Location: Wyoming, Idaho, Montana Map
Area: 2,219,791 acres (898,318 ha)
Yellowstone National Park is an international biosphere reserve, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world's first national park (founded
March 1, 1872). It is located in the USA, in the states of Wyoming,
Montana and Idaho. The park is famous for its numerous geysers and
other geothermal objects, rich wildlife, and picturesque landscapes.
The area of the park is 898.3 thousand hectares (8983 km²).
According to archaeological data, people began to live in the area
occupied by the park 11,000 years ago. Modern researchers first
appeared in the region in 1805 (members of the Lewis and Clark
expedition), but until the 1860s no economic or scientific activity
was carried out here. In the first years after the appearance of the
park, he was under the control of the US Army, and in 1917,
management was transferred to the National Park Service, created two
years earlier.
On the vast territory of the park there are
lakes, rivers, canyons and caves. Yellowstone Lake, one of the
largest high-altitude lakes in North America, is located in the
center of the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the
continent. The caldera is considered a dormant supervolcano; it has
erupted with tremendous force several times over the past two
million years. Most of the park is covered with solidified lava; The
park contains one of the five geyser fields in the world.
About two thousand species of plants grow in the park, several
hundred species of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, including
endangered ones, are found. Most of the territory is covered with
forest, the smaller part is covered with steppe. Wildfires happen
every year; about a third of all forests burned out as a result of
the catastrophic fires of 1988. Several hundred kilometers of
asphalt roads have been laid in the park, through which visitors can
access. There are numerous opportunities for active recreation.
Yellowstone Upper Falls
Yellowstone Upper Falls is arguable one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park. Most of tourists view Yellowstone Upper Falls from natural lookouts at a distance. Few visitors, however, realize that there is a trails that allows you to climb the cliffs that allow you admire Upper Falls from up close. Additionally from here you can see the Second Yellowstone Upper Falls.
Grand Geyser
Most hot springs and geysers are located in the valley of the Upper Geyser Basin area nor far from the Old Faithful Geyser. This area that measures about 2 square km sees numerous geysers that appear and disappear representing change in geologic activity of the Yellowstone Supervolcano underneath. Some erupt constantly every 2- 3 minutes, while some are dormant for years. Grand Geyser is one of the largest and powerful geysers among these. It constantly spews columns of hot water into a sky at a height of 60 meters. Tourists admire Grand Geyser from a small path that lies along geysers. It would be very foolish to leave the hiking trail and take a closer look of the formation. Boiling water and immense force can easily harm and even kill anyone who will approach geysers too closely.
Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic caldera of Yellowstone Supervolcano that is hidden below subsequent geologic formations. Caldera is formed by the collapse of large land area following a volcanic eruption. Its name is derived from Latin caldaria that can be translated as "cooking pot". Yellowstone Supervolcano is the largest known volcano on the planet that lies dormant for many millions of years. Its last eruption occurred seventy thousand years, but the constant geothermal activity continues to this day. It is visible through earthquakes, changes in topography and activity of geysers. Eruption of Yellowstone Supervolcano can potentially end life not only in the North American, but damage most of the planet.
Despite potential danger Yellowstone Caldera is one of the most visited places in the Yellowstone National Park. Local thermal lake is painted in a rainbow of colors. Hot springs decorate landscape with stone columns and stelae. This area is easily accessible by a network of hiking trails.
All vehicles and individuals entering Yellowstone
National Park must pay an entrance fee that is valid for seven days.
The fee is $35 for non-commercial vehicles, $15 for hikers and
cyclists, and $25 for motorcycles and snowmobiles. As an alternative
to the seven-day fee, you can buy a Park Annual Pass, which costs
$60 and is valid until the end of the month 1 year after the
purchase date.
If you plan to visit both Yellowstone and
Grand Teton National Parks, you can pay a single entrance fee for
both at a discount compared to paying two separate fees for the two
parks. The combined fee is $50 for non-commercial vehicles, $20 for
hikers and cyclists, and $40 for motorcycles and snowmobiles.
