Firehole River is one of the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. When visitors travel the Old Faithful Loop they will encounter this river. The river runs on the western side of the loop along highway 191. If travelers come in from the south they will travel highway 89/287/191. To reach Firehole River visitors will take a left onto the loop instead of right.
It will take visitors past West Thumb, Craig Pass, and Old Faithful. Around Old Faithful the river will be picked up where individuals can see it from their car. As they move through Lower and Midway Geyser Basins to Upper Geyser Basin they will follow the river north towards Madison. The river can also be picked up from the west entrance by taking highway 20 to the loop and hanging a right. From the north highway 89 will take visitors around the west side of the northwest loop to the Old Faithful loop. From the east highway 14 is required to bring travelers to the loop. From the east one can take a right or left to reach Firehole River. The distance is about the same; however, if they want to see Old Faithful first a left is needed to go around Fishing Bridge Visitor Center and Yellowstone Lake. Park entrance fees are $25 for vehicles and $12 for individuals such as bikers.
Firehole River is one of the more interesting water attractions in the park due to its pathway through Yellowstone. Firehole begins in the wilderness as a stream, like most mountain streams, until it reaches the three major basins of the area. When it hits Upper Geyser River and travels to Lower and Midway the water gushes over the rocky riverbed and has an interesting hydrothermal influx. The river is 30 miles long, and water comes from the hydrothermal influx making temperatures increase by 25 degrees Fahrenheit from its origination point.
How it works is that the water from the mountains is cooler from the higher elevations. It streams along until it hits Upper Geyser Basin with geothermal activity relating to the volcanoes. The temperatures increase and some of the underground water will gush into the river rather than explode out of the geysers. The same applies to Midway and Lower basin, which is why the temperature eventually becomes 25 degrees F hotter.
The water in the river has spent several hundreds of years to work through the underground channels. It erodes the earth and carries with it bicarbonate, arsenate, sodium, and chloride to the surface. It was estimated by scientists that Firehole carries 68 tons of chloride and bicarbonate every day.
About 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of this thermal water is poured into Firehole River every minute during the day. As a result of the mixture of minerals and water, Firehole River is able to grow algae and bacteria faster and in greater numbers than other rivers. A number of organisms live on top of the water, underneath and around it making Firehole River an ecosystem all its own.
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