Tower Creek, Yellowstone National Park

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A spire of volcanic stone, brilliant morning sunlight, and the last remnants of morning fog, combine to create this image of the aptly named Tower Creek. The creek is shown here just before it plunges over Tower Falls and flows into the Yellowstone River. Although the impressive Tower Falls is one of the more famous features in Yellowstone National Park, the equally beautiful Tower Creek is often overlooked by visitors. One visitor who did not overlook Tower Creek was Thomas Moran, whose 1871 watercolor painting of the creek, along with others, helped inspire Congress to establish the National Park System in 1916.