There are several passes for groups traveling together in a
private vehicle or individuals on foot or on bike. These passes
provide free entry at national parks and national wildlife refuges,
and also cover standard amenity fees at national forests and
grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
and Bureau of Reclamation. These passes are valid at all national
parks including Yellowstone National Park:
The $80 Annual
Pass (valid for twelve months from date of issue) to Yellowstone
National Park can be purchased by anyone. Military personnel can
obtain a free annual pass in person at a federal recreation site by
showing a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID.
U.S. citizens
or permanent residents age 62 or over can obtain a Senior Pass
(valid for the life of the holder) in person at a federal recreation
site for $80, or through the mail for $90; applicants must provide
documentation of citizenship and age. This pass also provides a
fifty percent discount on some park amenities. Seniors can also
obtain a $20 annual pass.
U.S. citizens or permanent residents
with permanent disabilities can obtain an Access Pass (valid for the
life of the holder) in person at a federal recreation site at no
charge, or through the mail for $10; applicants must provide
documentation of citizenship and permanent disability. This pass
also provides a fifty percent discount on some park amenities.
Individuals who have volunteered 250 or more hours with federal
agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program can
receive a free Volunteer Pass.
4th graders can receive an Annual
4th Grade Pass that allows free entry for the duration of the 4th
grade school year (September-August) to the bearer and any
accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle.
Registration at the Every Kid in a Park website is required.
In
2018 the National Park Service will offer four days on which entry
is free for all national parks: January 15 (Martin Luther King Jr.
Day), April 21 (1st Day of NPS Week), September 22 (National Public
Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day weekend).
An Indian settlement for over 11,000 years has been proven. Around
1807 the trapper John Colter was probably the first white person to see
the area of today's national park. Northern Shoshone were also to be
found there in Colter's time. Other tribes such as the Blackfoot,
Absarokee, and Bannock occasionally roamed the Yellowstone area for
hunting and fishing. At Obsidian Cliff, they found plenty of obsidian
rock, which they used to make cutting tools and weapons. Yellowstone
obsidian arrowheads have also been found in the Mississippi River
Valley.
John Colter returned to civilization in 1810. His
descriptions of Yellowstone were hardly noticed. The area was
inaccessible, so it was not quickly settled by whites; however, a few
fur hunters and prospectors ventured there, such as Warren Ferris in
1834 and Jim Bridger in 1857. Their reports were also largely ignored,
but not by geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden. In 1859 he presented an
expedition led by Bridger and the US Inspector W.F. Raynolds together.
The expedition foundered due to the onset of winter even before it could
enter the Yellowstone area. Only after the American Civil War was
another attempt made. With the success of the Folsom Expedition in 1869,
Montana's Inspector General Henry Dana Washburn became interested in the
Yellowstone area. A year later, together with the writer Nathaniel P.
Langford and Lieutenant Gustavus C. Doane, he put together the
Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition. Among other things, this gave the
geyser Old Faithful its name. Also present was Truman Everts, who almost
lost his life under the most adventurous circumstances. Finally, the
press was ready to report on the extraordinary area. The accounts were
received with great interest across the country.
Ferdinand V.
Hayden was encouraged by Washburn and in 1871 again started a two-year
research trip to the area. The 34-strong group also included painter
Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson. The pictorial and
written testimonies of another expedition, the Barlow Heap Expedition,
which set out at the same time, were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire
in October 1871 immediately after their return, so that Moran's pictures
and Jackson's photos gained importance.
The Sheepeater Shoshonen
lived in the area of today's park until 1871. They then joined other
Shoshone groups on the Wind River Indian Reservation. In the meantime,
the white settlers had advanced far to the west and had not only pushed
out the Indians, but also many animals and plants. The Rocky Mountains
were the last retreat. Environmentalists demanded a protected area for
animals and plants. The reports and pictures of the participants of the
expeditions to the Yellowstone region with its approximately 10,000 hot
springs, including over 500 geysers, impressed the parliamentarians in
Washington, D.C. so much so that in 1872 they passed a law protecting
the Yellowstone area from prospectors, settlers and trappers. On March
1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law into law,
establishing the world's first national park. The primary goal of the
founding was not nature conservation, but "a public park or amusement
park for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". The Northern Pacific
Railway had lobbied heavily for the establishment of the park, hoping to
be able to utilize their trains more efficiently.
