Mammoth Hot Springs Gallery

Colors and Textures

The hot springs at Mammoth have created some wonderful mineral deposits, with each little area having its own unique character. Mammoth Hot Springs is one of my favorite places in the park to photograph and this little section near the Beaver Pond Nature Trail is one of my favorite spots in the Springs, there is a short little slope of colorful mineral deposits with a thin sheet of hot water flowing down the surface.

Colorful formation in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

Colorful mineral formation in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

Neapolitan

This mineral formation reminded me of the Neapolitan ice cream we would sometimes get growing up. I’m not sure if they still sell it anymore, so if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just nod and play along. The package contained three flavors of ice cream stacked side-by-side: chocolate, vanilla, an strawberry.

For some reason, the chocolate section always disappeared first, followed by the strawberry, and at long last someone would eventually polish off the vanilla.

Hot Fudge Sundae

Covered in gooey marshmallow, chocolate, and hot caramel, you could get pretty hungry visiting Mammoth Hot Springs if not for the noxious rotten eggs smell.

Oranges

It's not hard to see where Orange Spring Mound gets its name, colored by the bacteria and algae that thrive in the hot temperatures of the water that flows down the surface after bubbling out of vents at the top of the mound.

Little Landscapes

Another of my attempts to show the colors and textures of Yellowstone, especially in the thermal areas. I forgot to write down the name of the place (why do I think that I will remember? I never do) but it’s one of the many neat little sights in Mammoth Hot Springs. The water was flowing down over some rocks right underneath the boardwalk, and I think these are bacteria mats covering the surface of the rocks. No plant life appeared to be able to tolerate the high temperatures of the water.

Bacterial mats in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

Liberty Cap

Liberty Cap sits next to the road in Mammoth surrounded by a network of boardwalks that lead up into and around the hot springs. I positioned the camera so that you can't actually see the boardwalks or railings, I was sitting down next to the parking lot when I took the picture.

A yellow stream runs through mineral deposits in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

A Yellow River Runs Through It

Taken around sunrise on a cool and cloudy day in Mammoth Hot Springs on my last day in Yellowstone. I had arrived early hoping to see elk in the thermal areas, but they had chosen the grassy lawns of Mammoth instead.

I walked the boardwalks for a while before heading to West Yellowstone to get a tire puncture repaired. I’ve been to the area several times before but somehow had not paid much attention to this little yellow stream (I assume that the yellow coloration is due to sulfur).

	Neapolitan This mineral formation reminded me of the Neapolitan ice cream we would sometimes get growing up. I’m not sure if they still sell it anymore, so if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just nod and play along. The package contained three flavors of ice cream stacked side-by-side: chocolate, vanilla, an strawberry. For some reason, the chocolate section always disappeared first, followed by the strawberry, and at long last someone would eventually polish off the vanilla.
	Hot Fudge Sundae Covered in gooey marshmallow, chocolate, and hot caramel, you could get pretty hungry visiting Mammoth Hot Springs if not for the noxious rotten eggs smell.
	Oranges It's not hard to see where Orange Spring Mound gets its name, colored by the bacteria and algae that thrive in the hot temperatures of the water that flows down the surface after bubbling out of vents at the top of the mound.