Mica Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mica Lake |
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Mica Lake (lower right) colored from silt from Petersen Glacier
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 Mica Lake
Location in Wyoming
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| Location | Grand Teton National Park, Teton County, Wyoming, US |
| Coordinates | 43°47′01″N 110°50′39″W / 43.78361°N 110.84417°W |
| Type | Glacial Lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | .15 mi (0.24 km) |
| Max. width | .10 mi (0.16 km) |
| Surface elevation | 9,564 ft (2,915 m) |
Mica Lake is a beautiful glacial lake found high up in the mountains of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA. It's famous for its amazing turquoise color, which comes from tiny rock particles left behind by a melting glacier.
About Mica Lake
Mica Lake is a special kind of lake called a glacial lake. This means it was formed by a glacier, which is like a giant, slow-moving river of ice. As glaciers move, they carve out valleys and depressions in the land. When the ice melts, these depressions fill with water, creating lakes like Mica Lake.
Mica Lake is not very big. It is about .15 mi (0.24 km) long and .10 mi (0.16 km) wide. Even though it is small, its unique color makes it stand out. It sits at a high elevation of 9,564 ft (2,915 m) above sea level.
Why is it Turquoise?
The most striking thing about Mica Lake is its bright turquoise color. This color comes from something called glacial silt, also known as "rock flour." When a glacier moves, it grinds rocks into very fine powder. This powder then flows into the lake.
The tiny rock particles in the water scatter sunlight, especially the blue and green parts of the light spectrum. This makes the lake appear a vibrant turquoise, almost like a gemstone. The Petersen Glacier, which once fed Mica Lake with this silt, has now vanished.
Where to See Mica Lake
Mica Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park, a famous park in Wyoming. It is found in Teton County. The lake is situated about .40 miles (0.64 km) south of another well-known lake called Lake Solitude.
Visitors to Grand Teton National Park can often see Mica Lake from a popular hiking spot called Paintbrush Divide. The views from this area are stunning, offering a chance to see the lake's unique color against the rugged mountain landscape.