For the next
five years, Nathaniel P. Langford served as honorary superintendent of
the park—the US provided no funds for the park. His successor was
Philetus Walter Norris, after whom a town in the park was named. During
his tenure, Congress awarded the superintendent a salary and minimal
funds to run the park. Norris used the funds to better develop the park.
He also hired Harry Yount (known as Rocky Mountain Harry) to help stop
poaching and vandalism. Today, Harry Yount is considered the first park
ranger.
In 1876, the Hunkpapa Lakota under Sitting Bull flocked
to the park in search of prey scarce on the Great Plains farther east. A
year later in the Nez-Percé War, Chief Joseph and his Nez Percé escaped
through Yellowstone before the US Army could intercept them just short
of the Canadian border. No Native American groups have lived in the
Yellowstone area since the 1880s.
After the park opened, many
travelers initially came to the park primarily for their hunting
pleasure. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad opened up Yellowstone
National Park through a station at Livingston, just north of the park.
For the inauguration of the new line, the railroad company invited 365
journalists and celebrities, including former US President and park
founder Ulysses S. Grant, to a free ride to Yellowstone. The extra train
left New York on August 29 and arrived in the National Park on September
6. Northern Pacific Railroad dubbed the new line The Wonderland Route
and marketed the park in the style of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
Three other superintendents followed Norris, but they were just as
unable to stop the destruction of the park's natural resources. The
management of the park was therefore entrusted to the US Army in 1886
and the National Park Protection Act 1894 created the legal basis for
its protection. During the military leadership, troops were stationed at
Fort Yellowstone near what is now Mammoth Hot Springs.
From 1915
cars were allowed to enter the national park. In 1916, the newly formed
National Park Service assumed responsibility. That year, 35,800
tourists, half of whom came by car, viewed the park, which among other
things led to noise pollution. To this day, one of the National Park
Services' responsibilities is to strike a balance between visitor
satisfaction and conservation.
In the summer of 1936, future US
President Gerald Ford was working as a park ranger in Yellowstone
National Park. He was responsible for feeding the bears. Until the
beginning of the Second World War, the number of visitors rose steadily
to 581,000 visitors per year (1941). It then dropped to 85,000 (1944)
and increased sharply after the war, from 815,000 in 1946 to over a
million two years later. In 1965 it passed the two million mark for the
first time.
With 96 percent of the area, Yellowstone National Park is almost
entirely in the US state of Wyoming, 3 percent is in Montana and 1
percent in Idaho. With an area of 8987 km², it is one of the largest
national parks in the USA. The area of the national park corresponds
approximately to the size of Corsica. The north-south extent is 102
kilometers, the east-west extent 87 kilometers. Yellowstone National
Park is part of the Rocky Mountains and averages about 2440 meters above
sea level. Eagle Peak, the highest point in the park, is 3462 meters,
and the lowest point, at the northern entrance, is 1620 meters.
Large parts of the national park are located in the caldera of the
Yellowstone volcano, which was formed around 640,000 years ago, above
the magma chamber, which is more than 8 kilometers deep. The magma
chamber is around 80 kilometers long, 40 kilometers wide and 10
kilometers thick. This means that the Yellowstone volcano belongs to the
group of supervolcanoes. It is the largest supervolcano on the American
continent.
The park is famous for its volcanic landscape with
geysers, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs. 62 percent of all hot
springs in the world are in the Yellowstone area, these are about
10,000, including over 500 geysers, so Yellowstone National Park has the
highest density of geysers.[7] Of the more than 300 geysers in the
national park, the Old Faithful geyser in the upper geyser basin is
particularly popular with tourists because it spits out its water with
unusual regularity at intervals of about 60 to 90 minutes (as of 2018).
