Yellowstone National Park

From Wikitravel

Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the Rocky Mountains, the park extends across the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world and covers 3,472 square miles (8,987 km²), mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming. The park is famous for its various geysers, hot springs, and other geothermal features and is home to grizzly bears and wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk. It is the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems remaining on the planet.

Long before any recorded human history in Yellowstone, a massive volcanic eruption spewed an immense volume of ash that covered all of the western U.S., much of the Midwest, northern Mexico and some areas of the eastern Pacific Coast. The eruption dwarfed that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and left a huge caldera. Yellowstone typically erupts every 600,000 years with the last event occurring 640,000 years ago. Its eruptions are the largest known to have ever occurred on Earth, producing drastic climate change in the aftermath. The park was named for the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - a deep gash in the Yellowstone Plateau that was formed by floods during previous ice ages and by river erosion from the Yellowstone River.

Table of contents

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Understand

In 1872, Yellowstone became the first National Park reserve declared anywhere in the world, by President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1978 it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (http://whc.unesco.org/)].

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Get in

The park has 5 entrances. The nearest cities to each entrance are given. Most are within 5 miles of the park boundary.

North - Accessed from Gardiner, Montana (which is reached via route 89 from Livingston) - This entrance leads to the park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs, 5 miles inside the park boundary. This entrance road is open all year.
Northeast - Accessed from Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana via route 212. This entrance road is open all year, though you cannot use route 212 in winter.
East - Accessed from Cody, Wyoming and East Yellowstone, Wapiti Valley, Wyoming. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to early May).
South - Accessed via Grand Teton National Park. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to early May).
West - Accessed via route 20 from West Yellowstone, Montana. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to late April).

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Get around

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See

Yellowstone is world-famous for its natural heritage and beauty - and for the fact that it holds half the world's geothermal features, with more than 10,000 examples. Travelers to Yellowstone can view more than 300 geysers (such as "Old Faithful"), pools of boiling mud, and an amazing assemblage of wildlife, such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and wapitis - all while standing on the surface of the Earth's largest known "super-volcano"!

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Do

Many visitors believe they can visit all 2.2MM acres of Yellowstone in 1-2 days - all the while staying within sight of their car or tour bus. To truly appreciate this vast park, get off the park roads and paved tourist paths.

Walking as little as 100 feet away from the camera gangs will give you more of an apprecaition for the park. Taking a few 3-4 hour day hikes on established hiking trails is even better, yet will still allow you the luxury of a hot shower in the a.m. and prepared dinner in the p.m.

Monmoth Area - Day hike to Bunson Peak ~ 3 hours round trip. The peak overlooks the old Ft. Yellowstone area and it's only a gradual climb. Bring water and snacks (and bear bells if you think they'll work).

Mt. Washburn - Day hike to the (ranger station) lookout tower at ~ 10K feet elevation. Don't try this hike on your first day if you're used to living at sea level. Allow at least three days to become acclimated to the higer Yellowstone elevations so that you'll be able to enjoy the gradual, but incessant climb to a great view. Bring extra layers - even in the summer. The top can be more windy and colder than you think.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (North and South rim trails) - Traveling the entire trail in one day is possible, but it's a long and tiring day. Best to make it two shorter (~ 3 hour) day hikes. If you're a photo buff, plan your walks so the sun illuminates the opposite side for great pictures.

More later ?

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Buy

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Eat

I've eaten there twice, but can't recall the name of the restaurant in Gardiner, immediately outdside the north (arch) entrance, that serves Crazy Mountain Alfredo. If you do find it, ask to substitute (lighter) red sauce for their (heavy) alfredo and dig in. [It's OK to have gnocci with red sauce.]

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Drink

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Sleep

Visitors may stay right in the park, with a clear view of Old Faithful Geyser, at the park's Old Faithful Inn.

If you're at Old Faithful Inn near sundown, watch for the staffer who takes down the flag atop the inn. It's not publicized, but if you're a small group (3 or fewer), you can ask the staffer if you can tag along to the "crows nest" when the flag is taken down. This area is generally off limits to the masses since an earthquake made the catwalk less stable, but being discreet and saying please - especially if you have a small child with you - might work.

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