The Gallatin River is a tributary of the Missouri River , approximately 120 mi (193 km) long, in the U.S. states of Wyoming and Montana . It is one of three rivers, along with the Jefferson and Madison , that converge near Three Forks, Montana , to form the Missouri.
130-694: It originates in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming , in the Gallatin Range of the Rocky Mountains . It flows northwest through Gallatin National Forest , past Big Sky, Montana , and joins the Jefferson and Madison approximately 30 mi (48 km) northwest of Bozeman . U.S. Highway 191 follows the river from the Wyoming border to just outside Bozeman. The river
260-503: A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy connection opened via Cody and in 1908 a Union Pacific Railroad connection to West Yellowstone, followed by a 1927 Milwaukee Road connection to Gallatin Gateway near Bozeman , also motorcoaching visitors via West Yellowstone. Rail visitation fell off considerably by World War II and ceased regular service in favor of the automobile around the 1960s, though special excursions occasionally continued into
390-469: A New Deal relief agency for young men, played a major role between 1933 and 1942 in developing Yellowstone facilities. CCC projects included reforestation, campground development of many of the park's trails and campgrounds, trail construction, fire hazard reduction, and fire-fighting work. The CCC built the majority of the early visitor centers, campgrounds, and the current system of park roads. During World War II, tourist travel fell sharply, staffing
520-460: A U.S. Army detachment commanded by Lt. Gustavus Doane . The expedition spent about a month exploring the region, collecting specimens, and naming sites of interest. A Montana writer and lawyer named Cornelius Hedges, who had been a member of the Washburn expedition, proposed that the region should be set aside and protected as a national park; he wrote detailed articles about his observations for
650-721: A UN World Heritage Site on September 8, 1978. The park was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1995 to 2003 due to the effects of tourism, infection of wildlife, and issues with invasive species . In 2010, Yellowstone National Park was honored with its own quarter under the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. Justin Farrell explores three moral sensibilities that motivated activists in dealing with Yellowstone. First came
780-647: A bobcat was killed by a car near Squaw Lake (now Indian Pond) on the north shore of Yellowstone Lake; its skull was deposited in the Yellowstone Museum collection. Other roadkilled bobcats were reported in 1993 and 1996. In 1960, a young bobcat was reported on the porch of the administration building at Mammoth; other young bobcats have been reported at Pebble Creek bridge (February 1977) and at Canyon campground (July 1986), where one accompanied an adult bobcat. No research has been conducted in Yellowstone to determine
910-401: A comprehensive report, including large-format photographs by William Henry Jackson and paintings by Thomas Moran . The report helped to convince the U.S. Congress to withdraw this region from public auction . On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed The Act of Dedication law that created Yellowstone National Park. Hayden, while not the only person to have thought of creating
1040-478: A declining population of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake, caused by invasive lake trout . With less fish to eat, grizzly bears began to eat more elk calves, causing a steep decline in elk numbers. More than 30,000 elk from 7-8 different herds summer in Yellowstone and approximately 15,000 to 22,000 winter in the park. The subspecies of elk that lives here are found from Arizona to northern Canada along
1170-563: A distinct yellowish rump patch. Elk usually live about 15 years in the wild. Bulls grow antlers annually from the time they are nearly one year old. When mature, a bull's "rack" may have 6 to 8 points or tines on each side and weigh more than 30 pounds. The antlers are usually shed in March or April, and begin regrowing in May, when the bony growth is nourished by blood vessels and covered by furry-looking "velvet." Antler growth ceases each year by August, when
1300-564: A few hundred in the United States. In 1897 about 100-150 were estimated to be present in the park. By 1912, despite a disease ( scab ) contracted from domestic sheep , bighorns in the park had increased to more than 200 and travelers could find them with fair certainty by devoting a few days to searching around Mount Everts , Mount Washburn or other well-known ranges. In winter, small bands of sheep could then be seen every day between Mammoth and Gardiner. Bighorn sheep usually live 10–15 years in
1430-437: A fierce furnace fire were burning beneath each one of them; and a hundred geysers, white torrents of boiling water and steam, like inverted waterfalls, are ever and anon rushing up out of the hot, black underworld. By 1915, 1,000 automobiles per year were entering the park, resulting in conflicts with horses and horse-drawn transportation. Horse travel on roads was eventually prohibited. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC),