The park is also home to the largest active warm water geyser in the
world, Steamboat Geyser. It is located in Norris Geyser Basin. The
largest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park and the third largest in
the world, Grand Prismatic Spring is located in the middle geyser basin.
The cause of the volcanogenic activity is the volcano's magma
chamber, which heats the water flowing down from mountains and seeping
into the porous lava rock. The seeped water resurfaces in hot springs,
geysers or bubbling mud pools.
Smaller volcanic eruptions between
630,000 and 70,000 years ago almost completely filled the caldera with
lava rock. Today the park is on a high plateau at around 2,400 meters
and is almost entirely bordered by mountain ranges from the middle Rocky
Mountains, the peaks of which are between 3,000 and 4,300 meters high.
To the northwest is the Gallatin Range, to the north is the Beartooth
Mountains, to the east is the Absaroka Range, to the south is the Teton
Range, and to the west is the Madison Range. The most famous mountain on
the high plateau itself is Mount Washburn with a height of 3122 meters.
Part of the Yellowstone Plateau is Yellowstone Lake, the largest
mountain lake in North America. Partially outside of the park is the
Island Park Caldera, a plateau ringed by low hills.
The main
North American watershed runs diagonally through the southwest portion
of the park. This is a ridge line separating the flow of water into the
Pacific and the Atlantic. Three major rivers originate in the park's
mountains. The Yellowstone River gave the national park its name. It
leaves the national park in the north and finally flows into the
Atlantic via the Missouri River, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of
Mexico. The waters of the Madison River drain to the west and also end
up in the Atlantic via the Missouri-Mississippi river system. The Snake
River flows south out of the park and empties into the Pacific Ocean,
although its headwaters are very close to the headwaters of the
Yellowstone River. In total, the park has 290 waterfalls with a drop of
at least 4.5 meters, including the neighboring Lower Falls, at 94 meters
the highest falls in the park, and Upper Falls in the Grand Canyon of
the Yellowstone, as well as the Tower Fall at the mouth of the Tower
Creek into the Yellowstone River.
The national park can be
divided into five zones (countries). Located in the northwest of the
park, Mammoth Country is dominated by the thermal springs and limestone
terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. Herds of wapiti can often be observed
here. Roosevelt Country in the Northeast is least visited by tourists.
This hilly landscape is home to many wildlife such as deer and bison.
The west of the park, the Canyon Country, is determined by the almost
400 meter deep Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its waterfalls and
by the Hayden Valley with its large herds of bison. The Lake Country in
the southeast with various lakes such as Yellowstone Lake or Heart Lake
is home to animals such as fish, birds of prey, moose and bears. The
southwest is the area with most of the park's geysers and hot springs,
including Old Faithful and Steamboat Geyser. It is appropriately named
Geyser Country.
In the last 300,000 years or so, the surface of
the park area was shaped by the glaciers of the Ice Age. Three
glaciations formed a large plateau glacier in the center of what is now
the park and several glaciers originating from the Absaroka Range to the
east. Together they almost completely covered the park area and extended
well beyond its borders to the north and south. Signs of glaciation can
still be seen today in the form of the park's lake basins, particularly
Yellowstone Lake, the trough valleys in the mountain portions of the
park, and the gravel, sand, and lake clay-filled valleys of Slough Creek
in the northeast part of the park and the headwaters of the Yellowstone
River , where the meandering rivers form their beds in a wide valley.
Boulders to the north-east of the park, near the road to Cooke City,
also date from the last Ice Age. The forest returned to the national
park area around 10,500-9500 years ago.
The climate in Yellowstone National Park is primarily characterized
by its location in the Rocky Mountains. In Mammoth Hot Springs, the
average daily low in January is -13 °C and the daily high in July is 27
°C. Sudden weather changes are to be expected in the park throughout the
year.
