"Buffalo Plateau" redirects here. For the plateau in Australia, see Mount Buffalo.
There are nine named plateaus in Yellowstone National Park. These plateaus are part of the much larger Yellowstone Plateau and dominate areas in the park south and west of the Gallatin and Absaroka mountain ranges. Four of the plateaus are from rhyolite lava flows that occurred between 110,000 and 70,000 years ago.[1]
Traversed by the Mammoth to Tower section of the Grand Loop Road, Blacktail Deer Plateau is one of the most accessible plateaus in the park. Blacktail Deer Plateau takes its name from Blacktail Deer Creek which flows off the plateau. Named by prospectors well before the park's creation in 1872, the name is probably attributable to the then prevalent Blacktail deer of the area.[3]
The Buffalo Plateau straddles the Montana-Wyoming border north of the Lamar Valley and west of Slough Creek in the park's northern range. Named in 1870, before the park's creation, by prospectors Bart Henderson, James Gourley, Adam Miller and Ed Hibbard for the herds of Buffalo prevalent on the plateau.[5] The plateau is traversed by the Buffalo Plateau trail on the west and the Buffalo Fork Trail on the east.[6]
The Madison Plateau, the largest of the named plateaus, lies south of the Madison River and west of the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins. It extends south from the Madison River to the Continental Divide and west to the park border. The Plateau is virtually inaccessible because only one trail, the Summit Lake Trail, traverses the plateau east to west. The Fairy Creek Trail penetrates the eastern edge of the plateau on its way to Fairy Falls and Little Firehole Meadows.[9]
The Mirror Plateau is a remote plateau west of the upper Lamar River and is in the headwaters of Pelican Creek which flows into Yellowstone Lake. The Plateau takes its name from Mirror Lake, originally named Divide Lake because it separates the Lamar and Pelican Creek drainages. During the 1878 Geological Survey, Ferdinand V. Hayden named this lake—Mirror Lake for its propensity to mirror or reflect the surrounding terrain.[11]
The Pitchstone Plateau, named after the lava pitchstone, occupies the southwest corner of the park in the Bechler and Fall River drainages. The rhyolite lava flows that created the plateau occurred about 70,000 years ago.
Solfatara is a small plateau in the headwaters of the Gibbon River. It lies just west of Canyon and south of Grebe Lake. It was named in 1883 by geologist Walter Weed for a solfatara, a thermal vent that emits hydrogen sulfide, steam and other gases.[14] The Plateau is bounded by the Norris-Canyon road on the south and Wolf Lake-Cascade Lake trails on the north. The Grebe Lake trail crosses the center of the plateau.[15]
Trident is a small, remote plateau in the southeast corner of park in the headwaters of the Yellowstone River east of The Trident. It extends east into the Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The Trident was named by geologist Arnold Hague in 1885 because it resembled a three pronged Trident.[17]
^Smith, Robert Baer (2000). Windows into the earth: the geologic story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-510596-6.
^Whittlesey, Lee H. (2006). Yellowstone Place Names. Gardiner, MT: Wonderland Publishing Company. p. 233. ISBN1-59971-716-6.
^Trails Illustrated-Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (303) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:63360. National Geographic Maps. 2008. ISBN1-56695-304-9.
plateaus, yellowstone, national, park, buffalo, plateau, redirects, here, plateau, australia, mount, buffalo, there, nine, named, plateaus, yellowstone, national, park, these, plateaus, part, much, larger, yellowstone, plateau, dominate, areas, park, south, we. Buffalo Plateau redirects here For the plateau in Australia see Mount Buffalo There are nine named plateaus in Yellowstone National Park These plateaus are part of the much larger Yellowstone Plateau and dominate areas in the park south and west of the Gallatin and Absaroka mountain ranges Four of the plateaus are from rhyolite lava flows that occurred between 110 000 and 70 000 years ago 1 Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMapDownload coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Relief map of Yellowstone showing location of plateaus Gallatin Range as viewed from the Blacktail Deer Plateau Blacktail Deer Plateau 44 55 28 N 110 34 05 W 44 92444 N 110 56806 W 44 92444 110 56806 Blacktail Deer Plateau 2 7 113 feet 2 168 m Traversed by the Mammoth to Tower section of the Grand Loop Road Blacktail Deer Plateau is one of the most accessible plateaus in the park Blacktail Deer Plateau takes its name from Blacktail Deer Creek which flows off the plateau Named by prospectors well before the park s creation in 1872 the name is probably attributable to the then prevalent Blacktail deer of the area 3 Buffalo Plateau 44 59 47 N 110 14 46 W 44 99639 N 110 24611 W 44 99639 110 24611 Buffalo Plateau 4 8 251 feet 2 515 m The Buffalo Plateau straddles the Montana Wyoming border north of the Lamar Valley and west of Slough Creek in the park s northern range Named in 1870 before the park s creation by prospectors Bart Henderson James Gourley Adam Miller and Ed Hibbard for the herds of Buffalo prevalent on the