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#17328517729441560-519: A group of fur trappers . After splitting up with the other trappers in 1807, Colter passed through a portion of what later became the park, during the winter of 1807–1808. He observed at least one geothermal area in the northeastern section of the park, near Tower Fall . After surviving wounds he suffered in a battle with members of the Crow and Blackfoot tribes in 1809, Colter described a place of " fire and brimstone " that most people dismissed as delirium;
1690-618: A hundred grizzly bears had to be euthanized in the next several years, putting the park's bear population on the brink of extinction. On July 28, 1975, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act , the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species in the lower 48 states. Over the next several decades, the bears learned to hunt and forage for themselves from non-human food sources, and their population slowly grew. On March 22, 2007,
1820-474: A minimum of 500 and a maximum of 650. While in spawning streams, Yellowstone cutthroat trout are preyed upon by numerous predators including black bears and grizzly bears. Due to their high digestibility, and protein and lipid content, spawning cutthroat trout are one of the highest sources of net digestible energy for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Cutthroat trout are an important late-spring and early-summer food source for bears, providing them
1950-453: A mountain of glass and yellow rock. These reports were largely ignored because Bridger was a known "spinner of yarns". In 1859, a U.S. Army Surveyor named Captain William F. Raynolds embarked on a two-year survey of the southern central Rockies . After wintering in Wyoming, in May 1860, Raynolds and his party—which included geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden and guide Jim Bridger—attempted to cross
2080-419: A park in the region, was its first and most enthusiastic advocate. He believed in "setting aside the area as a pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and warned that there were those who would come and "make merchandise of these beautiful specimens". Worrying the area could face the same fate as Niagara Falls , he concluded the site should "be as free as the air or Water". In his report to
2210-548: A population of wild American bison has persisted since prehistoric times, although fewer than 50 native bison remained there in 1902. Fearing extinction , the park imported 21 bison from two privately owned herds, as foundation stock for a bison ranching project that spanned 50 years at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley . Activities there included irrigation , hay -feeding, roundups, culling, and predator control, to artificially ensure herd survival. By
2340-431: A ranger or visitor center. For animals so seldom recorded, every observation is considered useful and important. The Canada lynx is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act . Biologists studying the lynx in Yellowstone believe it has persisted in the park in some number since the park's creation in 1872. A four-year study completed in 2005 concluded there is a small resident population of lynx in
2470-707: A translation of the Hidatsa name Mi tsi a-da-zi ("Yellow Stone River"). Later, American trappers rendered the French name in English as "Yellow Stone". Although it is commonly believed that the river was named for the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone , the Native American name source is unclear. The human history of the park began at least 11,000 years ago when Native Americans began to hunt and fish in
2600-478: A variety of rodents, rabbits, hares, birds, and other small animals as well as seasonal carrion, for food. Carrion is seldom used if live prey is available. Studies elsewhere have shown that bobcats also may kill both young and adult antelope and deer; they stalk bedded adults and may be carried long distances while biting their prey in the neck. Bobcats live an average lifespan of about 7 years. Visitors are advised to report any sightings of bobcats or bobcat tracks to
2730-449: Is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of North America. It gets its name from its large mule -like ears. In Yellowstone mule deer are commonly found in forests, grasslands, and shrublands. The white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) occurs in aspen parklands and deciduous river bottomlands within the central and northern Great Plains, and in mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of
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#17328517729442860-500: Is a national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho . It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress through the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in
2990-584: Is a topographic feature that separates the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean water drainages. About one-third of the park lies on the west side of the divide. The origins of the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers are near each other but on opposite sides of the divide. As a result, the waters of the Snake River flow to the Pacific Ocean, while those of the Yellowstone find their way to the Gulf of Mexico . The park sits on
3120-541: Is believed to be linked to the somewhat older volcanism of the Snake River Plain. Yellowstone is thus the active part of a hotspot that has moved northeast over time. The origin of this hotspot volcanism is disputed. One theory holds that a mantle plume has caused the Yellowstone hotspot to migrate northeast, while another theory explains migrating hotspot volcanism as the result of the fragmentation and dynamics of
