Yellowstone Lake and the surrounding area are a large part of Yellowstone National Park. Nearby attractions include the Fishing Bridge, LeHardy Rapids, West Thumb Geyser Basin and the Natural Bridge. Other accommodations and amenities found in the area include Lake Village, Bridge Bay and Grant Village.
Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake has 141 miles of shoreline and a surface area of 132 square miles. At 7,733 feet above sea level, it is the largest high-elevation lake in the lower 48 states. It also has the largest population of wild cutthroat trout in North America.
The lake was formed approximately 600,000 years ago when a large caldera formed folling the collapse of a magma chamber during a large volcanic eruption. The lake was first shown on maps in the early 1800s. It became known as Yellow Stone Lake by the 1830s, when trapper Warren Ferris referred to it by that name and then put it on his map of 1836.
The lake freezes completely in late December or early January and typically thaws in late May or June. The average water temperature is 41 degrees fahrenheit and remains cold year-round.
The lake drains north via the Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge. Yellowstone Lake is believed to have once drained to the Pacific Ocean; it now drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
Fishing Bridge
Anglers once stood shoulder to shoulder fishing for cutthroat trout during spawning from this bridge built in 1937 (after the original was built in 1902). The bridge was closed to fishing in 1973. It is now a popular place to observe the fish moving under it.
Fishing Bridge RV Park
The Fishing Bridge RV Park is a popular place for parking an RV near where the Yellowstone River exits Yellowstone Lake. There are more than 300 sites available for completely hard-sided units only because grizzly bears frequent the area. It is the only place in Yellowstone National Park to offer water, sewer and electrical hookups for RVs.
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is the last major undammed river in the lower 48 states. It begins on Yount Peak in the Absakora Mountain Range and flows 671 miles into the Missouri River. The Yellowstone River is the only outflow of the lake, flowing north away from it at Fishing Bridge. Because there is little elevation drop between the lake and the river initially, many people consider the LeHardy Rapids several miles downstream from Fishing Bridge as the boundary between the lake and the river.
LeHardy Rapids
An area of whitewater in the Yellowstone River approximately three miles north of Fishing Bridge. The river bed drops here, creating an area of rapids. It is a popular place to watch the cutthroat trout jump as they swim upstream to spawn near Fishing Bridge. A boardwalk trail takes you from the parking lot to the observation area. Harlequin ducks can also be seen seasonally in the area.
Lake Village
The Lake Hotel, financed by Northern Pacific Railroad, started serving guests in 1891. It was restored during a ten year project starting in 1981 to the appearance from its glory days in the 1920s.
The Lake Lodge was completed in 1926 to provide more affordable accommodations to the influx of visitors seen when the decision was made to permit automobiles in the park in 1915. The Lake Lodge was one of four lodes completed in the park. It is operated by Xanterra along with the Lake Hotel.
Bridge Bay Campground
This campground is located near Bridge Bay Marina and provides guests with views of Yellowstone Lake as well as the Absaroka Mountain Range on its eastern shore. Due to its proximity to the lake and the marina, it is popular with fishing and boating enthusiasts. There are more than 400 campsites here, with reservations taken on the Yellowstone National Park Lodges website rather than Recreation.gov
Natural Bridge
The Natural Bridge Trail takes guests on an easy 1.5 mile hike to the Natural Bridge, a 51 foot cliff of rhyolite rock cut through by Bridge Creek. The trailhead is located at the Bridge Bay Marina parking lot. A portion of the trail follows an old service road in use until the early 1990s. A set of switchbacks at the end of the trail take visitors to the top of the bridge. The hike is not open until the early summer because grizzly bears hunt spawning trout in this area.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
West Thumb is the largest geyser basin on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. The trail from the parking lot provides an easy 3/8 mile walk to the lakeshore and back. The area’s hydrothermal features can be seen from a handicap-accessible boardwalk.
(Fishing Cone in Yellowstone Lake)
There was once a hotel, gas station, marina, store, cafeteria and more here. In the 1980s, they were removed to protect the areas hydrothermal features.
Grant Village
Located on the southwestern shore of Yellowstone Lake, this set of six two-story chalets containing 50 rooms each was completed in 1984. This is the closest set of accommodations in the park to the South Entrance and Grand Teton National Park.
The Grant Village Campground with more than 400 campsites is also located here. It is the second largest campground in Yellowstone National Park. It opens in early June due to spring bear activity in the area.