Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park is the crown jewel of Wyoming's treasures. The Park harbors more than 10,000 thermal features and is a total environment of plants and animals living together in a 2.2 million-acre community in which each form of life plays a role in the existence of the other. Wildlife is free to roam in Yellowstone's unspoiled surroundings. There are several visitor centers, which have a variety of exhibits and information about various sections of the park. You can even purchase two tapes, which will guide you on a tour around the park, or rent a CD player for a self-guided tour.

Start your visit at one of the National Park Service's visitor centers. You'll find they are far more than a place to get brochures and to make a pit stop: A wealth of information and assistance is presented, ranging from the effects of forest fires to overviews of the area's history and geology to what to do in emergencies. The exhibits will increase your appreciation of what you'll see later. You'll find visitor centers at Canyon, Grant, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Fishing Bridge and Norris Geyser Basin. After you've gotten your bearings, dive into the traffic and see some of the sights that have made Yellowstone so famous.

I first visited Yellowstone Park in 1977 and was immediately stunned by the sheer size and beauty of this magnificent park, I stayed at Mammoth Hot Springs, this is located in the Montana, North Gate area of the park, this was the original gate a couple of miles away from Gardiner, Montana. Once in the area, a car is almost a necessity. The park has 5 entrances, which are open from May to October. It is definitely a good idea to plan a trip during the good weather, but expect big crowds, and slow traffic. Parts of the park are open in the winter to snowmobile access or cross-country skiing.

Yellowstone is enormous, larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. The distance between the north and south entrances is just over 100 rugged, winding miles, and driving time at a 45-mph limit is slow. If you've got several days, book most of your stay in the southern end to see the geysers and massive Yellowstone Lake, North America's largest mountain lake. But save a couple of days for the north to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Boardwalks wend up and down the otherworldly terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, leading to emerald and azure pools and vast platforms of stark white rock. Steaming, mineral-rich water glides over the steps, forming rivulets and miniature falls. Follow the self-guiding trails and boardwalks to witness geology in action. About 500 gallons/1,895 liters of steaming water flow from the Mammoth Terraces each minute, and vast amounts of travertine (a calcium-rich mineral) are brought to the surface each day. On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the nations's, and the world's, first national park. It covers 2,219,791 acres in the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Famous the world over for its geysers, it is also covered with forests, and dotted with mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls. Elk, buffalo (bison), bears and other wildlife inhabit it in large numbers. 3,131,381 people visited the park in 1991.

Hayden Valley, Located south of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, this valley is home to an abundance of wildlife. Nature photographers, in particular, will want to linger to get a shot of the resident moose, bears, elk and bison. Hayden Valley is also the best place to spot waterfowl.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, In shades of yellow, orange, red and brown, this picturesque canyon formed by the Yellowstone River (ranging from 1,500 ft/457 m to 4,000 ft/1,219 m across) is home to two of the park's most beautiful waterfalls: the Upper Falls (109 ft/33 m) and the Lower Falls (308 ft/94 m). Don't let the name mislead you: The Lower Falls are actually twice as high as Niagara Falls.
Yellowstone is the remains of an ancient volcano whose cone collapsed leaving a caldera or volcanic crater. Eon's of erosion have nearly erased the shape of the caldera, but its geothermal heat lingers still, heating surface water as it soaks into the ground. 10,000 hot springs and geysers, are preserved within the park, the majority of the planet's total. The best known feature of Yellowstone is "Old Faithful", a geyser that erupts every 79 minutes. Be sure to stay on the paths and boardwalks around thermal areas, and watch your children! The superheated steam and scalding waters are very dangerous.

Lamar Valley, Once one of the less crowded areas of the park, the Lamar Valley (in the northeast) was the site of an early-1900s buffalo-ranching operation. Today, crowds gather in its rolling hills and lush valleys to spot gray wolves, which were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. (The original wolf population was wiped out at the beginning of the century.) The best time to see them is in the early morning in the spring, early summer or winter. The road is plowed year round. Also watch for bison, elk and moose in the area.

As of March 2000, about 115-120 wolves inhabit the Yellowstone ecosystem. Approximately seventy-five known wolf mortalities have occurred in the ecosystem since wolf restoration began six years ago. There are about eleven or twelve groups in the ecosystem, most of which inhabit territories within the Yellowstone National Park or Grand Teton National Park. A visit to Grand Teton shouldn't be rushed, allow time to climb mountains, hike, view the incredible wildlife, float the Snake River and thoroughly relax and breathe the crisp air. The mountain that gave the park its name, Grand Teton, is the most impressive of the craggy purple peaks in this spectacular mountain range. Rising 13,770 ft/4,200 m, the mountain can be seen from most parts of the park, making every drive a scenic drive. But be sure to take in the park's less dramatic but equally gorgeous views, such as meadows filled with wild flowers and stands of aspen.

Wolves currently spending a majority of time outside the parks are the Sunlight Basin Pack, the Sheep Mountain Pack, and the Gros Ventre Pack.

