Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone NP
MAMMOTH SPRINGS
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF MAMMOTH SPRINGS
This surreal location, called Mammoth Hot Springs which is located at the northern most part of Yellowstone National Park (near a little community of Mammoth). The springs are a series of 50 or so springs on a travertine hillside - that come to the surface at about 170°. It is a great place to visit when in Yellowstone, however, for the most park it is difficult to capture a great image to represent these unearthly views.
The shot above is found off a boardwalk path on the southern section of the Upper Terrace. The dead trees in a travertine pool of steaming hot water can make for an appealing image, but needs the right light and water in the pools to make it work. I find this shot is best at sunset or dusk and really only works when the springs are running (which is not always the case).
The travertine hillside is very fragile and thus, the entire area around the hot springs is restricted to the public except and is only accessible on an above ground boardwalk structures. Make sure you stay on the terrace boardwalk path.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH MAMMOTH SPRINGS SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). This shot is an easy 200yd. walk from the Mammoth Spring Upper Terraces parking lot.
This shot is all about the water pools around the dead tree. The water pools around in the Mammoth Springs are very unpredictable and may be flowing, empty or full and is different from season to season and year to year. I have been to this location 4 times and it only had water in the foreground pool once. The other times, there were no water in the pools at all.
If these springs are flowing and the pools have water in them – then the shot is fairly straightforward taken from the boardwalk and framed to position the dead trees in the best alignment with the background (mountain, sunset and water pools).
This shot was taken with a 24mm lens.
6,567 ft Elevation
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Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
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Number of Photographers to Expect
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LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
