Lamar River
Encyclopedia
The Lamar River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River
, approximately 40 miles (48 km) long, in northwestern Wyoming
in the United States
. The river is located entirely within Yellowstone National Park
.
of the park, the Lamar was known as the East Fork of the Yellowstone River. During that survey, Geologist Arnold Hague
named the river for L.Q.C. (Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus) Lamar
, then Secretary of the Interior (March 1885 - January 1888). The Lamar Valley, or the Secluded Valley of Trapper Osborne Russell
and other park features or administrative names which contain Lamar are derived from this original naming.
Osborne Russell in his 1921 Journal of a Trapper described the Lamar as follows:
In 1869, the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition encountered the Lamar River (East Fork) just upstream from the canyon section flowing into the Yellowstone and traveled upstream to the confluence of Calfee Creek where they camped on September 16, 1869.
It rises in the Absaroka Range
, on the eastern edge of the park, and flows northwest through the northeast corner of the park. It is joined by many tributary streams, including Soda Butte Creek
and Slough Creek
and joins the Yellowstone near Tower Junction
, just below the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
.
The river is a popular destination for fly fishing
, and is widely-known as one of the best places in Yellowstone National Park to view wildlife, especially grizzly bears and wolves. Three locations in the valley—Soda Butte, Crystal Creek and Rose Creek were the sites for the 1995 re-introduction of wolves
into Yellowstone. The river flows through a portion of the park hit hard by the 1988 wildfires
.
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
, approximately 40 miles (48 km) long, in northwestern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river is located entirely within Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
.
History
Prior to the 1884-85 Geological SurveyGeological survey
The term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information....
of the park, the Lamar was known as the East Fork of the Yellowstone River. During that survey, Geologist Arnold Hague
Arnold Hague
Arnold Hague was a United States geologist who did many geological surveys in the U.S., of which the best known was that for Yellowstone National Park. He also had assignments in China and Guatemala. He became a member of the U. S...
named the river for L.Q.C. (Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus) Lamar
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (II)
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar was an American politician and jurist from Mississippi. A United States Representative and Senator, he also served as United States Secretary of the Interior in the first administration of President Grover Cleveland, as well as an Associate Justice of the U.S...
, then Secretary of the Interior (March 1885 - January 1888). The Lamar Valley, or the Secluded Valley of Trapper Osborne Russell
Osborne Russell
Osborne Russell was a mountain man and politician who helped form the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Maine....
and other park features or administrative names which contain Lamar are derived from this original naming.
Osborne Russell in his 1921 Journal of a Trapper described the Lamar as follows:
In 1869, the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition encountered the Lamar River (East Fork) just upstream from the canyon section flowing into the Yellowstone and traveled upstream to the confluence of Calfee Creek where they camped on September 16, 1869.
Location and tributaries
Absaroka Range
The Absaroka Range is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. The range stretches about 150 mi across the Montana-Wyoming border, forming the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the western side of the Bighorn Basin. The range borders the Beartooth Mountains...
, on the eastern edge of the park, and flows northwest through the northeast corner of the park. It is joined by many tributary streams, including Soda Butte Creek
Soda Butte Creek
Soda Butte Creek is an approximately long major tributary of the Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park. It is named for an unusual geologic feature near its mouth. Soda Butte and the creek were named by A. Bart Henderson, a Cooke City miner, in 1870...
and Slough Creek
Slough Creek (Wyoming)
Slough Creek is a tributary of the Lamar River, approximately 25 mi long, in Montana and Wyoming in the United States.-History:...
and joins the Yellowstone near Tower Junction
Grand Loop Road Historic District
The Grand Loop Road Historic District encompasses the primary road system in Yellowstone National Park. Much of the system was originally planned by Captain Hiram M. Chittenden of the US Army Corps of Engineers in the early days of the park, when it was under military administration...
, just below the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the first large canyon on the Yellowstone River downstream from Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park...
.
The river is a popular destination for fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
, and is widely-known as one of the best places in Yellowstone National Park to view wildlife, especially grizzly bears and wolves. Three locations in the valley—Soda Butte, Crystal Creek and Rose Creek were the sites for the 1995 re-introduction of wolves
History of wolves in Yellowstone
When Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872, gray wolf populations were already in decline in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The creation of the national park did not provide protection for wolves or other predators, and government predator control programs in the first decades of the 1900s...
into Yellowstone. The river flows through a portion of the park hit hard by the 1988 wildfires
Yellowstone fires of 1988
The Yellowstone fires of 1988 together formed the largest wildfire in the recorded history of the U.S.'s Yellowstone National Park. Starting as many smaller individual fires, the flames spread quickly out of control with increasing winds and drought and combined into one large conflagration, which...
.
See also
- Angling in Yellowstone National ParkAngling in Yellowstone National ParkAngling in Yellowstone National Park is a major reason many visitors come to the park each year and since it was created in 1872, the park has drawn anglers from around the world to fish its waters. In 2006, over 50,000 park fishing permits were issued to visitors...
- Fishes of Yellowstone National ParkFishes of Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park is home to 13 native Fish species and six introduced or non-native species. Angling for trout has been a pastime in the park since its creation and trout species dominate the fish inhabiting the park. When the park was created in 1872, 40% of the park's waters were barren...
- List of Wyoming rivers