No place on earth is quite like Yellowstone National Park; nowhere else is there such an enormous concentration of thermal activity. As many as 300 geysers. Ten thousand hot spots of all kinds. At every turn, you cannot help but gape in awe. I still do, and I've been a frequent visitor since 1977, and at Yellowstone, as at most of the country's major national parks, your days are crammed with exciting adventures that don't cost you a penny more. In a rush, you can hit the highlights in a long day; but plan to spend a week, and you'll discover you still haven't seen it all.

Old Faithful.

Old Faithful, The world's best-known geyser (though not the largest, highest or most regular), Old Faithful was named in 1870. It erupts 17 to 21 times a day, to an average height of 130 ft/40 m. (Though still faithful, the old geyser has been changing its schedule lately: The interval between eruptions has become longer since 1995, when a series of tremors shook the area.).
I have returned back to Yellowstone National Park many times since my first visit I came back again in 1982,1986,1990,1992, and 2000.

Our recent swing through Yellowstone also took us to these neighboring towns, each catering to park visitors with a choice of surprisingly inexpensive motel rooms. You can almost always count on a private bath, TV and morning coffee.

West Yellowstone, Montana, an attractive mountain town just outside the park gate. About 30 miles from Old Faithful, it claims a population of about 900, and I suspect offers just as many motel rooms, mostly in the budget to moderate price range.

Or at the North entrance: Choices are fewer and the prices a bit higher in tiny Gardiner, Montana, at the park's northern entrance about 60 miles from Old Faithful.

Or at the South entrance: The year-around resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, is becoming increasingly expensive and ritzy. Browse its contemporary and traditional arts galleries (expensive) and then seek budget lodgings elsewhere.

Park interior roads close for the winter season the first Sunday of November; open to over-the-snow tracked vehicles in early December through mid-March; and begin to reopen for wheeled vehicles in April.

Entrance Fees Entrance to the park costs $20 per vehicle and $10 per hiker or bicyclist, and $15 per motorcyclist or snowmobilers over age 16 and under age 62. The entrance fee is waived if you have an annual Yellowstone Passport or a Golden Eagle, Golden Access, or Golden Age Passport. Obtain passes (except the Yellowstone Passport) at any national park, monument, or recreation area. Yellowstone Passports are available at park entrances. An annual Yellowstone Passport costs $40, and the annual Golden Eagle Passport (to all national parks), $50.

North Entrance, Gardiner, Montana.

Park entrances: Yellowstone is accessible from five major roads during the summer: north (U.S. 89) from Gardiner, Montana; west (U.S. 20) from West Yellowstone, Montana; south (U.S. 89) from Jackson, Wyoming; east (U.S. 16) from Cody, Wyoming; and northeast (U.S. 212) from Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana. In the winter, the road from the north entrance at Gardiner to the northeast as far as Cooke City is kept open to automobile traffic. The west, south, and east entrances are open only to over-the-snow vehicles.
Yellowstone's weather is always unpredictable: storms can come up suddenly, causing a drop in temperature or resulting in precipitation. Always carry extra clothing when hiking. In winter, take advantage of the warming huts, which are heated shelters provided in some park areas. Note their locations along your route.
Everybody knows about Old Faithful Geyser, but its periodic eruptions sending jets of boiling water shooting more than 150 feet into the air make up only part of the park's ongoing thermal extravaganza. You can easily watch even bigger geysers blow their tops, too, if not quite so regularly. All around you, the park's many hot springs froth wildly, shooting forth clouds smelling of brimstone. Smoke holes spout noisily. Mud caldrons bubble ominously. Steaming rivers, flowing through water-scalded valleys, appear on fire.
Norris Soldier Station was a patrol cabin in the early 1900s. In 1991, it was dedicated as the Museum of the National Park Ranger. Nearby Nez Perce Creek was named after the Nez Perce tribe who camped there while fleeing from the U.S. Cavalry. A small plaque commemorates the spot. Located on the Mammoth-Norris Road, Obsidian Cliff is an impressive, almost eerie outcropping of a glass like volcanic rock.

Join a ranger-led program. "Managing the Wild" has proved a popular two-hour walk focusing on how Yellowstone strives to provide a healthy habitat for bears, wolves and bison at a time when the desires of the public and the needs of wildlife often collide.
Improve your outdoor snapshots. Several times weekly, a Kodak photographer heads up a one- to two-hour stroll, giving tips on improving your nature shots. Check Yellowstone Today, the free park newspaper, for the schedule.
Plan a day trip to neighboring Grand Teton National Park. Less than an hour's drive to the south, it boasts scenic grandeur you shouldn't miss.

Bison.

Go wildlife spotting. Early morning and late evening when animals tend to feed are the best times. But in mid-day from our car window, we've glimpsed elk, mule deer, moose, bison, coyote, prong horn, snowshoe hare, black bear and we think, a grizzly ambling along a cascading creek. Elk nibble the lawn outside park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs; this is always a good area for good photo's bison herds in Hayden Valley block traffic as they cross the main road, as we have been that close to bison as they are walking up the roads, and have taken some really good photo's of these magnificent beasts.

Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake, The largest freshwater lake in the U.S. above 7,000 ft/2,100 m, Yellowstone Lake is approximately 20 mi/32 km long and 14 mi/23 km wide. At several places around the lake, you can see wisps of steam curling up from the sand, another reminder of the volcanic activity percolating beneath the park.