![]() ![]() But it was in 1958 that Lituya Bay’s unpredictable waters reared up in truly apocalyptic fashion. In 1899, an earthquake triggered a giant wave that destroyed a native village and drowned 5 people on the island. The name turned out to be all too fitting. It was in their honor that the lone island in the bay was given the name Cenotaph, a Greek word meaning “empty tomb.” Twenty-six men lost their lives, their remains never to be found. Despite the weather being calm, two of the three boats capsized after being drawn into roiling tidal currents that had been amplified by the fjord’s narrow shape. Another came when he dispatched three small boats to measure the depth of the water near the entrance of the bay. It was the first clue that the seemingly placid, protected waters of the bay had a more destructive side. It was as though the forests “had been cut cleanly with a razor blade,” he noted in his log. For questions, please contact the Hebgen Lake Ranger District at 1-40.When he first encountered Lituya Bay in 1786, the French explorer Jean-François de Galaup La Pérouse was intrigued by an odd line in the forests that surrounded the narrow fjord in southeastern Alaska. The 1.5-mile trek is kid friendly and geared for beginners. Meet at the Hebgen Lake Ranger District (330 Gallatin Road in West Yellowstone) at 1:00 pm before caravanning to the trailhead. Snowshoe hikes along the Refuge Point TrailĮxplore Refuge Point Trail while learning about the historic 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake. Hebgen Lake Ranger District (off-season/winter) 40.Seasonally at Earthquake Lake Visitor Center 406 682-7620 or.to 5 p.m. Free admission.Ĭall ahead if traveling around Memorial Day or in September. ![]() The Earthquake Lake Visitor Center is open daily from Memorial Day in May through September 15th. Pick up a Visitor Guide to the Earthquake Lake Geologic Area and explore other points of interest and evidence of the large quake. There are restrooms, outside interpretive signs and a walking path to the Memorial Boulder. Visit our bookstore which is operated in partnership with the Yellowstone Forever. In the observatory, scheduled movies and talks, explain the story of the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake. This facility hosts interpretive displays on earthquakes, plate tectonics, and a working seismograph. The center provides a panoramic view of the mountain that fell and the lake that was formed. It is 44 miles south of Ennis, MT and 99 miles southwest of Bozeman, MT. ![]() The Earthquake Lake Visitor Center is located 27 miles northwest of West Yellowstone, Montana on US Highway 287. The natural attractions and the easily-seen effects of the strongest earthquake in the Rocky mountains has made this area one of the outstanding scenic and geological study areas in the west.Įarthquake Lake Geologic Area Geology Brochure Today, the center provides interpretive services for more than 50,000 visitors annually. In 1967, the Forest Service’s Earthquake Lake Visitor Center opened its doors for the first season of operation. Twenty-eight people lost their lives in the event. ![]() This earth-changing event, known as the Hebgen Lake Earthquake, measured 7.5 on the Richter scale.Īt the time it was the second largest earthquake to occur in the lower 48 states in the 20 th century. The slide moved at 100 mph and in less than 1 minute, over 80 million tons of rock crashed into the narrow canyon, blocking the Madison River and forming Earthquake Lake. On August 17 , 1959, near midnight, an earthquake near the Madison River triggered a massive landslide. ![]()
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