Welcome to the year-round gateway to Yellowstone Country - West Yellowstone! This is the busiest gateway into Yellowstone Park. The town, though created with the arrival of the Oregon Shortline Railroad, is thriving because of the thousands of visitors passing through every year.
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is a unique Wildlife Park and Educational facility. Located in West Yellowstone, one block from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, it shows wildlife as you've never seen it before, with an up close view of live grizzlly bears and a pack of gray wolves. |
The Museum of the Yellowstone |
Located at the west entrance of the Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone IMAX Theatre is a "must see" where you will experience the beauty of the park not available from your car or on foot.
The IMAX Theatre offers an educational opportunity, where you'll learn about Yellowstone as it is today, and about its fascinating history and geological wonders. |
Hebgen Lake, located only 10 miles northwest of West Yellowstone (off of Highways 87 and 287) offers the best dry fly lake fishing in Montana. Large rainbow trout and brown trout are found in good numbers in Hebgen Lake. The trout are good sized, with the average brown trout running between 16-18 inches and rainbow trout in the 14-16 inch range.
With Madison River as its main feeder, Hebgen Lake is more than 16 miles long and on its southern end measures up to four miles at its widest point. You'll love to come here to enjoy fishing, boating, hiking, biking or sightseeing as you take in the spectacular scenery of this high mountain lake.
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Quake Lake, created after the earthquake in 1959 |
Another great geological force may have contributed to the quake's power - the supervolcano of Yellowstone - the Yellowstone hotspot. Sitting atop the hotspot, the Yellowstone region is essentially a giant, slumbering volcano that moves upward and downward over the decades.
At the Earthquake Lake Visiter Center, open Memorial Day to mid-September, you will learn about the power of the quake of 1959. Spend some time finding out about this area's geology; experience the earthquake through the film "A force of nature," shown regularly. |
The best dry fly fishing on the Madison River |
Cliff and Wade Lakes, just north of the junction of US Highway 287 and Montana Highway 87, sit on a geologic fault that formed a chasm that filled with water; cliffs surround much of the lakes' shorelines. Cliff Lake is the larger and somewhat more isolated of the two. Wade Lake is more easily accessible and receives more use; it's spring-fed and stays partly ice-free in the winter. You'll see prairie falcons, bald eagles, and osprey, and waterfowl and beavers are also common on both lakes. Cliff Lake offers some exceptional canoeing, especially in the remote coves; canoes can be rented at Wade Lake Resort.
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Wade Lake surrounded by pine trees |
Wade Lake - great place to kayak |
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The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center |
As the railroad marks West Yellowstone's historic beginnings, it is fitting that the Union Pacific Depot building is home to the Museum of the Yellowstone. The museum includes interactive exhibits and artifacts that explore the history of the area, from the time the Plains Indians and bison roamed the land, to the days of the 1988 fires.
There are guided walking tours of the historic West Yellowstone district. The museum is open mid-May to mid-October. |
The IMAX Theatre in West Yellowstone |
| There are several near life-size buffalo that have been "roaming" the sidewalks of West Yellowstone since June 2, 2007. Reminiscent of buffalo that have wandered down the streets of West Yellowstone in years gone by, these are fiberglass 3-D canvases from three states adorned in bright colors. Yellowstone, Historic West Yellowstone and Native Americans are the themes that the artists used to sketch their artwork onto the buffalo. |
In 1959, the Hebgen Lake earthquake took place, with a 7.5 magnitude. When the quake triggered slide blocked the flow of the Madison River, it created gigantic waves that spilled over the Hebgen Dam, causing it to crack. When the slide eventually stopped, it essentially dammed the Madison River and created Quake Lake, a 19-foot deep, six mile long lake. As the lake flooded much of the former Madison River canyon, thousands of dead trees poke up through the lake, providing excellent habitat for large trout.
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Earthquake Lake Visitor Center |
The Madison River is considered to be Montana's most outstanding river, because it has the best dry fly fishing while showing the most picturesque scenery. Located in Southwestern Montana, the Madison is formed by the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers.
The waters of the Madison between Quake and Ennis Lakes is a world renowned stretch with huge rainbow trout and brown trout as the main attraction (sometimes 20 inches or larger!), and some cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling. |
The clear blue waters of Cliff Lake
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Larger mammals frequently seen include elk, deer, and moose, which are even more numerous and visible in the winter. Hikers can learn something of the flora, fauna, and geology of the area on a 0.7 mile interpretive trail connecting the Wade Lake and Hilltop campgrounds. A newly developed spawning channel is an excellent place to view rainbow trout. The lakes also can be a great place for cross-country skiing in the winter.
Both Wade Lake and Cliff Lake have spectacular settings, with aspens, firs and pines trees bordering the lakes. In autumn the foliage changes to vivid reds, orange and yellows. Both Wade Lake and Cliff Lake are restricted by "no wake" speed limits. Trout can be seen cruising in the still water, feasting on various insects. Fishing from boats, canoes and float tubes are the most successful methods on the lakes. Wade lake has earned a reputation for large Rainbows and German Brown trout. Wade lake still holds the Montana State record brown trout at 29 pounds. |
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