Holoscenes - Textures of the Earth

When John Colter stood at the north shore of Yellowstone Lake in 1808, he became the first of the "mountain men" to see this famous land of fire and water. In 1826, the fur traders Sublette and Jackson explored west of the lake and were the first to encounter the geysers and hot springs that make Yellowstone known worldwide.

Yellowstone Park sits atop a hot spot that has burned a long volcanic scar into the heart of the continent and is now working its way northeastward into the Rocky Mountains. The map clearly shows terrain filled with ancient lava flows. To the east, the Beartooth and Absaroka Ranges provide a natural boundary for the park and include Granite Peak, the highest peak in Montana.

The continental divide crosses the park with Shoshone, Lewis, and Heart lakes lying in the Pacific drainage, and Yellowstone Lake in the Atlantic drainage. The divide continues westward forming the Idaho-Montana boundary.