Grand Loop Road Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Grand Loop Road Historic District
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming |
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| Architect | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; National Park Service |
| NRHP reference No. | 03001345 |
| Added to NRHP | December 23, 2003 |
The Grand Loop Road Historic District is the main road system in Yellowstone National Park. This special road is about 140 miles (225 km) long. It was first planned by Captain Hiram M. Chittenden of the US Army Corps of Engineers. This was back when the park was managed by the military.
The Grand Loop Road helps visitors reach Yellowstone's most famous spots. These include the amazing Upper, Midway and Lower geyser basins. You can also see Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Yellowstone Lake.
Many other historic areas in Yellowstone are connected to the Grand Loop. Some of these are Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful. The road also includes parts of US highways like US 20 and US 89. In 1923, Harry W. Frantz, who worked for the park, gave the road its name.
Contents
Exploring the Grand Loop Road
The Grand Loop Road is like a big figure-eight shape. It helps you explore all the different parts of Yellowstone. Let's take a trip around it!
Northern Adventures: Mammoth to Madison
Your journey starts at Fort Yellowstone, near Mammoth Hot Springs. This is where the park's main office is. The road first goes south through Golden Gate Canyon. It crosses a special bridge called a viaduct. Then, it climbs up the Gallatin Range mountains. You'll go over Kingman Pass, near Bunsen Peak.
After the pass, the road goes down into the Gardner River valley. You'll pass Sheepeater Cliff, which is a cool cliff made of rock columns. The road then follows Obsidian Creek into Obsidian Canyon. Here, you'll see Obsidian Cliff, a dark, glassy rock formation.
From Obsidian Canyon, the road continues south. It leads to the Norris Valley and the Norris Geyser Basin. Here, the road meets the Gibbon River. It follows the river into the Gibbon Geyser Basin and Gibbon Canyon. The Gibbon River then joins the Firehole River to form the Madison River. This meeting point is called Madison Junction. Here, you can turn onto the West Entrance Road. This road follows the Madison River out of the park towards West Yellowstone, Montana.
Geysers and Lakes: Madison to West Thumb
From Madison Junction, the Grand Loop Road continues to follow the Firehole River. This part of the road is very exciting! You'll quickly pass through three of the park's most famous geyser basins. These are the Lower Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, and Upper Geyser Basin.
The Old Faithful Historic District is right next to the Upper Geyser Basin. This is where you can see the famous Old Faithful geyser erupt. After Old Faithful, the road turns east. It crosses the Continental Divide over Craig Pass. This is a high point where water flows to different oceans.
The road then goes down to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. This basin is right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. West Thumb is the southernmost point on the Grand Loop Road. Here, you can connect to the South Entrance Road. This road continues south to Grand Teton National Park.
Waterfalls and Wildlife: West Thumb to Tower
The Grand Loop Road then heads north along the beautiful shore of Yellowstone Lake. You'll pass the historic Lake Hotel and the Lake Fish Hatchery Historic District. Just past the Lake Hotel area, the East Entrance Road turns off. It crosses the Yellowstone River over Fishing Bridge. This road continues east to Cody, Wyoming.
The Grand Loop Road stays on the western side of the Yellowstone River. It goes north into the Hayden Valley. This valley is a great place to spot wildlife. You'll also pass the upper Yellowstone Falls near the start of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The road then crosses Dunraven Pass near Mount Washburn. It goes down to Tower Fall and Tower Junction. At Tower Junction, you can turn onto the Northeast Entrance Road. This road leads to Cooke City, Montana.
Completing the Loop: Tower to Mammoth
From Tower Junction, the road travels north. Then it turns west through the Gallatin Range mountains. This final section brings you back to Mammoth Hot Springs. This completes your amazing trip around the Grand Loop Road!
