Isa Lake

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Isa Lake
Isa Lake - Isa Lake
Isa Lake
Location Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Coordinates 44°26′27″N, 110°43′09″WCoordinates: 44°26′27″N, 110°43′09″W
Lake type Natural lake
Basin countries United States

Isa Lake is located in Yellowstone National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming.[1] The lake straddles the continental divide at Craig Pass and was first discovered in 1891 by Hiram M. Chittenden, who was exploring the best routes for a road to connect Old Faithful and West Thumb geyser basins. Chittenden named the lake after Isabel Jelke, though it is not clear why.[2]

Isa Lake is believed to be the only lake in the world which drains to two different oceans backwards.[2] The east side of the lake drains by way of the Lewis River to the Pacific Ocean and the west side of the lake drains by way of the Firehole River to the Atlantic Ocean.[3] This is the opposite of what one would expect since the Atlantic Ocean is east of the lake and the Pacific Ocean is to the west.

The lake is easy to visit as it is adjacent to the road that now connects the Old Faithful and West Thumb geysers basins, on what is know as the "lower loop" of the figure-eight roadway which traverses through Yellowstone.

[edit] Cited references

  1. ^ Craig Pass, USGS Craig Pass (WY) Topo Map (Map). Topozone USGS Quads. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
  2. ^ a b Isa Lake. Grant Village Area Natural Highlights. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
  3. ^ Isa Lake. Wyomingtourism.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.

[edit] External links