Loading map...

2015 Map of West Thumb

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of West Thumb
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

Yellowstone Lake dominates this survey, with the shoreline detailed from Pumice Point to the southwest corner of the lake. The high-altitude landscape of Yellowstone National Park is defined here by hydrothermal activity, specifically the concentrated thermal features of the West Thumb Geyser Basin and the Potts Hot Spring Basin. Geologic wonders like the Thumb Paintpots, Black Pool, and Beach Geyser are mapped along the water's edge, illustrating the unique intersection of terrestrial heat and vast mountain waters.

South of the bay, the Continental Divide winds through the terrain, separating the headwaters of Doghead Cr and Big Thumb Cr. The map captures the infrastructure supporting 21st-century conservation and tourism, including the Grand Loop Rd and the junction at Grant Vlg. Away from the main thoroughfares, smaller bodies of water like Chickadee Lake and Nuthatch Lake sit quietly in the backcountry, while the Overlook Trail offers a path through the geyser fields.