First thing in the morning we left Great Falls and drove south toward Quake Lake. I-15 is a beautiful and easy drive through the mountains. I wish there had been places to pull off and enjoy a closer look.
For lunch, we ate at Mountain Good Restaurant in Boulder, Montana.
On the way, we drove through Ennis, Montana. My mom is an artist so when we saw the outside of RiverStone Gallery, we had to visit. The gallery owner was nice enough to chat with us while we looked around at the colorful works of art. Next, we took time to enjoy the Ennis Lions Club Park, to walk around and stretch our legs.
Quake Lake
Our main attraction for the day was Quake Lake, located near West Yellowstone. The Earthquake Lake Visitor Center and auto tour stops are all along Highway 287.
Quake Lake
2019 Price: Free
We just happened to come during the 60-year anniversary of the Hebgen Lake Earthquake. A 7.5 earthquake hit near midnight on August 17, 1959, which triggered a massive landslide. The landslide moved at 100 mph and millions of tons of rock crashed into the Madison River canyon – forming Earthquake Lake. Twenty-eight lives were lost.
In my opinion this is a great road trip destination! It was a fun way to learn history and see natural beauty without having to leave a main highway. I would recommend you visit if you’re heading to West Yellowstone.
Along the auto tour we visited the following stops:
West Portal
This first stop has signs includes a timeline of the events and a map of the area
Earthquake Lake Visitor Center
Night of Terror
Signs describe the events from the point-of-view of campers at the Rock Creek Campground which was completely covered by water.
Earthquake Lake Overlook
This next overlook provides views of the lake and “bathtub ring of drowned trees.” The dead trees show the original height of the lake.
Refuge Point
Survivors collected here for rescue. You can take a short walk through the meadow to the Ghost Village Overlook to see the remains of Halford’s Camp. We saw the remains but thought the overlook was farther out and walked all the way to the point before turning around. There is a spot to hike down a steep incline to the Madison River for a closer look.
Cabin Creek Scarp
This campground was split by a fault scarp, still visible today
The Lake that Tilted
On this final stop on the tour, there is a segment of the pre-quake road that you can drive on. There is also a short path on a paved trail along Hebgen Lake to the old site of Hilgard Lodge which was destroyed when the lake dropped 19 feet during the quake.
The Lake that Tilted also offered some wildlife – birds, squirrels, and a chipmunk.
After Quake Lake, we drove about 30 miles to our hotel in West Yellowstone.
Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
2019 Price: $1,236 for four nights
On recommendation from the hotel we went to Bullwinkle’s for dinner. I had a fabulous bison lasagna! It was my first-time trying bison.