ARE YELLOWSTONE ROADS MELTING????

FIREHOLE LAKE DRIVE

While it is true that Firehole Lake Drive in Yellowstone National Park was temporarily closed early in the month - I am pleased to let you know that the National Park Service has re-opened that road.


We lived in Arkansas for many years and I noticed that during the summer the asphalt roads and streets in our town would often appear to be melting.  The continued high summer temperatures would cause the asphalt roads to  "bleed" oil.  This is the same thing that happened to Firehole Lake Drive in Yellowstone.  The only difference is that the ground temperature is much hotter than it ever got in Arkansas.  I dare say that had Arkansas had the kind of ground temperature that is found under Firehole Lake Drive those Arkansas roads would have "melted" too.

I know that, if you do not live here year around, it is easy to become apprehensive and concerned when the news media reports that a road in the park is "melting". However, for those of us who are "locals" such announcements are pretty commonplace.

Several years ago a section of Norris Geyser Basin was closed due to extremely high ground temperatures.  That closing lasted a week or so - the temperature went back down to an acceptable level - and Norris was re-opened to the public.

When the National Park Service closes an area to driving or hiking or camping it is for the protection of our visitors who are not familiar with the conditions that can sometimes exist in Yellowstone.  It is not because the Park is melting or getting ready for an imminent eruption of the so called Super Volcano.

If you have questions I would highly recommend that you contact the National Park Service in Yellowstone rather than rely on the news media reports.  Get the straight story from the source.