In summer, daytime temperatures of 25°C are common in the
lower-lying areas, occasionally reaching 30°C. Thunderstorms are common
in the afternoon. Nights are cool even in summer; temperatures can drop
below freezing in the mountains. In winter, they typically range between
−20 °C and −5 °C during the day. The highest temperature at 37 °C was
recorded in the Lamar Valley in 1936, the lowest at -54 °C in 1933 in
Madison.
On average, 183 cm of snow falls annually, significantly
more in higher regions than in the valleys. Occasional snowfall is also
normal in spring and autumn. Average rainfall ranges from 10 inches (26
cm) per year at Mammoth Hot Springs in the north to 80 inches (205 cm)
in the southwest of the park.
Tornadoes in Yellowstone National
Park are rare. On July 21, 1987, the most powerful tornado recorded in
the park was the Teton-Yellowstone Tornado. The wind speeds of 333 to
418 km/h reached F4 on the Fujita scale. The tornado left a path one to
two miles (1.6 to 3.2 kilometers) wide and 38 kilometers long in the
Teton Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park.
In 2005,
researchers found several surviving juniper trees around 1,500 years old
near Mammoth Hot Springs and a nearly 2,000-year-old pine (Pinus
flexilis) in the Absaroka Mountains. These trees will now be examined in
detail. Scientists hope to gain new insights into the climatic
conditions of the last two millennia.
In June 2022, a combination
of heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt led to flooding and landslides. The
national park had to be closed. Gardiner, Montana was cut off from the
outside world. The Yellowstone River reached a record high of 13.88 feet
(4.23 meters). The clean-up work, especially in the northern part, will
take months. The southern loop was reopened on June 22nd; a large part
of the northern circuit (northern loop) was also passable again from
July 2, 2022. The northern and north-eastern park entrances remained
closed.
Around 80 percent of the park area is covered by coniferous forest,
the rest is divided into meadow (15 percent) and water (5 percent). The
coniferous forest prevails especially inside the caldera. Around
three-quarters of it consists of long-spined coastal pines (subsp.
latifolia), and various types of spruce and aspen are also widespread in
the park, especially the Engelmann spruce in areas with volcanic soil.
Whitebark pines (Pinus albicaulis) make up a significant proportion of
forests at higher elevations and Douglas firs at lower elevations.
Non-forested areas are in many places - especially in the northern part
of the park - a sagebrush steppe. It is dominated by grass species such
as the Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis). Grasses, sedges, rushes and
tall forbs grow in wetter areas. In spring, meadow herbs (Claytonia),
large-flowered dog's teeth (Erythronium grandiflorum) and Dicentra
uniflora (Longhorn Steer's-head) bloom in the meadows. In summer they
are replaced by Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot), phlox,
penstemon and lupins. Goldenrods (Solidago) and gentians (Gentiana) each
herald the fall.
A total of 186 known lichen species and around
2000 plant species can be found in the park, including 12 tree species
and over 60 wildflower species, 12 of which are orchid species. Some of
these plants are only found in the national park. The hot springs affect
the park's vegetation. Direct contact with the siliceous, warm water is
destructive for most plants. Others, in turn, change their growth rhythm
as a result.
The park is a retreat for animal species that have become rare, such
as bison and pronghorn. Mule deer, cougar and lynx are native to the
lower areas of the park, and bighorn sheep and mountain goats are native
to the higher elevations. Wapiti are mainly found in the region around
Mammoth Hot Springs. Other mammals in the park include moose, black
bears, at least eight species of bats (with the lesser brown bat being
by far the most common) and in the hinterland grizzly bears, wolves and
coyotes, but also chipmunks, gray squirrels, silver badgers, beavers,
marmots, tree porcupines and muskrats and around 40 other species.
Attacks by bears on humans are rather rare, because bears avoid the
proximity of humans. Dangerous encounters between bears and humans can
only occur if an animal is harassed or has young with it. Most wildlife
accidents happen to bison. Many visitors fail to recognize that these
are also wild animals and underestimate the potential of these animals.
Bison are unpredictable and can accelerate very quickly to over 50 km/h
and maintain this speed for long periods of time.
