Moving Camp

With how big and with the few roads that do run through Yellowstone, getting from one end to the other can take forever.  So since we had seen pretty much everything that we could do with small children at the southern end of the park we decided to pack up and move camp to the northern end this morning.

 

We scouted out a few different camp grounds and picked one that we thought would do for a couple of days.

We just kinda lazed around the camp ground today...setting it up, eating lunch, and playing games.

 

Then the kids started to bug us about going to see some things at this end of the park.


So we piled in the car and went for a drive.

Spotted a Bison...

 
..... some hot pots....

  

 

 
 ....and then a storm rolled.  And with it colder weather.

So we went in search of a place that I had read about on the internet.  (I believe it is called Boiling River).  It wasn't marked on the map we had and we didn't see signs for it anywhere.  But we managed to find it...yea!  We were all cold with the the cooler temps that the storm brought with it and so it seemed like the trail to the boiling river was taking FOREVER.

  

But, alas it came into sight!


It's like a natural hot tub. Found halfway between Gardiner and Mammoth.  It is where a hot spring named the boiling river flows into the Gardiner river. And it is one of the few places in the park where you are allowed to swim.

 

There were waterfalls of hot water pouring into the cold water and rocks have been placed around it to help create this hot tub.

There were spots where the water would be cold, but you would just have to take a step to the side and it would be warm or hot or, if you got too close to a waterfall, boiling hot.

But it was SO perfect for a day like today.
(I'm kinda glad there weren't any signs for this place.....it would have been not fun to have it overcrowded)

 

When we felt like we were turning into prunes we started to head back to our camp.

It was getting late so we stopped in Mammoth on the way back to grab some dinner at one of the few restaurants in the park.  While we were eating is started pouring again. Boo!

Well we had a surprise when we got back to our camp site.  Our site had pretty much flooded while we were away.  Some nice camping neighbor came and moved the kids tent up onto higher ground and saved our canopy and camping chairs that were getting blown away.  My tent was kinda wet but not too bad, but in the dark of the night we moved it up next to the kids tent just in case.

But we were able to laugh about it once we got settled down for the night.
All part of the adventure.


I am thankful for nice warm water.