Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Glacial Boulder
The large boulder beside you was left by a glacier – the glacier that sculpted the broad valley you are standing in.
A Cold Ride
How did this boulder get here? Like many others scattered across Yellowstone, it was scraped from the mountains by a glacier, then carried by the ice to a new site. This granite boulder traveled from the northeast for many miles when the glacier melted.
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Frozen Landscapers
Glaciers, like those in Alaska today – and Yellowstone thousands of years ago – form in frigid climates where more and more snow accumulates and turns to ice. These massive “rivers of ice” carve the land as they slowly advance downslope.
Yellowstone’s Icy Past
As you look at Yellowstone’s beautiful mountains and valleys, imagine ice and snow in every direction. Thousands of years ago, the ice was so thick that only the highest mountain peaks rose above the frozen landscape. The glaciers that buried Yellowstone shaped the mountains that you see today.
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Approximate boundaries of Yellowstone’s most recent icecap about 20,000 years ago and earlier glaciation about 140,000 years ago.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.
Location. 44° 57.626′ N, 110° 34.105′ W. Marker is in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in Park County. It is in Mammoth. Marker can be reached from Upper Grand Loop Road, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located on the Forces of the Northern Range Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yellowstone National Park WY 82190, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Land Tells the Story (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Wildlife Paradise (about 300 feet away); What’s Blooming? (about 400 feet away); Trembling Aspens (about 500 feet away); Seasons of the Range (about 500 feet away); Wolf Tracks (about 500 feet away); Forces of the Northern Range Self-Guiding Trail (about 600 feet away); Fire – A Fundamental Force (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yellowstone National Park.
More about this marker. The background of the marker contains a photograph of the view from the marker with the glacial boulder. The sidebar includes a map of the Yellowstone icecap.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 475 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 23, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.