3250-775: Is estimated to be 18-24 animals and is thought to be increasing. Mountain lions live an average lifespan of about 12 years in the wild. Mountain lions were significantly reduced by predator control measures during the early 20th century. It is reported that 121 lions were removed from the park between the years 1904 and 1925. At that time, the remaining population was estimated to be 12 individuals. Mountain lions apparently existed at very low numbers between 1925 and 1940. Reports of lions in Yellowstone have increased steadily from 1 each year between 1930 and 1939 to about 16 each year between 1980 and 1988. However, increases in visitor travel in Yellowstone and improvements in record keeping during this period probably contributed to this trend. In 1987,
3380-584: Is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera , the largest super volcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant volcano . It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Well over half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of
3510-565: Is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the contiguous United States . Grizzly bears , cougars , wolves , and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in this park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988 , nearly one-third of the park was burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping , boating , fishing, and sightseeing . Paved roads provide close access to
3640-419: Is up to 400 feet (120 m) deep and has 110 miles (180 km) of shoreline. At an elevation of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America. Forests comprise 80 percent of the land area of the park; most of the rest is grassland . The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The divide
3770-427: The 2013 United States federal government shutdown . The expansive cultural history of the park has been documented by the 1,000 archeological sites that have been discovered. The park has 1,106 historic structures and features, and of these Obsidian Cliff and five buildings have been designated National Historic Landmarks . Yellowstone was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on October 26, 1976, and
3900-501: The Absaroka Range . The park is 63 miles (101 km) north to south, and 54 miles (87 km) west to east by air. Yellowstone is 2,219,789 acres (8,983 km ; 3,468 sq mi) in area, larger than either of the states of Rhode Island or Delaware . Rivers and lakes cover five percent of the land area, with the largest water body being Yellowstone Lake at 87,040 acres (352 km ; 136 sq mi). Yellowstone Lake
4030-490: The Committee on Public Lands , he concluded that if the bill failed to become law, "the vandals who are now waiting to enter into this wonder-land, will in a single season despoil, beyond recovery, these remarkable curiosities, which have required all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to prepare". Hayden and his 1871 party recognized Yellowstone as a unique place that should be available for further research. He also
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4160-514: The Continental Divide over Two Ocean Plateau from the Wind River drainage in northwest Wyoming. Heavy spring snows prevented their passage but had they been able to traverse the divide, the party would have been the first organized survey to enter the Yellowstone region. The American Civil War hampered further organized explorations until the late 1860s. The first detailed expedition to
4290-760: The Gallatin Range to the northwest, the Beartooth Mountains in the north, the Absaroka Range to the east, the Teton Range to the south, and the Madison Range to the west. The most prominent summit on the Yellowstone Plateau is Mount Washburn at 10,243 feet (3,122 m). Yellowstone National Park has one of the world's largest petrified forests , trees which were long ago buried by ash and soil and transformed from wood to mineral materials. This ash and other volcanic debris are believed to have come from
4420-596: The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem . These animals are a major park attraction. Bison are the largest grazing mammals in Yellowstone National Park. They are obligate herbivores, a grazer of grasslands and sedges in the meadows, the foothills, and even the high-elevation, forested plateaus of Yellowstone. Bison males, called bulls, can weigh upwards of 1,800 pounds. Females (cows) average about 1,300 pounds. Both stand approximately six feet tall at
4550-549: The Helena Herald newspaper between 1870 and 1871. Hedges essentially restated comments made in October 1865 by acting Montana Territorial Governor Thomas Francis Meagher , who had previously commented that the region should be protected. Others made similar suggestions. An 1871 letter to Ferdinand V. Hayden from Jay Cooke , a businessman who wanted to bring tourists to the region, encouraged him to mention it in his official report of
4680-598: The Henry's Fork Caldera and depositing the Mesa Falls Tuff . Each of the three climactic eruptions released vast amounts of ash that blanketed much of central North America, falling many hundreds of miles away. The amount of ash and gases released into the atmosphere probably caused significant impacts on world weather patterns and led to the extinction of some species, primarily in North America. A subsequent caldera-forming eruption occurred about 160,000 years ago. It formed