Of the park's
18 species of fish, Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki
bouvieri) are particularly popular with anglers. However, Yellowstone
cutthroat trout are being pushed out by introduced, non-native lake
trout. Over 70,000 Yellowstone cutthroat trout were counted in Clear
Creek east of Yellowstone Lake in the 1970s, down from 471 in the spring
of 2006.
There were 318 bird species (as of April 2004)
officially registered. Common bird species here include the cinnamon
duck, broad-tailed sprite (a species of hummingbird), red-necked
saplicker (a species of woodpecker), tit and blue jay, magpie,
rhinoceros pelican, cormorant, spatel duck, gray owl and sandhill crane.
With a bit of luck you can see bald eagles, goshawks, rock grouse and
pine sap lickers. Among the rarer birds, mention should be made of loon,
harlequin duck, osprey, peregrine falcon and trumpeter swans. In the
forest areas affected by the fire, there are good opportunities to
observe Spruce Woodpeckers and Black-backed Woodpeckers. In 1998, two
whooping cranes were also sighted in the park. However, this is an
absolute exception.
The cool and dry climate limits the reptiles
in the park to six and the amphibians to four species.
Reptiles:
Prairie Rattlesnake, Bull Snake, California Garter Snake, Migratory
Garter Snake, Rubber Boa and Sagebrush Lizard Sceloporus graciosus.
Amphibians: Western toad, choir frog, tiger salamander and the frog
species Rana pretiosa (Oregon spotted frog).
The size of amphibian
populations fell to less than half between 1992 and 2008 as ponds dried
up due to global warming.
A wide variety of thermophilic archaea, bacteria and microalgae live
in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. Only a few of these
microbial communities have been scientifically studied, such as those
from the Culex Basin or the Obsidian Pool. Among the most important
researched thermophilic bacteria discovered in Yellowstone National Park
are Thermus aquaticus and various cyanobacteria. In 2009, the park's
eukaryotic algae of the genus Cyanidioschyzon were found to tolerate
high concentrations of arsenic and bind the arsenic into complex organic
compounds. The arsenic is much less available in this form for other
organisms and no longer develops its toxic effect. These algae exist in
waters of Yellowstone National Park fed by geysers and other volcanic
hot springs. Work is underway to use it for depletion in drinking water.
The National Park Service entered into an agreement with US biotech
company Diversa in August 1997 "in which the company received
intellectual property rights to the heat-stable microorganisms that live
in the park's geysers and hot springs. This agreement came to light in
March 1998, prompting several NGOs to protest and take legal action
against this case of biopiracy. In March 1999, this bioprospecting
contract was finally annulled by a US court.”
The bacteria,
isolated from sources in Yellowstone National Park, hold huge financial
potential for pharmaceutical companies. The Swiss company Roche, for
example, sells an enzyme from Thermus aquaticus, the Taq polymerase, for
the replication of genetic material (DNA) and thus achieves billions in
revenue. According to a 2000 court ruling, the National Park Service is
authorized to receive a future financial contribution from research
conducted in Yellowstone National Park.
Conservationists such as George Catlin and Henry David Thoreau had
already called for the protection of nature and animals in the
Yellowstone region before the founding of Yellowstone National Park as
the first national park ever. When the park was founded, however,
corresponding protective measures were not enshrined in law; they only
flowed in over time. Since January 15, 1883, more than ten years after
it was founded, most animals in the park have been banned from hunting.
However, poachers could not be legally prosecuted and so people who
wanted to hunt used the opportunity to shoot wild animals again and
again. With the National Park Protection Act (also known as the Lacey
Act) of May 7, 1894, the US Parliament created the legal basis for
actual protection of wildlife, birds and natural resources. The law
prohibits the killing of all animals in the park, except for fishing
without a net. Trees, minerals and rarities of nature must not be
damaged.