plateau 5 The plateau is traversed by the Buffalo Plateau trail on the west and the Buffalo Fork Trail on the east 6 Central Plateau 44 35 49 N 110 37 44 W 44 59694 N 110 62889 W 44 59694 110 62889 Central Plateau 7 8 399 feet 2 560 m The Central Plateau separates the Hayden Valley and Yellowstone River drainage on the east from the Lower Geyser Basin and the Madison River drainage on the west Madison Plateau 44 21 02 N 110 58 18 W 44 35056 N 110 97167 W 44 35056 110 97167 Madison Plateau 8 8 435 feet 2 571 m The Madison Plateau the largest of the named plateaus lies south of the Madison River and west of the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins It extends south from the Madison River to the Continental Divide and west to the park border The Plateau is virtually inaccessible because only one trail the Summit Lake Trail traverses the plateau east to west The Fairy Creek Trail penetrates the eastern edge of the plateau on its way to Fairy Falls and Little Firehole Meadows 9 Mirror Plateau 44 43 55 N 110 07 32 W 44 73194 N 110 12556 W 44 73194 110 12556 Mirror Plateau 10 8 714 feet 2 656 m One of the earliest photographs of Yellowstone occurred during the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 at Mirror Lake on the Mirror Plateau Photo by William Henry Jackson 1871 The Mirror Plateau is a remote plateau west of the upper Lamar River and is in the headwaters of Pelican Creek which flows into Yellowstone Lake The Plateau takes its name from Mirror Lake originally named Divide Lake because it separates the Lamar and Pelican Creek drainages During the 1878 Geological Survey Ferdinand V Hayden named this lake Mirror Lake for its propensity to mirror or reflect the surrounding terrain 11 Pitchstone Plateau 44 15 11 N 110 46 24 W 44 25306 N 110 77333 W 44 25306 110 77333 Pitchstone Plateau 12 8 881 feet 2 707 m The Pitchstone Plateau named after the lava pitchstone occupies the southwest corner of the park in the Bechler and Fall River drainages The rhyolite lava flows that created the plateau occurred about 70 000 years ago Solfatara Plateau 44 43 53 N 110 32 45 W 44 73139 N 110 54583 W 44 73139 110 54583 Solfatara Plateau 13 8 166 feet 2 489 m Solfatara is a small plateau in the headwaters of the Gibbon River It lies just west of Canyon and south of Grebe Lake It was named in 1883 by geologist Walter Weed for a solfatara a thermal vent that emits hydrogen sulfide steam and other gases 14 The Plateau is bounded by the Norris Canyon road on the south and Wolf Lake Cascade Lake trails on the north The Grebe Lake trail crosses the center of the plateau 15 Trident Plateau 44 11 36 N 110 00 40 W 44 19333 N 110 01111 W 44 19333 110 01111 Trident Plateau 16 10 649 feet 3 246 m Trident is a small remote plateau in the southeast corner of park in the headwaters of the Yellowstone River east of The Trident It extends east into the Teton National Forest in Wyoming The Trident was named by geologist Arnold Hague in 1885 because it resembled a three pronged Trident 17 Two Ocean Plateau 44 10 33 N 110 12 59 W 44 17583 N 110 21639 W 44 17583 110 21639 Two Ocean Plateau 18 9 478 feet 2 889 m Two Ocean Plateau is named for the fact the Continental Divide crosses it with precipitation on the plateau reaching either the Pacific Ocean or Gulf of Mexico One creek flows south and eventually splits on the Divide at the Parting of the Waters Gallery editPlateaus of Yellowstone National Park nbsp Blacktail Plateau nbsp Pitchstone PlateauSee also editMountains and mountain ranges of Yellowstone National ParkNotes edit Smith Robert Baer 2000 Windows into the earth the geologic story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 510596 6 Blacktail Deer Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Whittlesey Lee H 2006 Yellowstone Place Names Gardiner MT Wonderland Publishing Company p 53 ISBN 1 59971 716 6 Buffalo Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Whittlesey Lee H 2006 Yellowstone Place Names Gardiner MT Wonderland Publishing Company p 58 ISBN 1 59971 716 6 Trails Illustrated Tower Canyon Yellowstone National Park 304 Map Revised ed 1 63360 National Geographic Maps 2008 ISBN 1 56695 435 5 Central Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Madison Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Trails Illustrated Old Faithful Yellowstone National Park 302 Map Revised ed 1 63360 National Geographic Maps 2008 ISBN 1 56695 433 9 Mirror Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Whittlesey Lee H 2006 Yellowstone Place Names Gardiner MT Wonderland Publishing Company p 172 ISBN 1 59971 716 6 Pitchstone Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Solfatara Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Whittlesey Lee H 2006 Yellowstone Place Names Gardiner MT Wonderland Publishing Company p 233 ISBN 1 59971 716 6 Trails Illustrated Mammoth Hot Springs Yellowstone National Park 303 Map Revised ed 1 63360 National Geographic Maps 2008 ISBN 1 56695 304 9 Trident Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Whittlesey Lee H 2006 Yellowstone Place Names Gardiner MT Wonderland Publishing Company p 252 ISBN 1 59971 716 6 Two Ocean Plateau Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Plateaus of Yellowstone National Park amp oldid 1040118362, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
