#8291 Discovering How Hot Colter's Hell Really Was in Yellowstone, Wyoming

When John Colter returned to his fellow trappers in 1808 with tales of exploding geysers, bubbling mud pots and boiling springs smelling of sulfur, most people thought he was crazy. Once called Colter’s Hell, the geothermally rich area is now known as Yellowstone National Park. Colter was the first white man to see Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-elevation lake in North America. The hot springs he found around the lake are still active today—with temperatures up to 252 degrees F. And the lake’s bottom holds the same geysers, hot springs, and deep canyons found throughout the park. While in the area, drop in at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, an historic inn with 1920s ambiance, for a very refined meal. Then sit in the sun room’s wicker chairs overlooking the lake while being serenaded by a string quartet—something Colter could only dream of indulging in.