4810-594: The Lava Creek Tuff , a welded tuff geologic formation . The most violent known eruption, which occurred 2.1 million years ago, ejected 588 cu mi (2,450 km ) of volcanic material and created the rock formation known as the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff and the Island Park Caldera . A smaller eruption ejected 67 cu mi (280 km ) of material 1.3 million years ago, forming
4940-643: The Mississippi Valley , indicating that a regular obsidian trade existed between local tribes and tribes farther east. When the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered present-day Montana in 1805 they encountered the Nez Perce , Crow , and Shoshone tribes who described to them the Yellowstone region to the south, but they chose not to investigate. In 1806, John Colter , a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, left to join
5070-578: The North American river otter are prevalent in the park. North American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) were almost trapped out of the park region prior to its creation. In 1998, beaver populations were making a comeback and an estimated 500 beavers were living in the park with the densest colonial in the Bechler River and Fall River region, the Yellowstone River delta above Yellowstone Lake and
5200-573: The Yellowstone Plateau , at an average elevation of 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level. The plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains , which range from 9,000 to 11,000 feet (2,700 to 3,400 m) in elevation. The highest point in the park is atop Eagle Peak (11,358 feet or 3,462 metres) and the lowest is along Reese Creek (5,282 feet or 1,610 metres). Nearby mountain ranges include
5330-571: The boreal toad — are thought to be declining in the West. Surveys and monitoring are underway to try to determine if amphibian populations are declining in Yellowstone National Park. In 2014, a population of plains spadefoot toad was found in the park. More common species include the boreal chorus frog , columbian spotted frog , and the blotched tiger salamander . Cool, dry conditions limit Yellowstone's reptiles to six species and population numbers for these species are not known. Known reptile species in
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5460-650: The subducted Farallon Plate in Earth's interior. The Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America, and worldwide it is only rivaled by the Lake Toba Caldera on Sumatra . It has been termed a " supervolcano " because the caldera was formed by exceptionally large explosive eruptions. The magma chamber that lies under Yellowstone is estimated to be a single connected chamber, about 37 miles (60 km) long, 18 miles (29 km) wide, and 3 to 7 miles (4.8 to 11.3 km) deep. The current caldera
5590-514: The 1870s and 1880s, Native American tribes were effectively excluded from the national park. Under a half-dozen tribes had made seasonal use of the Yellowstone area- the only year-round residents were small bands of Eastern Shoshone known as " Sheepeaters ". They left the area under the assurances of a treaty negotiated in 1868, under which the Sheepeaters ceded their lands but retained the right to hunt in Yellowstone. The United States never ratified
5720-630: The 1920s, some intermingling of the introduced and wild bison had begun. With protection from poaching , the native and transplanted populations increased. In 1936, bison were transplanted to historic habitats in the Firehole River and Hayden Valley . In 2003, the entire population numbered 1,477. Bison were trapped and herds periodically reduced until 1967, when only 397 bison were counted parkwide. All bison herd reduction activities were phased out after 1966, again allowing natural ecological processes to determine bison numbers and distribution. Presently,
5850-464: The 1930s through the 1950s, and four per year during the 1960s. Human injuries from black bears have decreased from averages of 46 per year from 1931 to 1969, to four per year during the 1970s, and less than one per year from 1980 to 2002. The chance of being injured by a bear while in the park is approximately one in 1.9 million. Eight known bear-caused human fatalities have occurred within the park since 1872, including two in 2011 and one in 2015. Seven of
5980-469: The American Fisheries Society. A formal petition to list this subspecies as "threatened" throughout its range was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1998. Yellowstone National Park represents approximately 91% of the current range of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and contains 85% of the historical lake habitat for this subspecies, so the park is considered crucial to the survival of
6110-570: The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where the Yellowstone River continues to carve into the ancient lava flows. The canyon is a classic V-shaped valley , indicative of river-type erosion rather than erosion caused by glaciation . List of animals of Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park in the northwest United States is home to a large variety of mammals , birds , fish , reptiles and amphibians , many of which migrate within
6240-502: The National Park Service and no harvest limits have resulted in removing thousands of lake trout from Yellowstone Lake since 1994, including more than 12,000 in 2000. Still, the number of Yellowstone cutthroat trout monitored during the annual fall count in Yellowstone Lake was lower in recent years than at any other time in the 25-year history of the monitoring effort. Whirling disease , which has been implicated in recent years in
