Tag Archives: geology

Montana

Gallatin National Forest

October 4, 2023 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Gallatin National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,151,461 acres (1,819,515 federal/ 331,946 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/custergallatin/home

Overview

Gallatin National Forest borders much of the north and west sides of Yellowstone National Park, providing important wildlife habitat in the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness areas. The National Forest also contains portions of the Bridger Range and Crazy Mountains north of Bozeman and Interstate 90. The Gallatin Petrified Forest is only accessible by trail, either from a short two-mile one-way jaunt (that gains 650 feet of elevation) or by backpacking the 27-mile Gallatin Divide-Devils Backbone Trail. Free permits are available from Forest Service Ranger Stations to collect up to 20 cubic-inches of petrified wood each year. Since 2014, it has been co-managed as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest, stretching east into South Dakota.

Highlights

Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, film, Fairy Lake, Devils Slide, Flathead Pass, Big Timber Canyon, Palisade Falls, Spire Rock Campground, Natural Bridge, Kersey Lake, Hardscrabble Peak, Pine Creek Falls, Bridger Mountains National Recreation Trail, Spanish Creek Trail, Red Canyon Trail, Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail

Must-Do Activity

Earthquake Lake Geologic Area stretches along Highway 287 to commemorate the events that occurred around midnight on August 17, 1959 when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit West Yellowstone, Montana. The strongest earthquake ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains caused a hillside to crumble and block the Madison River and form Quake Lake, which is still there today. Seiches (“lake tsunamis”) on Hebgen Lake and landslides claimed 28 lives and trapped hundreds campers. The next day, after Forest Service smokejumpers parachuted in to assist survivors, the most seriously injured were evacuated out by helicopter. Today there is an interpretive auto tour with multiple stops along the highway. In addition, a visitor center operates in the summer where they show a film and the 0.3-mile Landslide Trail has signs explaining the events and how the massive Memorial Boulder crossed from one side of the valley to the other in less than 20 seconds (see Instagram-worthy Photo).

Best Trail

Pine Creek Falls is located 1.3 miles from the Pine Creek Campground after a 400 foot elevation gain. The popular route first enters a burned forest then crosses a bridge over the creek at a half-mile before reaching the waterfall where most hikers turn around. The trail gets steeper as it continues another four miles to Pine Creek Lake climbing about 3,400 feet, including one grueling stretch that ascends 1,800 feet in only 1.3 miles.

Watchable Wildlife

There are more than 4,000 miles of streams and rivers in the National Forest, including major tributaries of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. This makes Gallatin National Forest one of the premiere fly fishing destinations in the U.S. and also attracts bald eagles and ospreys. Due to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, there are also gray wolves and grizzly bears. Other large mammals include elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, mountain lions, and black bears.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Memorial Boulder and Sister Boulder used to be located across the valley, but during the 1959 earthquake these six-million-pound dolomite slabs crossed the half-mile distance in less than 20 seconds.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The roads are paved up to the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, Pine Creek Campground, and Big Sky Mountain Village (south of Bozeman). It is 13 miles (mostly unpaved) from Highway 89 to the Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail, and there is a free campground where Rock Creek Road dead ends at the trailhead. There are also many miles of four-wheel-drive roads to explore throughout the National Forest.

Camping

There are many campgrounds in Gallatin National Forest (like Eagle Creek just outside Gardiner on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park), as well as dispersed camping options.

Wilderness Areas

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (also in Custer and Shoshone National Forests)

Lee Metcalf Wilderness (also in Beaverhead National Forest)

Related Sites

Custer National Forest (Montana-South Dakota)

Big Hole National Battlefield (Montana)

Beaverhead–Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Yellowstone

Looking past a boulder to the lake that was created by the landside

Conifer Tree Species

lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, cottonwood, alder, mountain maple, mountain ash

Explore More – Why was the National Forest named after Albert Gallatin?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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Utah

Fishlake National Forest

June 21, 2023 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Fishlake National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

1,539,737 acres (1,461,226 federal/ 78,511 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/fishlake

Overview

Much of Fishlake National Forest is at high elevation in central Utah, which is also true of its namesake Fish Lake that sits at 8,800 feet. Fish Lake is the largest natural mountain lake in Utah and lent its name to the Fish Lake Cutoff on the Old Spanish Trail, which ran from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. There are hundreds of miles of trails open to ATVs in the National Forest, including the 238-mile Paiute ATV Trail and the Gooseberry ATV Trails accessible from Interstate 70. There are also plenty of trails for hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, including the trail that crosses the South Fork of North Creek Trail 60 times as it covers ten miles leaving from beautiful Blue Lake at the base of Mt. Baldy.

