When I made my Yellowstone reservations, I had the option to book tours at the same time. Since I was already working through the reservation process, it seemed easier to book one then than to search for tours later. I chose the Circle of Fire, a $130 all-day bus tour that began at 8:15 a.m. in the Old Faithful Inn lobby. I’m very happy that Yellowstone, next season will move everything to recreation.gov, which in my mind is so much easier to navigate.
I left Madison Campground around 6:30 a.m., allowing plenty of time for the roughly 45-minute drive. It was raining, and I wanted some extra time in case I encountered snow along the way. I arrived early enough to make breakfast in the van before heading inside.
I had originally packed multiple lenses in case we stopped for wildlife, although the rain had lowered my expectations for animal sightings. We met promptly at 8:15 in the lobby, where our guide, Sarah, gave us an overview of the day. Our first stop was Old Faithful, with its next eruption predicted for 8:32.
At about 8:25, we headed out to the bus to wait for the eruption. Old Faithful kept us waiting nearly ten minutes beyond the predicted time. For about eight minutes, it teased us with bursts of water, going quiet between each one. It was interesting to compare how few people there were there compared to yesterday evening.
A man with a brightly coloured umbrella stood in front of the geyser, and I tried to photograph him alone against the scene. Eventually, a few other brave souls ventured into the rain for a closer look, while a small group watched from the inn’s balcony. When Old Faithful finally erupted, it sent a column of water and steam more than 100 feet into the air.
The eruption seemed more subdued than others I had seen, although its height naturally varies. According to the National Park Service, Old Faithful’s eruptions range from roughly 106 to 184 feet, averaging around 130 feet. I couldn’t tell whether this was a smaller eruption or simply looked less dramatic through the rain and steam.
Around 8:50, the bus pulled away, and we began our trip around Yellowstone’s Lower Loop. Old Faithful was just the first of the day’s stops, with waterfalls, canyon views, wildlife, and more thermal features still ahead.
Yellowstone’s Circle of Fire in the Rain
It poured all day.
I spent much of the Circle of Fire tour wiping the lens and drying the camera, only to get everything wet again at the next stop. Our bus driver handed out towels, and I grabbed a second as a camera towel. It was one of the most useful things I had with me. We were on the last tour of the season. The weather made photography a challenge, but there was still plenty worth getting out of the bus to see.
The Circle of Fire follows Yellowstone’s Lower Loop, taking in Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its Upper and Lower Falls, and the Fountain Paint Pot area. It brings together much of what makes Yellowstone such an extraordinary place: moving water, steaming ground, colourful pools, open meadows, and wildlife.
On this particular day, rain and low cloud tied the scenery together. Distant trees faded into grey, steam drifted across the landscape, and the wet rocks stood out against the autumn grasses.
The bison were getting just as wet as we were. Rain streaked across the view, their dark coats standing out against the pale grass. They made a good subject even when the weather hid some of the wider scenery.
At the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, cloud obscured the upper edges of the canyon. Below it, the pink, yellow, and cream walls were still visible, with trees clinging to the steep slopes. The limited visibility gave the photograph a different feel from the clear views I might have hoped for.
Water was a constant presence throughout the day. Beyond the rain itself, there were cascades tumbling through forest and white water spreading across dark rock. Looking through these photographs, I’m reminded of how often I found myself pointing the camera toward another stretch of rushing water.
The thermal features brought another set of colours into the day. Blue pools appeared through clouds of steam, mineral deposits coloured the edges of the water, and pale mud contrasted with the surrounding forest. Even under that grey sky, there was plenty of colour to photograph.
One of the best parts of doing a tour was the time spent talking with the other people on the bus. Sudah and Dinesh sat beside me in the back row, and we talked a lot about travel. Sudah shared stories about the Serengeti and other places they had visited. We had lunch together, continuing the conversation between stops.
Those conversations became as much a part of the day as the scenery. Between getting out for photographs and returning to dry the camera, there were travel stories to hear and people to get to know.
I came away with photographs of a very wet Yellowstone, a well-used towel, and good memories of the people who shared that last tour of the season.
Drive Madison Campground
I left the Old Faithful Inn around 5:30 p.m. There wasn’t much activity inside. The dining hall and concessions were closed, and the parking lot was mostly empty. After a day spent with the tour group, it felt quiet. I stopped nearby for gas, then headed back toward Madison Campground. I stopped many times along the way. Even after a full day in the rain, there was still plenty to catch my attention.
Steam rose from the streams and thermal ground, drifting across the trees and boardwalks. Golden grasses bordered the water, and bare tree trunks stood against the pale ground. In places, the steam obscured much of the view.
Along the river, I stopped to watch people fly fishing in the rain, with steam rising from the water around them. It made me wonder how much warmer the river was here than farther upstream. There were several anglers out, but I watched this one standing in the current with his hood up, working his line across the water. I had spent the day trying to keep my camera dry, and here he was, fishing through the rain.
There were buffalo grazing, rock formations to study, and distant rays of light drawing my attention farther down the road. Sometimes it was something as simple as a large, lichen-covered boulder, with the river flowing around it and fallen trees lining the opposite bank.
I came away with some fun photographs, but I also enjoyed simply stopping and watching the uncrowded park. The tour was over, and the inn was closing down for the season, but the drive back to camp gave me a little more time with Yellowstone.