Geothermal features number more than 10,000 in Yellowstone National Park, including the world’s greatest concentration of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles.
These features are the visible expression of the park’s underlying volcanic system, which is powered by a vast magma chamber deep beneath the surface.
The Grand Loop Road is a 140-mile system that was built in 1915 to connect all the major features of Yellowstone National Park. To try and drive it in one day can take 4-7 hours depending on the wildlife on the road and traffic. From Fishing Bridge, it was about a 1.5 hour drive to West Yellowstone. We were last here in the fall of 2020.
West Yellowstone in the fall is typically not very crowded and a great time to see fall foliage and Yellowstone’s numerous attractions. The risk is cold weather and snow. Which, we had on this trip. Probably because of COVID, people aren’t traveling much outside of the USA and traveling local instead, so there were more people than usual. Animals are getting ready for winter, putting on their winter weight and coats.