Highlights

Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway, Wildcat Guard Station, Tushar Mountains, Delano Peak, Bullion Falls, Pistol Rock, Koosharem Canyon, Fishlake Scenic Byway, Fool Creek Canyon petroglyphs, Blue Lake, Bullion Canyon Trail System, Skyline National Recreation Trail, Lakeshore Trail, Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Fish Lake’s most famous resident is the aspen clone dubbed Pando (meaning “I spread” in Latin). Connected by a single root system, stems of Pando cover 106 acres and it is estimated to have started growing 80,000 years ago, arguably making it the oldest and heaviest living organism on the planet. Campers enjoy the popular Lakeshore Trail that is in four discontinuous sections adding up to about 15 miles. We found the road to Pelican Promontory on the north side of the lake too rough for our passenger vehicle and the five-mile Pelican Canyon Trail too overgrown to follow after a mile, although we did see (and hear) a northern goshawk on nest.

Best Trail

In the Tushar Mountains, Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway (Highway 153) switchbacks its way up to several trailheads for the 8.3-mile-long Skyline National Recreation Trail. We attempted to access Lake Stream Trailhead in the middle, but found the road at Puffer Lake required high-clearance. Instead, we drove the rough quarter-mile spur road to Big Flat Trailhead (at 10,220 feet in elevation) and hiked two miles to a rocky outcrop with good views. We did not attempt to drive to the trail’s western terminus at Big John Flat Trailhead that sits beneath 12,173-foot Delano Peak.

Watchable Wildlife

We first heard and then saw a northern goshawk on a nest (see photos) as we struggled to follow the overgrown Pelican Canyon Trail at Fish Lake. Additional birds of note are bald eagles, kestrels, several species of owls, turkey vultures, Canada geese, white pelicans, and wild turkeys. Ungulates found here are elk, mule deer, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and even some moose. Other large mammals include black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, red foxes, coyotes, pine martens, minks, badgers, porcupines, beavers, snowshoe hares, and pika. As you might expect from a National Forest named Fishlake, fishing is a popular activity in the lakes and streams for rainbow trout, lake trout, splake, and other species, even in the winter.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Stop at the informational pullout on the Fishlake Scenic Byway to read about the Fish Lake Cutoff of the Old Spanish Trail, then get your photo with the metal cutouts of a pack train in the sagebrush flats near Zedd’s Meadow.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$5 day use fee at Ponderosa Picnic Area or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

There are some rough roads in this area that require high-clearance vehicles, including the ones to Pelican Promontory and Puffer Lake. Fishlake Scenic Byway and Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway are paved, but connecting between the two required driving some good gravel roads that were already snow free during our mid-June visit.

Camping

The Aquarius Ranger Station is available for rental from May through October, as are the historic cabins at the Gooseberry Administrative Site. There are several campgrounds at Fish Lake and others located throughout the National Forest, in addition to one scenic spot on a ridge adjacent to the Second Crossing of Salina Creek in the White Mountains.

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Capitol Reef

Conifer Tree Species

subalpine fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, singleleaf pinyon pine, Utah juniper

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, Fremont cottonwood, sagebrush

Explore More – Which famous American explorer named the Old Spanish Trail in the 1840s (hint: he has a National Forest named after him, but maybe not the one you first think)?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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Utah

Dixie National Forest

May 3, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Dixie National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

1,967,165 acres (1,889,127 federal/ 78,038 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/dixie

Overview

Dixie National Forest is spread across southwest Utah surrounding Cedar Breaks National Monument and near three National Parks: Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion. The National Forest has a wide elevation range from 2,800 feet near St. George to 11,322 feet on Boulder Mountain. The change in average temperature and precipitation leads to wide variety of ecosystems from a desert-like environment all the way up to subalpine conifer forests and tundra. The warmth of southern Utah reminded some early emigrants of “Dixie,” the part of the U.S. south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but with growing public distaste for that name it may be changed in the future.