6370-550: The Nez Perce were friendly to the tourists and other people they encountered in the park; some were not. Nine park visitors were briefly taken captive. Despite Joseph and other chiefs ordering that no one should be harmed, at least two people were killed and several wounded. One of the areas where encounters occurred was in Lower Geyser Basin and east along a branch of the Firehole River to Mary Mountain and beyond. That stream
6500-561: The Park Protection Act, which saved the park. The Lacey Act of 1900 provided legal support for the officials prosecuting poachers. With the funding and manpower necessary to keep a diligent watch, the army developed its own policies and regulations that permitted public access while protecting park wildlife and natural resources. When the National Park Service was created in 1916, many of the management principles developed by
6630-611: The Rocky Mountain chain; other species of elk were historically distributed from coast to coast, but disappeared from the eastern United States in the early 19th century. Some other subspecies of elk still occupy coastal regions of California , Washington , and Oregon . Elk are the second largest member of the deer family (moose are the largest). Adult males, or bulls, range upwards of 700 pounds (~320 kg) while females, or cows, average 500-525 pounds (~225–240 kg). Their coats are reddish brown with heavy, darker-colored manes and
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#17328517729446760-731: The Yellowstone area was the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition of 1869, which consisted of three privately funded explorers. The Folsom party followed the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake. The members of the Folsom party kept a journal and based on the information it reported, a party of Montana residents organized the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition in 1870. It was headed by the surveyor-general of Montana Henry Washburn , and included Nathaniel P. Langford (who later became known as "National Park" Langford) and
6890-477: The administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service , which had been created the previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are protected for their architectural and historical significance , and researchers have examined more than a thousand indigenous archaeological sites . Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 sq mi (8,983 km ), with lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges . Yellowstone Lake
7020-474: The administrative records of Yellowstone, as well as resource management records, records from major projects, and donated manuscripts and personal papers. The archives are affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration . Yellowstone National Park occupies a roughly square parcel of volcanic complex that jogs slightly beyond the northwestern corner of Wyoming. Approximately 96 percent of
7150-536: The army were adopted by the new agency. The army turned control over to the National Park Service on October 31, 1918. In 1898, the naturalist John Muir described the park as follows: However orderly your excursions or aimless, again and again amid the calmest, stillest scenery you will be brought to a standstill hushed and awe-stricken before phenomena wholly new to you. Boiling springs and huge deep pools of purest green and azure water, thousands of them, are plashing and heaving in these high, cool mountains as if
7280-510: The command of George Armstrong Custer , was assigned to organize and lead an expedition to Montana and the newly established Yellowstone Park. Observations about the lawlessness and exploitation of park resources were included in Ludlow's Report of a Reconnaissance to the Yellowstone National Park . The report included letters and attachments by other expedition members, including naturalist and mineralogist George Bird Grinnell . Grinnell documented
7410-577: The confluence with the East Gallatin River . The river is a Class I water from the Taylor Fork to its confluence with the Missouri for the purposes of public recreational access. The history of the canyon mirrors much of the activity during the late 1800 and early 1900s in southwestern Montana. The canyon was first explored by Native American hunters, and later fur-trappers and gold prospectors. There
7540-420: The coyote population, although those who remain often scavenge from wolf kills. Throughout the restoration project, coyote research has continued, with an eye toward identifying the interactions between coyotes and wolves and on assessing the effects of wolves on coyote populations. During planning and environmental assessment of the effects of wolf restoration, biologists anticipated that coyotes would compete with
7670-419: The decline of trout populations in many western states, was discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1998. So far, it is unclear which of these two nonnative invaders has been the greater factor in the decline of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, but there is no question they are causing it. Yellowstone cutthroat trout have declined throughout the west and are currently designated as a "Species of Special Concern-Class A" by
