Yellowstone National Park

●established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872

●located primarily in Wyoming, although it extends into Montana and Idaho

●Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent.

●Half of the world’s geothermal features are in Yellowstone.

●In 1988, nearly 1/3 of the park was burnt by large forest fires.

1. Old Faithful Geyser: Eruptions can shoot 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet lasting from 1.5 minutes to 5 minutes. Intervals between eruptions can range from 45 to 125 minutes.

2. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: The canyon is approximately 24 miles long, between 800 feet and 1,200 feet deep and between one quarter of a mile and three quarters of a mile wide.

3. Lower Yellowstone River Falls: The lower falls are 308 feet high, or almost twice as high as Niagara. The lower falls is the largest volume major waterfall in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. The volume of water flowing over the falls can vary from 63,500 gallons per second at peak runoff to 5,000 gallons per second in the fall.

4. Mammoth Hot Springs

Boulder, Colorado

Boulder is a special place. I have been there many times since I was born and raised in Denver. Many of my friends went to school there. When I was in college, I took my Wilderness First Responder course in Boulder. We got hands-on experience in Chautauqua park.

●Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,430 feet.

●In 2010, the population was 97,385.

1.       University of Colorado: Colorado’s largest university, commonly referred to as CU. In 2010, the university consisted of nine colleges and schools and offered over 150 academic programs and enrolled 29,952 students.

2.       Chautauqua Park: Originally established in 1898 to bring culture to rural areas, this beautiful park now hosts cultural events, features rock climbing sites, lovely gardens and picnic areas and is the starting point for many hiking trails.

3.       Eldorado Canyon: popular rock climbing spot, 6 miles south of Boulder.

4.       Flatirons: rock formations near Boulder, consisting of five large, numbered Flatirons. The Flatirons were named by pioneer women after the flat, metal irons used to press their clothes. They are popular destinations for hikers and rock climbers, with rock grades ranging from 5.0 to 5.14.

5.       Pearl Street Mall: 4-block long pedestrian mall that celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2007. There are many street performers in the summer.

6.       Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory

7.       Boulder Falls: Scenic waterfalls plunging more than 70 feet into Boulder Creek.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

●Steamboat is home to natural hot springs. Settlers believed that the hot springs were actually a steamboat coming down the river. When settlers saw that there was no steamboat, and that the sound was coming from the hot springs, they decided to name the town Steamboat Springs.

There is something for everyone in Steamboat no matter the season. There is skiing, snowshoeing, hot springs, and cross country skiing in the winter. There is hiking, tubing, kayaking, and camping in the summer.

1.       Fish Creek Falls: The falls are located about 2 miles from town. It is a 260 foot drop. The parking is $5. There are picnic tables and hiking trails. There is a short easy hike to see the waterfall. From there you can continue on a trail that goes up in elevation.

2.       Strawberry Park Hot Springs: These hot springs are located in the hills, 7 miles out of town. It features two pools and natural rock features. Clothing is optional. It costs $10 each.

3.       Steamboat Ski Resort: A year-round resort offering winter and spring skiing on 141 trails. There is hiking and biking in the summer.

4.       Rabbit Ears Pass: This is a mountain pass to the south of Steamboat. It is called Rabbit Ears Pass because there are two rocks at the top of the mountain that look like rabbit ears.

5.       Howelsen Ski Area: Oldest ski area in continuous use in Colorado. It also serves as an Olympic training site. The winter carnival features fireworks and flare runs. Night tubing and ski jumping occurs here.  

6.       Downtown: The downtown area features many great restaurants, coffee shops, and stores.

7.       West Lincoln Park: This park is located along the Yampa River. It features a small pond and playground area for kids.

8.       Old Town Hot Springs: The hot springs are located downtown. It features multiple pools and two slides.