The Firehole River is located in northwestern Wyoming , and is one of the two major tributaries of the Madison River . It flows north approximately 21 miles (34 km) from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park . It is part of the Missouri River system.
6-638: Mystic Falls is a 70-foot (21 m) cascade type waterfall on the Little Firehole River, a tributary of the Firehole River . Originally named Little Firehole Falls by members of the 1872 Hayden Geologic Survey, the name was changed to Mystic Falls by members of the Arnold Hague Geological Survey in 1885 for unknown reasons. Mystic Falls is reached via the 1.2 miles (1.9 km) Mystic Falls Trail which starts at Biscuit Basin in
12-698: The Upper Geyser Basin . This Wyoming -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Firehole River The Firehole River flows through several significant geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park to include the Upper Geyser Basin , which contains the world-famous geyser Old Faithful . The river was named by early trappers for the steam that makes it appear to be smoking as if on fire. The Firehole flows over three of Yellowstone's major waterfalls : Kepler Cascades south of Old Faithful, Firehole Falls and
18-567: The Cascades of the Firehole in Firehole Canyon. The river is surrounded by geothermal features which empty water into it. One effect of the input of this water is to increase the temperature of the water. Temperatures in the river have been measured as high as 30 °C (86 °F) and average 5 to 10 °C (41 to 50 °F) higher than areas upstream of geothermal influence. Water entering
24-423: The Firehole are the Little Firehole River, Fairy Creek, Iron Spring Creek, Sentinel Creek and Nez Perce Creek. All these tributaries bring cool waters to the Firehole and provide refuge for trout in the mainstem during mid-summer high temperatures caused by geothermal activity. The Firehole River is a famous and storied destination for serious fly fishermen. When it was discovered in the 1830s by American explorers,
30-428: The Firehole was barren of trout above what is now called Firehole Falls . Brook trout were first introduced to the upper Firehole in 1889, while brown trout , the river's most plentiful trout today, was first stocked in 1890. Rainbow trout were not introduced until 1923. Mountain whitefish are native to the Firehole below Firehole Falls. By the late 19th century, the Firehole and Yellowstone National Park in general
36-459: The river from geothermal features contains dissolved chemicals and minerals. Levels of boron and arsenic have been found to be above the standard limits for protection of aquatic organisms. Despite these levels, brown and rainbow trout live and spawn in the river. The river contains an invasive species , the New Zealand mud snail ( Potamopyrgus antipodarum ). Significant tributaries of
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