7800-608: The early 1980s. Ongoing poaching and destruction of natural resources continued unabated until the U.S. Army arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs in 1886 and built Camp Sheridan . Over the next 22 years, as the army constructed permanent structures, Camp Sheridan was renamed Fort Yellowstone . On May 7, 1894, the Boone and Crockett Club , acting through the personality of George G. Vest, Arnold Hague, William Hallett Phillips, W. A. Wadsworth, Archibald Rogers, Theodore Roosevelt , and George Bird Grinnell were successful in carrying through
7930-478: The early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. Management and control of the park originally fell under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior , the first Secretary of the Interior to supervise the park being Columbus Delano . However, the U.S. Army was eventually commissioned to oversee the management of Yellowstone for 30 years between 1886 and 1916. In 1917,
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#17328517729448060-431: The eight bears were grizzlies, while the other was undetermined. In the early years of the 20th century, bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) were reported as "somewhat common" in the park. There have been 9 to 14 reported sightings each decade since 1960. These sightings have occurred throughout the park; about 80 percent have occurred in the northern half. Bobcats have been reported in about equal numbers during all seasons. In 1960,
8190-659: The federal land-use restrictions. After the park's official formation, Nathaniel Langford was appointed as the park's first superintendent in 1872 by the Secretary of Interior Columbus Delano , the first overseer and controller of the park. Langford served for five years but was denied a salary, funding, and staff. Langford lacked the means to improve the land or properly protect the park, and without formal policy or regulations, he had few legal methods to enforce such protection. This left Yellowstone vulnerable to poachers , vandals , and others seeking to raid its resources. He addressed
8320-430: The fires, leading to a systematic re-evaluation of fire management policies. The fire season of 1988 was considered normal until a combination of drought and heat by mid-July contributed to an extreme fire danger. On " Black Saturday ", August 20, 1988, strong winds expanded the fires rapidly, and more than 150,000 acres (610 km ; 230 sq mi) burned. On October 1, 2013, Yellowstone National Park closed due to
8450-540: The first study of mountain lion ecology was initiated in Yellowstone National Park. The research documented population dynamics of mountain lions in the northern Yellowstone ecosystem inside and outside the park boundary, determined home ranges and habitat requirements, and assessed the role of lions as a predator in the ecosystem. In recent years in other areas of the West, mountain lions have occasionally attacked humans. No documented lion/human confrontations have occurred in Yellowstone. The mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus )
8580-415: The forests and meadows host many different species of warblers , sparrows and other passerine birds. Yellowstone is home for four species of amphibians . Glacial activity and current cool and dry conditions are likely responsible for their relatively low numbers in Yellowstone. Although no Yellowstone reptile or amphibian species are currently listed as threatened or endangered, several — including
8710-409: The geyser basins. Bison also move to winter range in the northern part of Yellowstone. As of 2017 , the grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) population within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Yellowstone and surrounding areas) was estimated at 718, with a minimum of 640 and a maximum of 796. The black bear ( Ursus americanus ) population within the same ecosystem was estimated at 575, with
8840-439: The grizzly bear was taken off the endangered species list . In the years since it was listed as a threatened species, the Yellowstone grizzly bear population has increased to at least 640 by 2017. From 1980 to 2002, over 62 million people visited Yellowstone National Park. During the same period, 32 people were injured by bears. Grizzly bear-inflicted injuries to humans in developed areas averaged approximately one per year during
8970-496: The land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , the largest remaining nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone . In 1978, Yellowstone was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened . The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Yellowstone Park
9100-454: The larger canid, perhaps resulting in disruption of packs and numerical declines. Coyotes occasionally lose their wariness of humans and frequent roadsides or developed areas, becoming conditioned to human food by receiving handouts or picking up food scraps. They can quickly learn bad habits like roadside begging behavior. This leads to potential danger for humans and coyotes. Several instances of coyote aggression toward humans have occurred in
9230-511: The largest inland population of cutthroat trout in the world, and is the core of the remaining undisturbed habitat for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri ) in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Each spring, cutthroat trout migrate from the lake to its tributaries to spawn . Yellowstone cutthroat trout generally declined in the second half of the 20th century due to angler overharvest , competition with exotic fishes , and overzealous egg collection. Populations rebounded in
