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Yellowstone Lake



Located in Yellowstone National in northwestern Wyoming, Yellowstone Lake is surrounded by forest and valleys and is the largest high-altitude lake in the lower 48 states. It is 7,733 feet above sea level, approximately 20 miles long and 14 miles wide, with 141 miles of exquisite shoreline and a surface area of 132 square miles. Known to freeze over entirely every winter in late December or early January, and lasting until late May or early June when it begins to thaw, Yellowstone Lake's water remains cold all year long, with an average temperature of 41°F. Yellowstone Lake was shaped by lava flows where the lake lies within the caldera, as well as glacial and other geological processes in the southern half of the lake outside the caldera, which gave form at the bottom of the lake to geysers, hot springs, and deep canyons.

 

Yellowstone Lake has been known by several names as depicted on maps and recorded in the journals of prospectors who ventured into the Yellowstone region in the 1800s. William Clark's map of 1806-1811 illustrated the lake as "Eustis Lake." Other times it was called "Bridger Lake," and in 1826, a party of fur trappers, including Daniel Potts, Bill Sublette and Jedidiah Smith called Yellowstone Lake "Sublette Lake." In 1831, trapper Warren Ferris showed the name Yellowstone Lake on his map of 1836, and by the 1860s, Yellowstone Lake became the common name used by those exploring the region.

 

For several Native American groups, including the Blackfeet, Salish, Shoshone, Bannock, Crow, and the Shoshone people, Yellowstone Lake played a key role in the seasonal subsistence and settlement patterns that shaped their lives. While these groups and early fur trappers floated rafts on the lake, Hayden Survey is believed to be the first person to sail a boat, the Anna, on its waters. Still, some historians credit trapper Bill Sublette with the discovery of Yellowstone Lake. Furthermore, John Colter is regarded as the first person of European descent to see the lake in the early 19th century. Explorations and surveys of the lake between 1869 and 1871 provided the first detailed descriptions of the lake.

 

Yellowstone Lake and its vicinity are home for aquatic birds, such as the Canada geese, wood duck, ring-necked duck, ruddy duck, sandhill crane, common loon, American white pelican, and the whooper swan. It is also a great spot for anglers to fish for trout, with the largest population of cutthroat trout in North America. Yellowstone Lake is magical and filled with incredible scenery and adventures.



"Due to the unique nature of our maps all sizes are approximate. Please do not purchase a frame until you receive the map and measure it. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of our large limited edition giclees"

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