Firehole River

Drain from the pot of a geyser in the Firehole River

Swimming in the Firehole Canyon

The Firehole River is a river in south-west of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. He belongs to the Missouri - Mississippi River system as a source river whose longest branch.

The river rises on the North American continental divide inside the caldera of the Yellowstone volcano and runs in a northerly direction 45 km to the confluence with the Gibbon River, with whom he then the Madison River forms. Here, the Firehole River passes through the Upper Geyser Basin with the Old Faithful, one of the most famous geysers of the earth, as well as four other smaller Geyser Basin and a number of other geothermal areas whose runoff it receives. Just before the confluence of the river passes through the Firehole Canyon with the Firehole Falls, waterfalls in the canyon. Other, smaller waterfalls are the Keppler Cascades on the upper reaches. Significant inflows are on the left side of the Little Firehole River and the Fairy Creek, drain both the caldera rim in the area of ​​Madison Plateau, and on the right side of the Nez Perce Creek, which rises from the Central Plateau of the parking area.

Processes in the river may include a temperature of over 95 ° C have, the water temperature in the river itself can rise through the inflows by 30 ° C compared to the temperature above the geothermal activity zones. The hot inflows in the thermal areas are partially colored colorful by algae and bacteria. The colors range from shades of brown to dark green, deep red, orange to bright yellow. Some colors indicate the water temperature.

The southwestern part of the large ring road parallels the Firehole River and provides access to the Upper Geyser Basin. The swimming pool in the hot thermal springs and their immediate environment is prohibited in the river off the geothermal swimming is allowed. Both in the headwaters and the lower reaches of the Firehole River is an excellent fishing area for trout.