9360-400: The largest member of the deer family, were reportedly very rare in northwest Wyoming when Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. Subsequent protection from hunting and wolf control programs may have contributed to increased numbers but suppression of forest fires probably was the most important factor, since moose here depend on mature fir forests for winter survival. Surveys in
9490-441: The late 1980s suggested a total park population of fewer than 1000 moose. The moose calf crop has been declining since the fires of 1988. During that summer there was also high predation of moose by grizzly bears in small patches of surviving timber. The winter following the fires many old moose died, probably as a combined result of the loss of good moose forage and a harsh winter. The fires forced some moose into poorer habitats, with
9620-469: 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; and all persons who shall locate, or settle upon, or occupy the same or any part thereof, except as hereinafter provided, shall be considered trespassers and removed there from ... Approved March 1, 1872. Signed by: There was considerable local opposition to Yellowstone National Park during its early years. Some of
9750-420: The locals feared that the regional economy would be unable to thrive if there remained strict federal prohibitions against resource development or settlement within park boundaries and local entrepreneurs advocated reducing the size of the park so that mining, hunting, and logging activities could be developed. To this end, numerous bills were introduced into Congress by Montana representatives who sought to remove
9880-594: The lower Madison River and its tributaries. Since the creation of the park in 1872, 318 species of birds have been documented within its boundaries. Although Yellowstone is not a birding mecca because of its high altitude and cold winters, it is home to a variety of interesting bird species that attract visitor attention every year. The park has a good resident population of bald eagles , trumpeter swans , common loons , ospreys , American white pelicans , and sandhill cranes . The extensive rivers, lakes and wetlands are summer homes to large numbers of waterfowl , while
10010-404: The major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobiles . The park contains the headwaters of the Yellowstone River , from which it takes its historical name. Near the end of the 18th century, French trappers named the river Roche Jaune , which is probably
10140-654: The more common coyote. They are most commonly found in forested areas of the park. There are at least 50 small mammal species known to occur in Yellowstone National Park, including four common species of bats : big brown bat , little brown bat , long-legged bat , and silver-haired bat . Squirrels , rabbits , skunks , raccoons , badgers , otters , beavers , porcupines , vole , mice , and shrew species are common, but many are nocturnal and rarely seen by visitors. The Uinta ground squirrel , least chipmunk , golden-mantled ground squirrel and American red squirrel are commonly encountered. Weasel species, including
10270-496: The mountain country of present-day Wyoming, including the Grand Tetons , after joining F V. Hayden 's Geological Survey in 1873. Yount is the first national park ranger, and Yount's Peak, at the head of the Yellowstone River, was named in his honor. These measures still proved to be insufficient in protecting the park, as neither Norris nor the three superintendents who followed, were given sufficient manpower or resources. During
10400-469: The national parks. In a paper known as the Leopold Report , the committee observed that culling programs at other national parks had been ineffective, and recommended the management of Yellowstone's elk population. The wildfires during the summer of 1988 were the largest in the history of the park. Approximately 793,880 acres (3,210 km ; 1,240 sq mi) or 36% of the parkland was impacted by
10530-410: The northern Rocky Mountain regions from Wyoming to southeastern British Columbia. It is an occasional visitor to these habitats in the Yellowstone region. Both mule and white-tailed deer live an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years in the wild. Northern Rocky Mountain wolves, a subspecies of the gray wolf ( Canis lupus ), were native to Yellowstone when the park was established in 1872. Predator control
10660-469: The northern entrance area in 1883, which helped to increase visitation from 300 in 1872 to 5,000 in 1883. The spur line was completed in fall of that year from Livingston to Cinnabar for stage connection to Mammoth , then in 1902 extended to Gardiner station , where passengers also switched to stagecoach . Visitors in these early years faced poor and dusty roads plus limited services, with automobiles first admitted in phases beginning only in 1915. By 1901
10790-527: The number of goats in and adjacent to the park is estimated to be 175–225. This colonization of a non-native species has raised concerns about adverse effects on alpine habitats. Surveys in 2002 and 2003 suggest that ridgetop vegetation cover is lower, and barren areas along alpine ridges are more prevalent in areas with relatively high goat use. Competition with high densities of mountain goats could also negatively affect bighorn sheep, whose range overlaps with mountain goats. Mountain goats generally live 15 years in