Highlights

Markagunt National Scenic Byway, Brian Head, Navajo Lake, Cascade Falls, Strawberry Point, Red Canyon Recreation Area, Honeycomb Rocks, Powell Point, Hell’s Backbone Bridge, Virgin River Rim Trail, Hancock Peak Trail, Whipple Trail, Casto Canyon Trail

Must-Do Activity

Highway 12 Scenic Byway winds through much of the National Forest, including Red Canyon Recreation Area where the popular Casto Canyon Trail is open to hikers, bicycles, horses, and ATVs. The mountain ranges west of Interstate 15 are a less-visited section of the forest, with numerous trails traversing the Pine Valley Mountains Wilderness, including the 35-mile Summit Trail.

Best Trail

Leaving from a trailhead across Highway 143 from the road to the top of 11,312-foot-tall Brian Head, Rattlesnake Creek Trail skirts the edge of spectacular Cedar Breaks National Monument and enters the Ashdown Gorge Wilderness (established in 1984). About one mile in, one of several side trails leads off to the left for an overlook of the Cedar Breaks, a red rock badlands full of hoodoos situated at the edge of the Markagunt Plateau. Gnarled Great Basin bristlecone pine trees cling to the eroding edge of the natural amphitheater, making a great foreground for photographs with a beautiful backdrop. The trail continues to drop more than 2,400 feet to the canyon bottom over four miles connecting with Ashdown Creek which eventually crosses Highway 14, but there is not an official trailhead there.

Watchable Wildlife

A variety of mammals call Dixie National Forest home: black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, three species of foxes, minks, pine martens, porcupines, beavers, raccoons, skunks, badgers, snowshoe hares, pika, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns. Large birds include bald eagles, golden eagles, California condors, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, and various species of woodpeckers. There are many gamefish found in the streams and small lakes spread across the high-elevation Markagunt, Paunsaugunt, and Aquarius Plateaus.

Instagram-worthy Photo

South of Torrey, Highway 12 climbs into an aspen forest with incredible views of Capitol Reef National Park and Waterpocket Fold.

Peak Season

Late summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 12 and Highway 143 are paved roads that access the high elevations of Dixie National Forest, but they may be closed seasonally due to snow. There are numerous dirt roads that traverse the area, including the popular route to the top of 11,312-foot-tall Brian Head.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds located throughout the National Forest, as well as dispersed camping opportunities on dirt roads west of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wilderness Areas

Ashdown Gorge Wilderness

Box-Death Hollow Wilderness

Cottonwood Forest Wilderness

Pine Valley Mountains Wilderness

Related Sites

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah)

Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Bryce Canyon

Conifer Tree Species

Utah juniper, singleleaf pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Great Basin bristlecone pine

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Bebb willow

Explore More – On the Markagunt Plateau, Navajo Lake drains out of two lava tubes that formed how many millions of years ago?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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Utah

Zion National Park

April 26, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Zion National Park

Utah

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1909 National Monument, 1919 National Park

146,598 acres

Website: nps.gov/zion

Overview

Zion National Park protects an outstanding canyon where steep sandstone walls up to 3,000 feet high appear to glow at sunrise and sunset. Views are great from the road along the North Fork of the Virgin River, but to really get a sense of scale here you have to hike uphill on one of many trails. Check out a new film on the park here: https://zionpark.org/wethekeepers/

Learn more in our guidebook to the National Parks, A Park to Yourself: Finding Adventure in America’s National Parks (available on Amazon).

Highlights

Kolob Canyons, The Narrows, Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Observation Point, The Subway, Angels Landing, Canyon Overlook Trail

Must-Do Activity

Kolob Canyons is in the northern section of the park located just off Interstate 15, where a short drive leaves the road noise behind and opens up a world of red rock beauty. There are no campgrounds in this area of the park, so we picked up a backpacking permit at the visitor center to spend the night near Timber Creek. The flowing water meant croaking frogs and toads provided a chorus throughout the night. This site provided a good jumping off point for the La Verkin Creek Trail which travels 7.5 miles one-way to Kolob Arch. At 310 feet across, this arch is one of the biggest in the world, but you cannot get nearly as close to it as you can to those at Arches National Park. Hiking anywhere in Kolob Canyons is much less busy than other parts of Zion National Park, but the trails can be snow covered in the winter (when the access road sometimes closes).