At this point the bison population in the park was
estimated at around 200 animals and the Yellowstone herds consisted of
the last wild bison. In the years 1896 to 1902, estimates by the park
officials varied between 22 and 50 bison. In 1902 they bought 15 cows
and 3 bulls from external bison farms and moved them to a specially
constructed pen south of Fort Yellowstone. By 1920, Yellowstone's bison
population had recovered to around 500 animals. Today the herds consist
of stabilized populations of between 3,500 and 4,500 animals; in 2005,
those responsible for the park reported a high of around 5,000 animals.
Every winter the bison migrate north in search of food, and many leave
the park. Local farmers fear the bison could infect their cattle with
brucellosis. Whether this is possible has not been proven. Bison outside
the park are either chased back or slaughtered. Around 1,500 Yellowstone
bison are killed outside the park each year.
The grizzly bear has
been protected in Yellowstone National Park since 1886. From 1975 to
2007 it was on the U.S. List of Threatened and Endangered Species. Fish
and Wildlife Services and was therefore also protected outside the park.
Today over 500 animals live in the park or in the adjacent area; In
1975, there were 136 to 312. In 2009, a Montana District Court dismissed
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to put the grizzly back on their list
of threatened and endangered species.
In the 1970s, black bears
became accustomed to the tourists, eating litter and human food. In the
meantime, informative leaflets and a strict feeding ban have
successfully kept the bears away from the camping and picnic areas and
thus protect them from dependence. Today, feeding all animals in the
park is prohibited.
The Yellowstone area wolves were hunted for
years and became extinct in the 1930s. As a direct result, the natural
balance of wildlife was upset. Therefore, in 1995, 14 Canadian wolves
were successfully resettled and placed under protection. Meanwhile, the
Yellowstone wolves have interbred with immigrant wolves from Canada and
their population has increased to nearly 100 animals within the park
(late 2009) and 1,645 animals (late 2008) in the Idaho/Montana/Wyoming
area. As of March 28, 2008, Yellowstone wolves were scheduled to be
removed from the federal endangered species list. Protection of the wolf
population would have passed from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to the
three affected US states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The project was
stopped by a federal court in July 2008 after complaints by a coalition
of nature conservation organizations because the measures in Wyoming
failed to meet the level of protection prescribed by the federal
government and the preservation of the population was not guaranteed as
a result. In August 2010, the lawsuit was upheld on the grounds that the
wolf population in the Yellowstone area should be viewed as a whole. In
May 2011, the species finally transitioned into state jurisdiction in
Idaho and Montana, and after Wyoming enacted adequate protection
legislation, the wolf was released from federal protection there as well
in October 2012.
Since the reintroduction of wolves, the elk
population in the northern Yellowstone area has declined from
17,000-19,000 to around 4,600 animals in December 2010. A main reason,
apart from the greater drought in recent years, is that elk move to
higher areas with less food in winter because of the wolves.
In
1988 there was the last major forest fire (see fires in Yellowstone
National Park 1988), which covered almost 4000 km² of the park: 2300 km²
of forest burned completely, on 1450 km² only the undergrowth. In
addition, the grass and occasionally bushes burned on 250 km². In the
past, every kind of forest fire was fought immediately, but since 1988
it has been recognized that forest fires in the park are something
completely normal. Forest fires are no longer fought, only observed to
prevent uncontrolled spread. Some of the forest fires are started
intentionally so that catastrophic fires like the one in 1988 do not
occur. The effects of this fire were still clearly visible in many
places more than 20 years later.
The park can be reached via five entrances. North from Livingston and
Gardiner (Montana), northeast from Red Lodge and Cooke City via
Beartooth Pass (Wyoming), east from Cody, south from Jackson and from
Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming) via John D Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial
Parkway and to the west of Idaho Falls (Idaho) and West Yellowstone
(Montana). It combines a variety of attractions: geysers, hot springs, a
deep canyon, a river with multiple falls, forests, lakes, mountains,
wilderness and wildlife. The tourist opportunities are correspondingly
varied. They range from hiking and mountaineering to kayaking and
fishing to wildlife viewing and horseback riding. Hikers can choose from
around 2,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails spread across the entire
park.
