West Yellowstone to mark 50th anniversary of Hebgen Lake earthquake

EarthquakeThe quake caused 80 million tons of dirt and trees to slide from the southeast side of the canyon into the Madison River at an estimated 100 miles per hour. The force of the slide displaced both the air in the canyon and the water in the Madison River below and buried the Rock Creek public campground. The slide created a barrier across the Madison River that formed a new lake that still exists today, Quake Lake. All told, twenty-eight people lost their lives in the quake and its aftermath.