Perched atop the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park, Isa Lake is a small but remarkable roadside stop. Covered in water lilies and surrounded by forest, the lake is remarkable for it’s drainage on both sides of the divide, sending snowmelt water down the mountains to ultimately reach both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The great yellow pond-lilies (Nuphar polysepalum) bloom with bright flowers above broad leaves, making this a particularly colourful summertime scene. The lake is replenished by winter snow as it melts in spring and at an elevation of 8262 feet, there have been recent winters during which the region did not have adequate snowfall to refill the lake basin.
See more Isa Lake and Continental Divide photos, available to license here.