Today, we are headed to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The park was founded in 1872 and has the distinction of being the very first national park in the United States. To say that the park is massive would be an understatement. The park measures almost 3,500 square miles, and, to see it properly, at least 3 or 4 days are required (a week is better). My favorite area in the park is the Mammoth Hot Springs area, located in the northwest Wyoming corner that also includes part of Montana. This section is home to numerous hot springs that were created over thousands of years, as hot water from the surrounding Norris Geyser Basin deposited calcium carbonate as the water cooled. This left limestone and rock formations throughout the area.
The formation pictured in today's photo is known as the Orange Spring Mound, and it can be found in the Upper Terrace. The formation is very different in shape than the others on the Upper Terrace. I headed out early in the morning to drive through this section of the park. As I came to this formation, I noticed the reflection of the top of the mound in the water. Being such a sucker for reflections, I stopped the car and composed this shot.
For the best view, click on the image to see it against a dark background.