Lake Lodge
Checking out of our second Old Faithful cabin on our 3rd morning in the park, we were blessed by the front desk clerk with a reservation for that night at a Lake Lodge cabin. She seemed as glad for us as we were for ourselves.
Yellowstone Lake reflected in a window of Lake Lodge
At 132 square miles and 141 miles of shoreline, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake in North America. The lake bottom is much like Yellowstone’s dry land, including geysers, hot springs and canyons.
Exploration by remotely operated vehicles and sonar imaging in the last 20 years has revealed details about the geology of Lake Yellowstone largely unknown before. From the Park Service Yellowstone website, “Large targets appeared on the sonar image, then suddenly very large, spire-like structures appeared in the photographic field of view. These structures looked similar to hydrothermal structures found in deep ocean areas, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The structures also provided habitat for aquatic species such as fresh-water sponges and algae.” And “The survey confirmed the northern half of the lake is inside the 640,000-year- old Yellowstone Caldera and mapped previously unknown features such as large hydrothermal explosion craters, siliceous spires, hundreds of hydrothermal vents and craters and fissures.”
An unidentified plant in the sand at the lake’s edge
Yellowstone Lake is a quiet place to take it easy after all the action of hiking around the park’s thermal areas or elk, bison and grizzly chasing. Woodsy Lake Lodge has several cabin styles, our “Western” cabin the largest and least rustic of the 4 we enjoyed in the park. Upscale Lake Yellowstone Hotel offers hotel rooms and suites as well as cabins. Both hotel and lodge have comfortable seating areas for relaxing with a drink and lake-gazing.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins
It must be 5:00, the view and the Lake Hotel lounge all to ourselves.
Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
Next week, a gallery of images, Yellowstone’s
Grand Prismatic Spring, very grand indeed.
All chapters of PortMoresby’s Yellowstone.
Find more of PortMoresby’s contributions here.
Lovely photos…I really get the feel for the setting!!
I’m one of those people who get caught up in the geysers and animal chasing. Yellowstone Lake represents a gap in my visits to the park. I like the tranquil nature of it and will need to spend a few days here during my next visit.