love my man.

10 feet 11 inches then.

Roosevelt Arch

In 1903, the railway was established in Gardiner and from there people entered the park by horse drawn carriage. At that time, the road simply led into the park with no fanfare. Following the direction of the park Superintendent, Robert Reamer designed an immense stone arch to establish the entrance befitting the grandeur of the park. The arch was not intended to be named Roosevelt, but the President happened to be visiting the park and consequently placed the cornerstone. The rest is lore.

We then ventured out into Gardiner for lunch and a quick walk around town. I think if we were coming here strictly for vacation again, I would choose this end of the park over West Yellowstone. The town is slightly smaller, by my figuring, but seems to cater to more of the outdoorsy tourist with white water rafting, horseback riding, and adventure tours being far more prevalent here.

Betty White needed a snickers during the Gardiner portion of our program. It probably didn’t help that I kept stopping to take pictures (and catch Pokemon.) I had just downloaded the app to catch some regional ones for the girls. Sadly, I sucked at it, wondering willy nilly like a drunken sailor through town. Made Shawn even grumpier.

Good thing there was a great little cafe for salad and sandwich right there (Wonderland Cafe and Lodge). Plus, treats to take home for tea later. Right outside the North gate of the park is the Roosevelt Arch. When you could only get to the north side of the park by train, this is where the tourists were dropped off by horse drawn carriage after getting off the train. Can you imagine what that would have been like? Awesome.

Forgot to mention, prior to arriving, we stood on the 45th parallel. Halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. Such a life we live.

Always Remember the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace

Plan Ahead and Prepare, Stay on Designated Trails, Dispose of Waste Properly, Don’t Take Anything You Didn’t Bring with You, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Courtesy: Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics