 Mammoth Hot
Springs are the main attraction of the Mammoth District. These features
are quite different from thermal areas elsewhere in the park. Travertine
formations grow much more rapidly than sinter formations due to the softer
nature of limestone. As hot water rises through limestone, large
quantities of rock are dissolved by the hot water, and a white chalky
mineral is deposited on the surface.Although visitors are sometimes
confused by the rapidly shifting activity of the hot springs and
disappointed when a favorite spring appears to have "died," it is
important to realize that the location of springs and the rate of flow
changes daily, that "on-again-off-again" is the rule, and that the
overall volume of water discharged by all of the springs fluctuates
little.
Mammoth Hot Springs are a surficial expression of the deep volcanic
forces at work in Yellowstone. Although these springs lie outside the
caldera boundary, their energy is attributed to the same magmatic system
that fuels other Yellowstone thermal areas. Hot water flows from Norris to
Mammoth along a fault line roughly associated with the Norris to Mammoth
road. Shallow circulation along this corridor allows Norris' super-heated
water to cool somewhat before surfacing at Mammoth, generally at about 170 °
F.
Thermal activity here is extensive both over time and distance. Terrace
Mountain, northwest of Golden Gate, has a thick cap of travertine. The
Mammoth Terraces extend all the way from the hillside where we see them
today, across the Parade Ground, and down to Boiling River. The Mammoth
Hotel, as well as all of Fort Yellowstone, is built upon an old terrace
formation known as Hotel Terrace. There was some concern when construction
began in 1891 on the Fort site that the hollow ground would not support
the weight of the buildings. Several large sink holes (fenced off) can be
seen out on the Parade Ground. This area has been thermally active for
several thousand years.
The Mammoth area exhibits much evidence of glacial activity from the
Pinedale Glaciation. The summit of Terrace Mountain is covered with
glacial till, thereby dating the travertine formation there to earlier
than the end of the Pinedale Glaciation. Several thermal kames, including
Capitol Hill and Dude Hill, are major features of the Mammoth Village
area. Ice-marginal stream beds are in evidence in the small, narrow
valleys where Floating Island Lake and Phantom Lake are found. In Gardner
Canyon, one can see the old, sorted gravel bed of the Gardner River
covered by unsorted glacial till.
Due to its year-round access and
comparatively mild winters, Mammoth has always been the headquarters for
the park. The hot springs were an early commercialized attraction for
those seeking relief from ailments in the mineral waters. Two historic
events taking place at Mammoth were the Nez Perce flight in 1877 and
President Teddy Roosevelt's visit in 1903.
 All
of the red-roofed, many-chimneyed buildings in the Mammoth area are part
of historic Fort Yellowstone. Beginning in 1886, after 14 years of poor
civilian management of the park, the Cavalry was called upon to manage the
park's resources and visitors. Because the Cavalry only expected to be
here a short while, they built a temporary post near the base of the
Terraces called Camp Sheridan. After five cold, harsh winters, they
realized that their stay in the park was going to be longer than expected,
so they built Fort Yellowstone, a permanent post.
In 1891, the first building to be constructed was
the guard house because it directly coincided with the Cavalry's
mission--protection and management. There were three stages of
construction at Fort Yellowstone. The first set of clapboard buildings
were built in 1891, the second set in 1897 as the Fort expanded to a
two-troop fort, and, finally, the stone buildings were built in 1909
making the fort's capacity 400 men or four troops. By 1916, the National
Park Service was established, and the Cavalry gave control of Yellowstone
back to the civilians. After a short time away, the Cavalry returned in
1917 and finished their duty completely in 1918. Since that time, historic
Fort Yellowstone has been Yellowstone's headquarters.
Mammoth has a
Visitor Center. In addition, a number of
hiking trails are located in the Mammoth area.
Following is a map of the Mammoth
area:
Additional maps are also available.
Information on this
page provided by the National Park Service.
|