Best Trail

The Narrows, Angels Landing, and The Subway are hiking destinations known around the world, and their popularity means they each require a reservation. Wading upriver through the frigid water of the Narrows, where the canyon pinches to only 18 feet wide in places, is an essential experience open to all visitors for the first five miles to Big Spring. The busy 5.4-mile out-and-back trail to Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart as it follows a knife-edge route with chains mounted in places. But it is worth the effort, even if you just make it to the saddle at the end of Walter’s Wiggles, perhaps the world’s most famous trail switchbacks.

Instagram-worthy Photo

We watched a huge California condor flying over Zion Canyon from Observation Point, a popular eight-mile out-and-back hike that leaves from the same trailhead as Weeping Rock.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$35 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The main roads into Kolob Canyons and Zion Canyon are paved, but a free shuttle bus is required to enter the dead end Zion Canyon Scenic Drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from March to November (click here for more shuttle information). There is an extra fee for large RVs to use the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, since they require a pilot car and the road must be shut down to one-way traffic only.

Camping

There is not a campground in Kolob Canyons, but in Zion Canyon you can wake up to an awesome morning view in sprawling Watchman or South Campgrounds. Lava Point Campground is located down the long, unpaved Kolob Terrace Road and is closed in the winter. Dispersed camping is allowed by the Bureau of Land Management outside park boundaries, but it can be hard to find an open spot.

Related Sites

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

*This design we created to celebrate Zion National Park is available on a variety of products at* Cafe Press *and* Amazon.

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Oregon

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

April 19, 2023 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service

Established 1990

54,822 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159

Overview

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was carved from Deschutes National Forest by presidential proclamation in 1990 and here you must purchase a recreation pass to visit. The main area of development is around Paulina Lake, but short roads off Highway 97 also lead to Lava River Cave and the top of Lava Butte. Lava River Cave, at 5,211 feet in length, is Oregon’s longest lava tube and one of more than 250 known caves found throughout Deschutes National Forest. A one-mile interpretive trail enters the Lava Cast Forest, where 6,000 years ago the forms of trees were preserved in lava before burning up.

Highlights

Paulina Lake, East Lake, Paulina Falls, Lava Cast Forest, Paulina Peak, Lava River Cave, Lava Butte, Big Obsidian Flow Trail, Crater Rim Trail, Peter Skene Ogden Trail

Must-Do Activity

Newberry National Volcanic Monument has everything you would expect from a volcanic area: lava tubes, cinder cones, cast trees, and basalt flows. There are also some things you might not guess, like an 80-foot tall waterfall, two big lakes for boating, forested campgrounds, and two lakeside resorts. We have seen photos of people soaking in a hot springs on the shore of chilly Paulina Lake, but we are not sure exactly where those are located.

Best Trail

There are a variety of hiking trails in the area, like the 21-mile Crater Rim Trail that circles Newberry Caldera or the one-mile Big Obsidian Flow Trail. These both offer outstanding views of Paulina Lake or you can drive to the top of 7,984-foot-tall Paulina Peak. Sharp chunks of obsidian (volcanic glass) mean that you should wear good shoes (not sandals) on the Big Obsidian Flow Trail.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Lovely Paulina Falls is split into two separate waterfalls off the cliff face on the caldera’s western edge. The overlook is accessible by a short hike and user trails lead steeply to its base.

Peak Season

Late summer

Fees

$5 daily recreation pass or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The roads we drove to access Paulina and East Lakes were paved, but there are many other unpaved Forest Service roads in the National Monument.

Camping

One of numerous campgrounds, Little Crater Campground is situated on Paulina Lake, plus there are two lakeside resorts.

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (Arizona)

Explore More – What is the name of the popular museum of wildlife and living history located just north of Newberry National Volcanic Monument on Highway 97?

Gallatin National Forest

Fishlake National Forest

Dixie National Forest

Zion National Park

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

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