"Yellowstone National Park, My Neighbor" Top 5 Page for this destination Yellowstone National Park by KimberlyAnn

Yellowstone National Park Travel Guide: 1,362 reviews and 3,415 photos

Yellowstone National Park, My Neighbor - Yellowstone National Park

We have lived in the East Gate Community of Cody, Wyoming since 1976, so I have been to the park many times, yet I have never tired of its beauty and variety. Yellowstone is famous for its boiling hot springs and geysers, and nowhere in the world are there the numbers of geysers as in Yellowstone. Yellowstone therefore deserves its fame for these hot wonders, but besides these amazing features you will find the beauty of rivers, mountains, deep canyons, prairies, vast forest, alpine lakes, and the large Yellowstone Lake. And if that isn’t enough to bring you to Yellowstone, come for the wildlife. Here you may be lucky enough to see such large mammals as moose, elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, antelope, bison (also known as buffalo), bears (black and grizzly), coyote, and wolves as well as a number of smaller mammals. You will find bird species that include eagles, osprey, trumpeter swan, and the white pelican. The list of wildlife would of itself warrant making Yellowstone an important wildlife sanctuary. Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872 so that the beauty of this wild place could be preserved for generations. This special place is large, with a 142-mile grand loop road that passes major scenic attractions and connects the five entrances. So give it as much time as possible, or give it a number of visits. We have lived near the park for years, and have never seen all the sites.

My introduction photo is of Great Fountain Geyser on Firehole Drive, one of my favorite geysers in the park, although not an easy one to catch erupting.

For an Interactive Road Map of Yellowstone visit this link: http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/maps.htm

Help Protect Wildlife Near the Roads.
Speed kills more than 100 bears, elk, bison, moose, deer, and wolves each year. Slow Down and follow the park speed limit. In most areas this will be a maximum of 45 miles per hours.

Did the 1988 Fires Ruin the Park?

Evidence of the 1988 Fires

During the summer of 1988 the Yellowstone fires burned many sections of the park, and in some areas the appearance of the landscape was greatly changed. I remember that year clearly, as the fires raged in the park, the skies in Cody became hazy so that our days were gray and our sunsets were spectacular. The smell of smoke reached all the way down the beautiful Wapiti Valley to Cody, 50 miles away. The photos and stories in our local newspaper and on our radio were worrisome. The next year when we returned to the park we were concerned that we would see vast areas of devastation, yet no major features were destroyed. The geysers, waterfalls, herds of wildlife, the Old Faithful Inn, and the Lake Hotel were still there. The park was still beautiful, despite the patches of burned trees. Much of the park showed no signs of the fire at all and was still heavily forested and green. As years have gone by, the burned areas have become places of beauty as wildflowers, and young trees replace the old forests. In these burned areas, the young trees open up the view to a much wider vista allowing us to see mountain sides and valleys that were once hidden behind tall, dense trees. This photo was taken on a cloudy fall day a year after the fires. You can see both untouched forest, as well as burned areas.

The Park’s Mission

Run Off From Great Fountain Geyser

Yellowstone National Park preserves Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers and hot springs. It also preserves an outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air. Yellowstone is the home of the grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, coyote, moose and free-ranging herds of bison, elk, and antelope, as well as many other mammals and birds. Also protected are centuries old sites and historic buildings, which reflect the unique heritage of Yellowstone, American’s first national park. Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks throughout the world.

The photo shows the run off pool of Great Fountain Geyser, one of our favorite geysers in the park. Great Fountain may be found along the Firehole Drive on the east side of the park.

For a virtual visit to Old Faithful, Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, click on this web cam link.

www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/yellowstonelive.htm

If you have Windows Media Player, you can see live cams with narration at this link:

http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/webcams.htmL

Yes! Yellowstone is a volcano. How do we know? What is a Caldera? Why are there geysers in Yellowstone? What are other geologic hazards in the park? For answers to these and other questions, view the following video:

http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/112

Pros and Cons

Pros:Nowhere in the world will you find one place with such a variety of wonders and beauty.
Cons:Weather can be a factor, especially in the spring and fall, however August and July brings crowds of visitors.
In a nutshell:Be ready for any kind of weather, then get out and walk the marvelous features, look for wildlife, and enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape.

