The Continental Divide
Photo Credit: Mav | Cover Photo: NPS

The Continental Divide is like the roof of one’s house. As rain falls on the house, it’s either diverted to the front yard or the backyard. Geologically speaking, the same is true for the Continental Divide. But instead of the front yard and backyard, the rain falling on the divide either ends up in the Pacific Ocean or Atlantic Ocean.

Video: The Continental Divide and Isa Lake (Yellowstone National Park)

However, Isa Lake in Yellowstone National Park bucks that metaphor and instead is the only natural lake whose water ends up in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Straddling the divide at 8,262′, Isa Lake also drains in opposite directions.

Photo Credit:
Photo Credit: Kayla Laughlin

While one would assume the west side of the lake drains into the Pacific and east side into the Atlantic, the opposite is true. In fact, the west side drains into the Firehole River, which later meets up with the Missouri and finally– the Mississippi. Whereas on the eastern side, the water from Isa feeds into Shoshone Lake before feeding the Lewis, Snake, and Columbia rivers before its long-awaited destination in the Pacific Ocean.

Find more about getting to Isa Lake here: Yellowstone National Park

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