Firehole Canyon Drive in Yellowstone National Park

This is part three of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!

After visiting Old Faithful and The Grand Prismatic Spring, we then headed back on the road and we saw a little sign that read "Firehole Canyon Drive".  Hubby then made the impulsive decision to turn left and I am glad he did, because it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Yellowstone National Park.

If you're following along on our little map, we arrived early in the morning on Day One through the East Entrance.  Our goal was to see all the highlights on the figure eight loop in three days.  We Stopped at the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center & Museum, drove past Yellowstone Lake, hiked around Old Faithful, then again at the Midway Geyser Basin, and then took a scenic drive in Firehole Canyon.  The drive is right before you reach "Madison Junction"

Photo Credit

After battling the crowds at Old Faithful and The Grand Prismatic Spring, this little drive was a much needed respite.  It was so peaceful, there were hardly any cars on this drive.  It's like most tourists didn't seem to know about it, but I guess the word will get out now after this post because it is AMAZING!

The drive takes you down into the canyon of Firehole River where you will see amazing waterfalls, tall rock formations, and wildlife.  It is a two mile, very narrow one-lane road, but there are a few spots where there is enough room to pull your car over, get out, and enjoy.  We stopped almost immediately when we saw a sandy bar right by the river.  Right away, I saw this amazing large bird on top of a tree. According to my iPhone, it is an Osprey.

I can't tell you enough how peaceful this place is.  Oh, it felt so good to get away from people and just enjoy the water and all the surrounding beauty...and silence.

The  cliffs above the river are huge! To give you an idea of the scale, in the two pictures below there is a person sitting against the rocks in the lower left corner and another person standing in the next photo.

The water was shallow enough you could take your shoes off and wade if you liked.

We got back in the car at this point and continued our drive.  It just was one sweeping, scenic view after another.

We saw our first waterfall on the drive.

And a horse shoe bend view of the river and canyon.

Of course we had to get out and take more photos here!

Back in the car, and we see another water fall!

We were blown away to discover an Osprey's nest. They actually had the right side of the road closed to give this Osprey more privacy;  like the road wasn't narrow enough already.

The Osprey picked a good spot for her nest:  nice views of the canyon!

Found another waterfall!

The drive was a little scary when you got to the top as the road was so narrow and there was just this little brick wall to keep your car from driving over the edge.

When you reach Firehole Falls there is a large parking lot.  Here we saw a tour group stop and get out to take a photo and get a better look.  When we were there, the parking lot was virtually empty, but by the size of the lot, I have to think this road is a lot more crowded during the busy tourist season.

And the very end of the road, is a short little hike you can take to the river.  This spot is very close to the main road, so you will hear traffic.  

We were surprised to find a family of ducks swimming in the strong current.

Firehole Canyon Drive is a MUST-SEE if you ever visit Yellowstone.  It takes you off the busy road and highly trafficked main features, and gives you a tranquil Yellowstone experience.

And now, here are a whole bunch of little videos we took on our drive.  Most are under a minute long or less.  I highly encourage you to watch at least one to hear the sound of the moving water that photos can never provide.

 Water Feature #1 on Firehole Canyon View Drive

 Ducks Swimming on Firehole Canyon View Drive

     Close Up of Ducks Swimming on Firehole Canyon View Drive

 Water Feature #2 on Firehole Canyon View Drive

 Water Feature #3 on Firehole Canyon View Drive

       A Horse Shoe Bend View on Firehole Canyon View Drive

       Water Feature #4 on Firehole Canyon Drive

For More Information on Yellowstone, Check Out these Posts:

Old Faithful

The Grand Prismatic Spring

Have A Great Day!  Amy

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