Earthquake Lake

Hey Guys! While we were in the West Yellowstone area, we took an afternoon to explore Earthquake Lake Geological Area. A Ranger in one of the National Parks we were visiting told us about this place earlier this year (2020) and it sounded right up our alley. Earthquake Lake is located in Custer Gallatin National Forest and is maintained by the National Forestry. There is a Junior Ranger program, a wonderful museum, and several stops along the lake that have info-signs about that night.

We started our exploration of Earthquake Lake at the visitor center where we learned the whole story of what happened here. You can see the view of Earthquake Lake from the visitor center in the picture above.

On August 17, 1959 most of the campgrounds around Madison Canyon were packed. The Rock Creek, Cabin Creek, and Beaver Creek Campgrounds were all popular camping destinations because they were right next to the Madison River that meandered it’s way through the canyon. It’s estimated there were around 250 people in the canyon that night…all of them had just gone to bed or were getting ready to.

Just before midnight, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck in the nearby Hebgen Lake. The earthquake triggered an enormous landslide that crashed down and sent 80 million tons of rock sliding down the mountain, through the canyon and back up the other side all in a matter of 20 seconds.

This earthquake was felt in eight states and Canada. Visitors in Yellowstone said that Old Faithful “wouldn’t shut off”. According to the NPS, this earthquake altered the average interval between Old Faithful eruptions by ten or so minutes.

In 20 seconds, a massive wall of splintered trees, busted up rocks, mud and huge boulders slid from the south side of the canyon…swept through the peaceful campgrounds, and continued up the other side of the canyon wall and plugged up the river. Families were separated as they fled for their lives, people were trapped within the wreckage and debris and Hebgen Lake started to slosh so badly that a wall of water swept through the area.

This boulder is one of the many that crashed through the canyon that night. Geologist who have worked to piece together the story of that night believe that boulders like this basically…surfed on the landslide that was acting more like water than land to come to rest on the other side of the canyon. They think that because of the undisturbed moss on the boulder. In just twenty seconds this six million ton boulder traveled about half a mile.

It was a long night for the campers. They went through not one, but three major events. First was the earthquake, then the massive landslide…and then they had to find their way to high ground as the flooding began. On top of all of that…a storm started rolling through the area.

By 1AM groups of survivors started making their way to what is now called Refuge Point where a couple of nurses who happened to be camping started taking care of the injured.

Three sections of the highway had been lost to the devastation so no one could drive out of the area. Those that didn’t make it to Refuge Point spent the long night huddled on the rocks…waiting for help…hoping to make it to the morning.

Rescuers raced in to help, but it wasn’t until the morning that they realized the scope of what had happened. Around noon the next day Forest Service Smokejumpers started arriving with rescue gear while helicopters started evacuating people. When it was all said and done…19 people had been buried in the landslide (their bodies were never found)…a total of 28 people lost their lives that night.

Today you can visit Refuge Point and hike down to see the remnants of a few cabins that’s now called Ghost Village.

Some Parks change you…the story of Earthquake Lake will stay with us forever.

We highly recommend visiting Earthquake Lake and learning about the night that changed so much for so many.

In the next post I’ll give you an update on our drive back to Missouri and what our winter plans might look like.

See y’all down the road!

#NationalParkTour