Golden Gate Canyon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden Gate Canyon |
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Looking north into Golden Gate Canyon
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| Floor elevation | 6,496 feet (1,980 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Yellowstone National Park, Park County, Wyoming |
Golden Gate Canyon is a special place located in the northwestern part of Yellowstone National Park. It's found in Wyoming, one of the U.S. states. A stream called Glen Creek flows north through this canyon. It travels towards the Gardner River, dropping from about 7,400 feet (2,255 meters) at Kingman Pass to just under 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) in less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers). The northern part of the Grand Loop Road goes right through the canyon. This road connects Mammoth Hot Springs with other cool spots further south in the park.
Building the Road Through Golden Gate
The first road through Golden Gate Canyon was built between 1884 and 1885. This new road was very important because it replaced an old, steep, and difficult path over Snow Pass. The construction of this early road was led by a U.S. Army officer named Lieutenant Dan Christie Kingman.
Why it's Called Golden Gate
Lieutenant Kingman was the first to write down the name Golden Gate in his official reports. Visitors to the park had already started calling the canyon and the pass by this name. They chose it because of the beautiful yellow color of the rocks in the area. It looked like a "golden gate."
Special Bridges and Updates
Building the road was tricky. In some places, a steep cliff made it impossible to grade the road normally. So, the workers built a wooden trestle. A trestle is like a bridge made of a framework of timbers or steel.
In 1900, this wooden structure was replaced. Captain Hiram M. Chittenden oversaw the building of a new concrete viaduct. A viaduct is a long bridge-like structure, often with arches, used to carry a road or railway over a valley or other obstacle.
The road was widened between 1930 and 1934. This meant Chittenden's concrete viaduct also had to be replaced to make way for the wider road. Then, in 1977, this widened viaduct was replaced again. This shows how important it was to keep the road safe and modern for park visitors.
