Yellowstone has many many great sites to visit, but after working in the park for several years I found that Shoshone Lake is my favorite. Why would a lake be a special place you may ask? Well this lake is the second largest lake in Yellowstone National Park. This lake is the largest fresh water lake in the U.S. not accessible by a vehicle. There are no motor boats allowed on the lake. That means the only way to see this lake is to get out the hiking boots or canoe in via the Lewis Channel. I have gotten to this lake via the DeLacy Trail, The Dogshead Trail and the Lewis River Channel Trail. All the hikes were very pretty. The DeLacy Trail is a hike of about 3 miles to get to the lake. The Dogshead Trail is about 5 miles to the lake. The Lewis River Channel Trail is about 6 miles to the lake. The reason I think this is a special place is that it is very peaceful and very quiet. You get away from the massive tourists in Yellowstone for awhile and just take in the great views. When your feet get tired you can just sit next to the lake and soak them in the cool water.
From the NPS web site:
Shoshone Lake is 205 feet (62.5 m) at its maximum depth, has an area of
8,050 acres (3,258 ha), and contains lake trout, brown trout, and Utah
chubs. Originally, Shoshone Lake was barren of fish owing to waterfalls
on the Lewis River. The two types of trout were planted beginning in
1890, and the Utah chub was apparently introduced by bait fishermen.
This large lake is the source of the Lewis River, which flows to the
Pacific Ocean via the Snake River system. The US Fish and Wildlife
Service believes that Shoshone Lake may be the largest lake in the lower
48 states that cannot be reached by road. No motorboats are allowed on
the lake.
After several long shifts of working with the tourists in the park, I enjoyed hiking to the lake just to get away and breath.
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