". . . a howling wilderness of three thousand square miles full of all imaginable freaks of a fiery nature." —Rudyard Kipling

Volcanoes can excite; deadly hot lava can be downright cool. But what about those other subterranean forces that make themselves known in slightly more subtle ways? Step onto a terrain that shifts with every season (and sometimes everyday), where the colors of rock and water are a bountiful as the rainbow and the geysers seem to dance with wild passion. Well, maybe it's not that subtle.


It's Yellowstone, the oldest national park in America, where the incredible expanses captured both explorer and politician enough to give this land that protective distinction. While 'traditional' volcanoes (such as Mount St. Helens or Mount Etna) have a special place in the hearts of lava-lovers or ash-enthusiasts, Yellowstone is quite different in its fascination.


When you enter the park, you are driving right into a caldera, a volcanic region of unprecedented size (the word is originally from Spanish and Latin, meaning "cooking pot"). Just beneath your feet, the magma boils and the pressure builds. However, instead of molten rock in more mature volcanoes, the young Yellowstone region releases its pressure in the form of gasses, steam and earthquakes. Heat flow, higher than almost anywhere on the continental earth, is the primary reason Yellowstone is so unique. It is no wonder that the first explorers to see this spectacular place were awe-struck by its matchless beauty and danger.


Witness John Colter's heaven or hell through Aubrey Haines' book.


See Old Faithful blow every 90 minutes or so.