The Yellowstone hotspot is millions of years older than previously thought. It was initially believed to have been about 17 million years old, but new studies have revealed that it is actually much older – at least 50 million years old and perhaps even older.
Yellowstone National Park measures 3,472 square miles and is mostly located in Wyoming (96% of it), while about 3% is in Montana and 1% is located in Idaho. The most famous geyser is Old Faithful which ejects boiling water every 60 to 110 minutes (an average of 74 minutes between intervals). It sends large amounts of boiling water (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit) approximately 130 feet into the air on average and the eruptions usually last between 1.5 and 5 minutes.
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Travel in the age of COVID
From Georgia Rindler, of Coldwater
Georgia, Linus and Sherry Rindler at Jenny Lake overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, with Grand Tetons in distance.
Courtesy of Georgia Rindler
Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This was taken from the overlook on Fairy Falls Trail.
Courtesy of Georgia Rindler
Courtesy of Georgia Rindler
Courtesy of Georgia Rindler
The mountains of Grand Teton National Park are stunning, even when obscured by smoke from a distant fire.
Courtesy of Georgia Rindler
My husband and I along with our adult daughter recently returned from a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We were hesitant due to the pandemic, yet I’m so glad we went.