Hotel and cabin accommodation is available in the towns of
Mammoth Hot Springs in Mammoth Country; Tower Roosevelt in Roosevelt
Country; Canyon Village in Canyon Country; Lake Village and Grant
Village in Lake Country; and at Old Faithful in Geyser Country. The park
also has 11 campgrounds and an RV-only site at Fishing Bridge because of
the bear hazard. The villages are connected by streets in the shape of a
large figure of eight. Depending on the season and snow conditions, some
roads and towns in the park are closed.
The peak season in
Yellowstone National Park lasts from early May to late October. From
mid-June to the end of August all facilities such as accommodation, gas
stations and restaurants are accessible, during the rest of the time
only parts of them. During the winter, all roads in the park are open to
snowmobiles and snow coaches (chain-driven buses) only, except for the
road from the North Entrance to the Northeast Entrance. The daily number
of motorized snow vehicles in the park is limited. Driving without a
recognized guide is not permitted.
In the 1980s, almost ten times
more tourists used snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park than in
1968. By 1995, the number of snowmobiles reached 75,000 a year.
Environmentalists are increasingly drawing attention to the negative
consequences such as stress in animals due to the noise and
environmental pollution. US President Clinton had snowmobiles banned in
Yellowstone National Park in January 2001, shortly before George W. Bush
was handed over office. His successor lifted the ban, but issued
stricter technical specifications and a limit on the maximum number of
snowmobiles permitted per year. Since then, environmentalists and the
snowmobile lobby have been in a legal tug-of-war over the height, which
is constantly being adjusted accordingly. At the same time, the National
Park Service is conducting extensive studies into the impact of
snowmobiles in the park.
At least 2.8 million tourists have visited the park every year since
1990. The largest number of visitors so far was counted in 2016 with
over 4.25 million people. In the winter season, the number of visitors
is around 140,000.
About 4500 workers are employed in the park
during the peak season. Hotels, restaurants and shops in the park are
operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. The concessionaire received the
2007 Travel Industry Association and National Geographic Traveler
Magazine Geotourism Award for Sustaining the Environment of a Place for
its sustainable tourism efforts in Yellowstone National Park.
Information on park history, flora and fauna, geology, individual or
guided hikes, and other activity options is available at Visitor Centers
and Information Stations at Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon Village,
Madison, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, West Thumb and Old Faithful
available. Visitors can also visit Yellowstone Birds and Wildlife
Museums (Fishing Bridge), History and Wildlife (Mammoth Hot Springs),
Geology and Thermal Features, and National Park Rangers (both Norris).
On October 26, 1976, UNESCO granted Yellowstone National Park the
status of an International Biosphere Reserve, and on September 8, 1978,
UNESCO also declared it a World Heritage Site. Seven properties within
the park have been designated National Historic Landmarks by the
National Register of Historic Places: The Obsidian Cliff, Fort
Yellowstone, Norris Geyser Basin Museum, Fishing Bridge Museum & Visitor
Center, Madison Information Station, Old Faithful Inn, and the Lake
Hotel.
Yellowstone National Park generated around US$300 million
for the region in 2005. 6,815 people in the Yellowstone region owe their
jobs to the park. Tourists alone traveling to Yellowstone National Park
for the wolves brought $35 million to the area around the national park
in 2006.
In addition to Yellowstone National Park and the
Yellowstone area in a broader sense, various geographical objects bear
this part of their name: in addition to the Yellowstone River and
Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone County in Montana, the towns of West
Yellowstone west of the park and Yellowstone City, the former
administrative center of the Parks, Fort Yellowstone, and the forest
areas of Yellowstone National Park Timberland Reserve and Yellowstone
Forest Reserve. In addition, some historical figures carried Yellowstone
in their nickname: The scout Luther S. Kelly was known as Yellowstone
Kelly, Jack Baronett - also Scout - as Yellowstone Jack and the
businessman Jack Haynes as Mister Yellowstone.
Even today, the
Yellowstone name continues to be used for commercial products such as
newspapers, beverages, boats, etc. The Hanna-Barbera animated series
Yogi Bear is set in Jellystone National Park.