earthquake lake

I recently saw Quake lake for the first time. It is a very interesting area with an intriguing past. Worth a visit. There is a small visitors center, but the lake itself is the main draw. Take the time to read the history on the posted information signs by the visitors center. Do a little fishing, boating, or take some beautiful pictures. It is well worth your time.

driving by and being from MT thought we'd pull off on our way to West Yellowstone. Only to pull partway up the road to a closed museum. A little disappointed, but will try again on our next road trip that way.

Only open in summer, but the Visitor Center is full of amazing information about the creation of this lake and earthquakes in general.

I have traveled to Yellowstone literally hundreds of times having a cabin nearby as well as numerous family fishing/hiking trips. I remember the earthquake well, visiting the hard hit Madison Canyon soon after, and many times since. At first, the canyon was quiet - eerily so. Fresh scars, roads going into lakes, cabins that slid into the Hebgan and "the dam that held", campgrounds where people died, the huge slide with entombed people, and the lake with dead trees. But the intervening years have softened the scars and the memories. It is worth a visit, but now looks more like a big construction site with a visitor's center on the top of the heap. It's best use now is fishing.

I was driving past this place on my way from Yellowstone NP to north Montana and wish I had more time to enjoy it. Thankfully the drive afforded some spectacular views and the story behind this place is fascinating. There are lost of useful places to stop en route. The tops of the trees in the water at certain points give it quite a haunting look and have left me with some great photos. I would definitely like to explore this area further if I ever get the opportunity.

Even with the visitor center closed, all the signs explain everything you need to know about what happened in the "night of horror".This is not "just a lake with some dead trees", this is a piece of history you should definitely see when visiting Yellowstone!

Beautifully designed display panels explain personalized stories. The large visitor center however was closed (during off season).

The lake was not the most scenic, but the sad story of the lake was intriguing. It reminds us that the earth is alive, and no matter how serene a place may appear, it can change in an instant.

Stopped at the Visitor Centre and learned about the history of the Earthquake that had occurred many years ago. Tree tops still visible in the lake are amazing. It was raining when we were there...would have liked to explore further!

The whole lake was tipped 6 feet. One side lost their lakefront and the other side lost their homes. Worst yet, many people lost their lives. The visitor center has a great view and tells the story.

Staying a couple nights in W Yellowstone, we took a chance on a 'fine dining' restaurant 20 miles away from town, and what a find (Lake Lookout Bar/Grill, reviewed separately). The drive there was just spectacular, even after 2 days in Yellowstone Park. This is Montana.....big sky country, and the drive along the gorgeous Hebgen Lake was incredible. We 'd noticed many brown park-type signs along the way for "Earthquake Lake" and asked at the restaurant about it. We were there for dinner ( after dark) so didn't pursue the suggestion to go see the lake created by the biggest earthquake ever in Yellowstone, the ravages are still there to see. We left a credit car by mistake so went back the next day to get it ( and have lunch) and then drove the 8 miles west of the restaurant to Earthquake Lake. Outstanding....and I never thought I would say that but then I'd never seen a mountain range torn apart! (or thought I really cared to!) It is VERY worth the drive from the town of W.Y. Stop as soon as you see interpretive signs along Hebgen Lake. If coming from W. Y, you will encounter them chronologically in reverse, making what you see a bit less understandable until its all over with! I recommend driving to the far west end of Earthquake Lake ( where the visitor center is), and work your way back toward the east to understand it by seeing the initial impact and what remains 50+ years later. Outstanding! And no 'walking', unless you care to take a few nice hikes to hidden areas, you can see everything a few feet from your vehicle.

Worth the stop..sad that so many lots their lives ...lots of info at the visitor Centre..stop and learn a little history along the way.

Some rangers at Yellowstone suggested that we take the drive to Earthquake Lake. I'm glad we took the time. To most of us, earthquakes mean broken windows or things falling off of shelves, not a mountain falling down. In 1959, a large earthquake triggered a huge landslide and killed several campers. You can still clearly see all of the damage today. As you take the scenic drive up to the visitor's center, look for the Geologic Area signs for the auto-tour that will explain the event. There are about eight stops leading to the center. The visitor's center was very informative and still respectful to the campers that lost their lives. My tween walked around saying "oh, wow" quietly through the movie and the displays. This is a little bit of history that I never heard about and it made me look at the mountains in West Yellowstone a bit differently.

was sad but very enlightening...most earthquakes happen somewhere else in the world...this place brought it home.

Earthquake lake was formed on August 17, 1959 when a massive earthquake hit the area. Half of a mountainside collapsed and blocked the Madison River. The majority of the campers there that night survived, but there is a memorial at the visitor's center dedicated to those who did not. There are many pullouts along the lake with interpretive signs explaining what happened, and how it affected the area. The visitor's center has a 15 minute film showing what happened, and the amount of effort in cleaning the area up. Well worth a stop.