Picture of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (Michael Lewis/National Geographic/Getty)
Introduction
Hiking the Canyon
Bear Safety
Wolves
In many ways, Yellowstone is the epicenter of everything that's still wild and untamed in the United States, and everything that's right and wrong about modern-day tourism. Read More »
Yellowstone National Park Highlights
Riding a rare "hot spot" in the earth's surface, Yellowstone's turbulent landscape—which remains among the most geologically active lands on the planet, with steam-spewing geysers, gurgling fumaroles, and frequent earthquakes—was protected as the world's first national park in 1872.
Don't try to swallow this amazingly diverse place in one gulp. Pick one part of the park, and then walk, or paddle, or ride the extra mile into all the wild country that's still back there.
Escape flocks of anglers, and get a bit of a workout hiking into the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, where wide stretches of river and prolific hatches support a healthy cutthroat and rainbow population. The best stretches are pretty remote, so plan on making a multi-day trip.
A great number of stock outfitters are authorized to lead trips inside the park, and the National Park Service can provide you with a list.
Some places in the park are extra special for wildlife watching, and the Lamar Valley is one of them. Its inhabitants include grizzlies, wolves, bison, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, coyotes, and eagles. Bring along a good spotting scope or pair of binoculars and head for one of several turnouts between the Tower-Roosevelt intersection and the Northeast Entrance.
Camping in the park is the best way to get acquainted with its incredible variety of flora and fauna, steaming geysers and bubbling thermal mud pots, spectacular lakes and river canyons, and extraordinary vistas. Yellowstone has front-country camping facilities at a dozen sites scattered around the park. And backcountry permits are available at most ranger stations and visitor centers.
By Travel Expert:
Brian Kevin
This quintessential U.S. national park is world-famous for a reason—and not just because of Old Faithful. It has epic wildlife, stunning geographic formations, and terrain ripe for exploration 365 days a year.
To penetrate Yellowstone's wilderness on foot, consider the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone Trail, which begins at the Hellroaring Creek trailhead 3.5 miles west of Tower Junction and ends 18.5 miles later in Gardiner. This one has it all—beautiful campsites, mountain vistas, outstanding fishing, and wildlife.
It’s a rugged 16-mile out-and-back hike to Union Falls, but the remote location of the park's second-biggest falls is its own reward. Start at the west end of the Grassy Lake Reservoir on Ashton-Flagg Road.
Right now, to the only way to snowmobile in Yellowstone is with a guide. Visit the National Park Service's website to see a list of approved guides. Yellowstone's concessionaire rents snowmobiles and guides its own trips from Mammoth.
