Originally posted in Yellowstone’s In the Shadow of the Arch blog
by Hailey Galper, Archives Intern

With its turbulent thermal features, rock formations, sulfuric gases, volcanic events, and seismic activity, it’s no wonder some early visitors to the park fancied Yellowstone full of fire, brimstone, and bizarre creatures. Yellowstone is in many ways the ideal environment for dragons. Particularly in thermal areas, Yellowstone has a kind of dangerous beauty, and for many visitors the thermal features appear to be something out of a fantasy story.

Dragons do exist here in Yellowstone. Well, in spirit that is. Some of the thermal features near the Mud Volcano now bear names inspired by the fantastical early impressions of the park. Dragon’s Mouth Spring and Black Dragon’s Caldron are remarkably different kinds of thermal features.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring is located just down the boardwalk from Mud Volcano. Gases and steam are released deep in its cave, creating pressure bubbles that explode against the roof of the cavern. As this occurs, it creates a kind of booming and gurgling noise that is echoed through the cave and can be heard from the boardwalk. The sound resembles the growling of an animal. Due to the high temperature of the water, large amounts of steam rise from the mouth of the cave, giving the impression of smoke billowing from the mouth of a dragon. Dragon’s Mouth has captured the attention and imagination of travelers since the early days of the park and continues to do so today.

Black Dragon’s Cauldron is a boiling mud pot similar to Mud Volcano. While Mud Volcano is now just a pool, having blown away its volcano top in 1872, Black Dragon’s Caldron did not exist before 1948. It exploded into existence sometime before June of 1948, knocking trees down and showering the surrounding forest with mud.

I know what you’re thinking, those aren’t real dragons in Yellowstone. I concede, the only dragons with wings that exist in Yellowstone exist in works of fiction. One such story is a book by Kimberly Loth, titled Obsidian: The Dragon Kings. The story follows a young girl studying the dragons that live near her home in Yellowstone. In a world where all national parks are the homes of dragons, Yellowstone rises supreme.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring and Black Dragon’s Caldron can both be found along short boardwalk hikes near Mud Volcano. Obsidian: The Dragon Kings can be found at the Yellowstone Research Library housed in the Heritage and Research Center in Gardiner, Montana.