Yellowstone National Park (The Supervolcano)

The Flight Experience

Yellowstone offers a flight profile defined by thermal power and impossible colors. You are not just flying over mountains; you are flying over the throat of a dormant supervolcano. The landscape is a paradox: freezing cold, high-altitude alpine plateaus punctuated by boiling hot, neon-colored pools.

For virtual pilots, the visual signature is steam and bacteria. From 2,000ft AGL, the famous hot springs (like Grand Prismatic) look like psychedelic eyes staring up at you—vivid rings of orange, yellow, and deep blue caused by heat-loving bacteria. If you fly in winter or early morning, the ground is covered in plumes of steam rising from thousands of unseen vents, making the park look like an industrial factory floor of nature.

Visual Highlights

• Grand Prismatic Spring: The largest hot spring in the US and the absolute star of the show. Located in the Midway Geyser Basin, it is unmistakable from the air. The deep blue center (boiling water) is ringed by bright green, yellow, and rusty orange mats of microbial life. It is arguably the most colorful natural object in any flight simulator.

• The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Not to be confused with the Arizona giant, this canyon is a deep, yellow-ochre gash in the rock. The highlight is the Lower Falls—a massive waterfall twice as high as Niagara. Seeing the river plummet over the edge from the cockpit gives a tremendous sense of power that static photos cannot convey.

• Old Faithful: While eruptions are hard to time in a sim (unless you use specific mods), the area around the Old Faithful Inn is a distinct white scar of geyserite (silica rock) on the landscape. The steam plume is often visible from miles away, marking the spot.

• Yellowstone Lake: This is one of the highest elevation lakes in North America (7,700ft). It is massive, cold, and sits right in the center of the caldera. The West Thumb Geyser Basin, located right on the lake shore, looks like a series of colorful paint pots spilling into the dark blue water.

Pilot’s Note

The High-Density Trap. Yellowstone is high. The average elevation of the park plateau is 8,000ft.

• Performance: Your engine will produce significantly less power (roughly 25-30% less for non-turbo engines). A takeoff from West Yellowstone (KWYS) on a hot July day (density altitude 9,000ft+) can be perilous if you are heavy.

• The Rim: The park is essentially a massive bowl surrounded by mountains. Navigating out of the park usually requires climbing over passes that reach 9,000–10,000ft.

VFR Flight Plan: The Caldera Loop

Departure: West Yellowstone (KWYS) Arrival: Gardiner (29S) or return to KWYS.

Aircraft Recommendation: Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan (perfect high-wing visibility and turbine power) or a Daher Kodiak 100.

Cruise Altitude: 9,500ft MSL (Plateau) / 8,500ft MSL (Canyon)

Total Distance: ~80 NM

Estimated Time: 50–60 minutes

Route Waypoints & Navigation

1. Departure: The West Entrance

• Takeoff KWYS: Depart Runway 01 or 19.

• Visual Cue: Head East, following the road through the thick pine forests.

• Action: Cross the park boundary. The terrain is relatively flat but high—a massive lodgepole pine forest that covers the volcanic plateau.

2. Waypoint 1: The Psychedelic Eye (Grand Prismatic)

• Navigation: Follow the Firehole River north.

• The View: Look for the steam clouds first. Then, look for the Midway Geyser Basin.

• The Moment: Bank steep to look down at Grand Prismatic Spring. The colors are best seen from directly overhead.

• Bonus: Just south is the Old Faithful complex.

3. Waypoint 2: The Canyon Dive

• Navigation: Turn Northeast towards the center of the park.

• Visual Cue: You will cross the Central Plateau. Look for the yellow walls of the canyon cutting through the forest.

• Action: Fly along the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

• The View: Spot the Lower Falls and Upper Falls. The yellow stone of the canyon walls (which gives the park its name) is very distinct here.

4. Waypoint 3: The Lake & The Thumb

• Navigation: Follow the Yellowstone River upstream (South) to Yellowstone Lake.

• Visual Cue: The massive expanse of water.

• Detail: Fly over West Thumb. Look for the "Fishing Cone" geyser right in the lake water.

• Turn: Turn North to head towards the exit.

5. Waypoint 4: Mammoth Hot Springs

• Navigation: Fly North, past the black Obsidian Cliffs, towards the park headquarters.

• Visual Cue: Look for the white, terraced travertine formations of Mammoth Hot Springs. They look like a frozen, white waterfall made of rock cascading down the hill.

6. Arrival: The North Gate

• Navigation: Follow the Gardner River downhill out of the park.

• Visual Cue: The "Roosevelt Arch" at the North Entrance (hard to see from the air, but you are flying over it).

• Landing: Gardiner (29S).

• The Challenge:

  • The Strip: This is a rugged, general aviation strip located in a valley bowl.

  • Wind: Winds funnel through the valley from the north. Be prepared for turbulence on final.

Simulator Setup Recommendations

Setting

Recommendation

Reason

Time of Day

High Noon (12:00 PM)

Unlike the desert canyons where you want shadows, here you want the sun directly overhead. This illuminates the deep blue and turquoise water of the hot springs, penetrating the water column so you can see the colors of the vents.

Weather

Cold & Clear (Winter)

If you want drama, fly in Winter (January). The contrast between the snow-white ground and the brilliant rainbow colors of the hot springs is unmatched, and the steam plumes are massive.

Season

Summer (July)

For the classic "green forest, blue water, rainbow spring" look. This is when the bacteria mats are most vibrant and green.