Yellowstone National Park

First and still the best

John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery (1804-06) when he was granted an honorable discharge so that he could return to the Yellowstone area while the rest of the Corps was returning to St. Louis. Colter, a highly skilled hunter and trapper, is believed to be the first white man to visit Yellowstone and the Tetons. He and later trappers like Jim Bridger told wild stories about water fountains that shot hundreds of feet in the air, pools of bubbling mud, and trout that could be caught in a cool mountain stream and immediately dipped to cook in a neighboring pool of boiling water.
  Their listeners were skeptical. Eventually, reputable people comprising official survey parties went to have a look. They said, "Hey, guess what, it's all true!" So Yellowstone was established in 1872 as our first national park. Paintings and photographs of the scenery, wildlife, and geothermal features helped make it deservedly famous. Visitors in the early days of the park tended to be members of the leisure class because it took a lot of time and money to get there. Today, visitors arrive in ever-increasing numbers from all over the world and the park is popular with families of even modest resources. So popular that it can be difficult to get a lodge room or a campsite without planning months ahead.
   In the 1980s and '90s we stayed at Canyon Village because of its central location and access to amenities--groceries, souvenirs, showers. Canyon's location on the figure-eight shaped loop road through the park means you can easily visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its spectacular Lower Falls. Or head into the Hayden Valley where the bison hang out. Or over to the Lamar Valley for still more bison as well as herds of pronghorns. Nobody wants to miss Old Faithful and the other nearby geysers, those along the Firehole River as well as at Norris Geyser Basin and Mammoth Hot Springs. Several waterfalls are found right at pullouts along the Loop Road. The only effort required is a willingness to fight for a parking place and elbow your way through the busloads of other tourists. The way to deal with the crowds is to start early in the day while they are still at breakfast. An added benefit of starting at sunrise is that your chance of seeing wildlife increases dramatically. 
   After we had been to all of the famous places several times, we shifted our stays to Mammoth up in the northwest corner of the park. We sacrifice the advantages of a central location but Mammoth Campground does not accept reservations so we know we can probably get in if we arrive before they open at 8:00 a.m. From there we can reach our favorite fly fishing destinations far from the madding crowds. On our way back to camp in the afternoon, it is likely that we will get caught in a traffic jam caused by bison or elk in the road or a bear near the road. Or caused by a driver parked in the middle of the road while he takes his binoculars to look at some big brown thing in the far distance. So, be prepared. There is virtually no way you can avoid getting caught in traffic. Just lower your window, ask what everybody is looking at, and enjoy becoming part of the problem. Resistance is futile.

The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone are close to Canyon Village and 

on everyone's must-see list. At 308 feet, they are higher than Niagara.

You can take a trail down to the brink of the falls.

Along the way are views of the Upper Falls that are lower 

than the Lower Falls but farther upstream.

Or you could take Uncle Tom's Trail, a steel staircase down the

side of the cliff. At an elevation of 8,000 feet this is not for those

 with heart or lung issues. (Your leg issues won't appear

until you try to climb back up.)

Old Faithful erupts every hour or so to a height
of  100 to 200 feet.

The crowds can make it difficult to get close.

So, we choose to watch from the balcony at Old Faithful Inn.

The Firehole River runs behind Old Faithful. Lots more geysers there.

Undine Falls running heavy with June snowmelt.

Bighorn sheep on the slopes of Mt. Washburn.

These ewes were right in the trail at the summit. 

But they didn't prevent us from getting there. 

It's just another walk in the park.

A herd of pronghorns in Lamar Valley.

In early June, they look pretty scruffy as they shed their

winter coats. Before long, though, they look pretty sleek.

Like these does checking out...

...the buck on the right consulting his wing man.

This mule deer with velvet on his antlers visited 
our campsite in Canyon Village.

At Mammoth Hot Springs, boardwalks take you safely to

places where you might otherwise break through the fragile

crust and plunge into scalding water.

But if you are yakking on the phone you might

not even notice the Danger Keep Out sign.

Mineral-rich water continues to build the terraces.

A bull bison as tour guide on the Loop Road.

They seem to enjoy leading the parade by walking 

right down the yellow line.

Each spring several elk calves are born right in
Mammoth Campground.

And they often wander through our campsite.

These elk calves were fascinated by a neighbor's tent. 

"L. L. Bean is pretty good," said one, but I think 

Kelty has a more subtly piquant flavor."

There are more than 10,000 thermal features in Yellowstone.

Many are in the back country but Norris Geyser Basin is

readily accessible.

The pools are at least as impressive in size and color as 

those near the much more famous Old Faithful.

Heat-tolerant organisms account for the dramatic colors. 
Thermophiles can live in water temperatures from
 about 100 to 250 degrees.

You have an excellent chance of seeing bison herds

 in Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley.

Bison calves grow quickly on a diet of  fat-rich mothers' milk.

Bulls like dust baths to relieve insect bites.

But a lot of their motivation is just showing off for the cows.

Which is probably how calves get some of their strange notions.

Rangers closed the trail out to the Petrified Tree because
 black bears were feeding nearby.

We got caught in a bear jam when traffic down from 

Signal Mountain stopped for this one.

Fox hunting ground squirrels.

Coyotes are also adept a catching catching squirrels. 

This one wears a tracking collar. 

Yellow-bellied marmots hang out in rock piles where

 they can scurry away from predators.

At Roosevelt Lodge, stage coach rides are popular with dudes. 

The lobby of Old Faithful Inn features rustic balconies
 and a huge fireplace with a pendulum clock.

We took a chuck wagon ride for a great camp dinner with 
cowboy singers and story telling around the fire.

 Cowboy coffee is potent stuff.

Fancy presentation is not a priority when you're served
chuck wagon grub.

Mountain blue birds are always a welcome sight.

Thieving magpies, not so much. They don't

hesitate to grab your food right off the picnic table.

Trumpeter swans on the Yellowstone River.

White pelicans feed by dipping. Brown pelicans feed by diving.

Elk appreciate the tender, irrigated grass right in
downtown Mammoth.

This bull's impressive rack will help make him
popular with the lady elk during the fall rut.

Of course, the other bulls might want to have 
something to say about that.

Outside the temporary hormonal insanity of the rut, 

bull elk have no trouble getting along.

We had planned to fish Soda Butte Creek but the

bison stomped through our favorite holes.

But Shirley knows some other secret places she can catch trout.

Sometimes we fish here all day and don't see another person.

Fortunately, she is willing to share her secrets.

At 136 square miles, Yellowstone Lake is the largest body

 of fresh water above 7,000 feet in North America.

Mountain meadows turn all golden in spring.

Some years we just can't wait to get started.

That same meadow looks like this.

The Yellowstone River meanders through Hayden Valley 
where you should count on seeing wildlife.

Old Faithful Inn has recently been reinforced to withstand the 

frequent earthquakes that occur in the park. Don't worry, most 

of them are not detectable without sensitive seismography.

Gibbon Falls

The historic arch at the Gardiner entrance in 

the NW corner of the park.

The entrance station is way, way ahead. 

Which is why you want to arrive early.