Heart Lake, Wyoming

Heart Lake
Geographical location	Teton County , Wyoming , USA
Tributaries	Witch Creek, Beaver Creek
Drain	Heart River → Snake River
	Data
Coordinates	44 ° 16 '4 " N , 110 ° 29' 20" W Coordinates: 44 ° 16 '4 " N , 110 ° 29' 20" W.
Altitude above sea level	2284 m

The Heart Lake is a lake at the eastern foot of Mount Sheridan in Yellowstone National Park , in the State of Wyoming . It is located at an altitude of 2274 m in the Heart Lake Geyser Basin in the southern part of the park. Near the lake are some geysers like the Rustic Geyser and hot springs like the Columbia Pool . The outflow is via the Heart River on the southeastern side of the lake.

history

The lake was named around 1871 after the local hunter Hart Hunney . This name origin was later confirmed by Hiram Martin Chittenden , an engineer with the United States Army Corps of Engineers . The lake was given its official name later by John W. Barlow , an officer in the United States Army , who thought that the origin of the name lay in the heart shape of the lake. The attempt by HM Chittenden to later change the name back to Hart Lake after the original namesake failed.

fauna

The lake is home to American char , Yellowstone cutthroat trout and mountain vendace , among others .

reachability

The lake is only accessible via hiking trails. It can be reached via the approximately 12.1 km long Heart Lake Trail . This trail begins on Grand Loop Road between the south park entrance and Grant Village and runs halfway around the lake on the east side. It can also be reached via the longer Trail Creek Trail . Between April 1st and June 1st, the area around the lake is closed because of the bears that live there.