Intro Updated Dec 13, 2011
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (86)

Base of the Upper Falls Near the Upper Falls Area - Yellowstone National Park

Hike the North Rim Trail Things to Do (24)

The North Rim Trail offers a fairly easy forested walk, opening to various views of the canyon, river, and its falls.... more travel advice

Old Faithful Visitor and Education Center - Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Visitor and Education... Things to Do (24)

Located in the Old Faithful Area, the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center opened on August 25, 2010. As you enter the... more travel advice

West Yellowstone - Yellowstone National Park

West Yellowstone, A Place to Stay and... Off The Beaten Path (11)

Although not as convenient as staying inside the park, if you are unable to stay within Yellowstone, the small community... more travel advice

Basalt Columns As See Along Calcite Springs Trail - Yellowstone National Park

Calcite Springs Overlook Trail Off The Beaten Path (11)

Calcite Springs Overlook Trail is a short, but interesting activity if you are in the Tower Falls and Petrified Tree... more travel advice

Transportation (3)
See All Interested in renting an RV?
Restaurants (6)
See All A Restaurant in the Canyon Area
Hotels (14)
See All Plain, But Comfortable Cabins
Favorites (10)
See All Buffalo (Bison) Wallows
Tourist Traps (1)
Have Realistic Expectations
Warnings Or Dangers (11)
See All Earthquakes and the Volcano Part II

Sports & Outdoors (2)
See All Fishing Inside the Park
Shopping (1)
Shopping In the Main Developed Areas
What to Pack (1)
Be Prepared for Anything
Local Customs (1)
A Mixed Culture
Nightlife (1)
Evening Activities
Been to Yellowstone National Park?
Share your travels with the world!

Travelogues (5)

1 - 4 of 5

Comments (25)

Greggor58 Oct 24, 2010 at 1:51 PM Report Abuse

Last night I was reading through some of your Yellowstone tips..Im particularly interested in the seismic activity of the caldera..and just this afternoon got a notice from USGS of a 4.6 close to Jackson..so...was thinking of you..
Bwana_Brown Oct 23, 2010 at 6:56 PM Report Abuse

What a fantastic Yellowstone page you have! Thanks for the close-up views of Yellowstone Falls and the nice views inside Old Faithful Inn too. I loved your Mt. St. Helens volcano comparison. Outstanding photos and very helpful park tips all the way!!
cherylinreno Jul 22, 2010 at 9:22 PM Report Abuse

Excellent information and very well written. Appreciate the variety of information KimberlyAnn has posted.
KiKitC Jun 30, 2010 at 3:57 AM Report Abuse

Thanks for visiting my Moab page. Yellowstone is high on my lists to do. Thanks for the great...really great...page.
PALLINA Jun 8, 2009 at 10:10 AM Report Abuse

Really impressively detailed page! Many thanks for sharing
Camping_Girl Jan 19, 2009 at 6:11 PM Report Abuse

Anne this is a GREAT page!!! I enjoyed reading your tips & will be back to go over it in more detail as we plan a trip to YNP for this summer. Thanks!
PinkFloydActuary Apr 6, 2008 at 6:26 PM Report Abuse

Fantastic stuff on the granddaddy of all the national parks!
agapotravel Mar 17, 2007 at 4:17 PM Report Abuse

Amazing pictures and tips!! I will definitely refer back to them as we plan for a trip in 2008! :-)
percy961 Feb 21, 2007 at 12:30 AM Report Abuse

Superb pages on the National Parks, places we'd love to visit.
RickinDutch Jan 29, 2007 at 1:56 PM Report Abuse

Thanks for the great tips and links. Very helpful for our upcoming trip. And I see it is your birthday! Birthday greetings from Alaska!