There are 58 National Parks in the United states, not counting the almost 350 National Monuments, National Historic Parks, Seashores etc. Here is where it all began:
America’s First National Park
Entrance Sign
 Roosevelt Arch |
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the tract of land in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming, lying near the head-waters of the Yellowstone river, ... is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or sale under the laws of the United States, and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people;"
To read the complete congressional Act, click here.
In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as the world's first national park. When news of the natural wonders of the Yellowstone were first published, the land was part of a territory. Since there was no state government that could assume stewardship of the land, the Federal Government took on direct responsibility for the park, a process formally completed in October 1, 1890.
It took the combined effort and interest of conservationists, politicians and especially businesses - namely, the Northern Pacific Railroad, whose route through Montana would greatly benefit by the creation of this new tourist attraction - to ensure the passage of the legislation by the United States Congress to create Yellowstone National Park.
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Ckick on thumbnails for larger pictures
Yellowstone is famous for its natural wonders. During our visits, we have placed more than 20 waymarks in the park (and there are still more to come). This new waymark category now gives us a chance to have a central reference point for all of them. (See links further down).
Yellowstone's Wildlife
What we could not register as waymarks is Yellowstone’s wildlife, which is as magnificent as the hot springs and waterfalls. Here we want to share some of our favorite wildlife pictures:
Yellowstone is most famous for its herds of wild bison. The best places to watch them are Hayden Valley and the Mud Volcano area. One can get pretty close to these gentle giants but always be aware that these are wild, unpredictable animals.
Here is a series of three pictures of a close encounter: (1, 2, 3.)
And here are some more buffalo pictures: (4, 5, 6.)
Lucky visitors get to see black bears or even a grizzly bear. We were not that lucky, but we spotted a Bald Eagle's nest. Eagles are so new to Yellowstone, that they are not even yet mentioned in the official brochure. Mentioned are of course dear and elk (1, 2, 3, 4). We also got to see a couple of White Pelicans and had a close encounter with a wolf in a parking lot.
Yellowstone's Waterfalls
Yellowstone is most famous for its hotsprings, but it also has a huge number of amazing waterfalls. Check the Yellowstone Waterfalls website and also check out our other waterfall waymarks (just click on the picture).
We registered nine waterfall waymarks in the park, but in this list of links we also included Wraith Falls, registered by CraigT.
Yellowstone's Hot Springs
Yellowstone has more hot springs and geysers than the rest of the world combined. We spent quite some time discovering some of the most famous areas and registered ten waymarks. (Just click on the thumbnail to get to the waymark).