Isa Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isa Lake
Isa Lake
Isa Lake Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Isa Lake Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming, US
Coordinates	44°26′27″N 110°43′09″W / 44.44083°N 110.71917°W / 44.44083; -110.71917
Type	Natural lake
Primary outflows	Firehole River (west) (spring only) Lewis River (east) (spring and early summer)
Basin countries	United States
Surface elevation	8,262 feet (2,518 m)

Isa Lake is located in Yellowstone National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The lake straddles the continental divide at Craig Pass and was first discovered in 1891 by Hiram M. Chittenden, who was exploring the best routes for a road to connect Old Faithful and West Thumb geyser basins. Chittenden named the lake after Miss Isabel Jelke, from Cincinnati, though it is not clear why.

Map of Continental Divide at Isa Lake

Isa Lake is believed to be one of the few natural lakes in the world which drain to two different oceans, another being Wollaston Lake. (For similar cases see List of unusual drainage systems.) The east side of the lake drains by way of the Lewis River to the Pacific Ocean and the west side of the lake drains by way of the Firehole River to the Gulf of Mexico.

The lake is easy to visit as it is adjacent to the road that now connects the Old Faithful and West Thumb geysers basins, on what is known as the "lower loop" of the figure-eight roadway which traverses through Yellowstone. The great yellow pond-lily (nuphar polysepalum) thrives in the lake.