Rustic Falls on the road south of Mammoth Hot Springs is a nice, short stop as one heads into the park.
This lovely little roadside waterfall can be easily missed, but is worth the stop. Is it a triple plunge waterfall on Lava Creek set in a steep canyon. In the winter, Undine Falls can ice over so no flowing water is visible.
As thermal water flows over the terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, hot water loving bacteria called thermophiles thrive in the hot water. These thermophiles are photosynthetic, which means they need sunlight in order to survive. These thermophiles are responsible for the colors in this photo. Where hot water has recently flowed, the limestone terraces are white. As they age, the limestone turns grey and starts to slough off. I shot this photo with a telephoto lens to focus on the patterns and pale color.