10920-546: The numbers or distribution of this elusive animal that usually is solitary, nocturnal, and widely scattered over its range. Unlike Canadian lynx, which they resemble, bobcats elsewhere have been highly adaptable to human-caused changes in environmental conditions; some biologists believe that there are more bobcats in the United States today than in colonial times. Yellowstone has many rock outcrops, canyons bordered by rock ledges, conifer forests, and semi-open areas that seem to offer conditions favorable for bobcats—adequate shelter,
11050-539: The opportunity to regain body mass after den emergence, and assisting females with cubs meet the energetic demands of lactation. The average lifespan of a grizzly bear is about 22 years, and the average lifespan of a black bear is about 17 years. With the reintroduction of gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) to Yellowstone National Park, much interest has been shown regarding the effects of a restored wolf population on both grizzly bears and black bears. Grizzly bears, black bears, and gray wolves have historically coexisted in much of
11180-496: The park after the advent of catch-and-release-only fishing rules in the 1970s, but new and aggressive invaders are causing an increasing threat to these native fish and alarming park fisheries biologists. Nonnative lake trout, an effective fish predator, were discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. Throughout the west cutthroat trout populations preyed upon by introduced lake trout have typically declined, exhibited lower growth, or have disappeared. Aggressive lake trout control efforts by
11310-505: The park area itself as the central part of Yellowstone is the massive caldera of a supervolcano. The park contains 290 waterfalls of at least 15 feet (4.6 m), the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at 308 feet (94 m). Three deep canyons are located in the park, cut through the volcanic tuff of the Yellowstone Plateau by rivers over the last 640,000 years. The Lewis River flows through Lewis Canyon in
11440-461: The park into Yellowstone have been confirmed by radio telemetry . Moose usually live to 20 years in the wild. Mountain goats ( Oreamnos americanus ) are not native in the park but were introduced into the Absaroka Range in Montana in the 1940s. They migrated into the park and breeding populations established themselves in the northwestern and northeastern regions of the park in the 1990s. As of 2008,
11570-481: The park since the 1970s. Park authorities initiated an intensive bear management program in 1970. The objectives were restoring the grizzly bear and black bear populations to subsistence on natural forage, and reducing bear-caused injuries to humans. As part of the bear management program, regulations prohibiting the feeding of bears were strictly enforced. As the bears became more desperate for food and more aggressive, more of them were encountered in camping areas. Over
11700-423: The park's bison population is estimated at 4,000. Bison are nomadic grazers, wandering high on Yellowstone's grassy plateaus in summer. Despite their slow gait, bison are surprisingly fast for animals that weigh more than half a ton. In winter, they use their large heads like a plow to push aside snow and find winter food. In the park interior where snows are deep, they winter in thermally influenced areas and around
11830-402: The park, but it is rarely seen directly or indirectly (tracks) by either biologists or visitors. Yellowstone's coyotes ( Canis latrans ) are among the largest coyotes in the United States; adults average about 30 pounds (13–14 kg). and some weigh around 40 pounds (18 kg). Coyotes live an average of about six years, although one Yellowstone coyote lived to be more than 24 before she
11960-412: The park, including one that involved an actual attack. Habituation most likely played a role in this unusual coyote behavior. Elk or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis ) are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, when market hunting of all large grazing animals
12090-600: The park. In the northwest section of the park, new geysers were found, and many existing hot springs became turbid. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in recorded history. In 1963, after several years of public controversy regarding the forced reduction of the elk population in Yellowstone, the United States Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall appointed an advisory board to collect scientific data to inform future wildlife management of
12220-455: The park. The relatively undisturbed nature of the park and the baseline data may prove useful in testing hypotheses concerning the apparent declines of several species of toads and frogs in the western United States. Reptile and amphibian population declines may be caused by such factors as drought , pollution , disease , predation , habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced fish and other non-native species. Yellowstone Lake supports
12350-514: The park: prairie rattlesnake ( Crotalus viridis viridis ), bullsnake ( Pituophis catenifer sayi ), valley garter snake ( Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi ), wandering garter snake ( Thamnophis elegans vagrans ), rubber boa ( Charina bottae ), sagebrush lizard ( Sceloporus graciosus graciosus ). In 1991 park staff began cooperating with researchers from Idaho State University to sample additional park habitats for reptiles and amphibians. This led to establishment of long-term monitoring sites in
12480-409: The poaching of buffalo , deer , elk , and antelope for hides : "It is estimated that during the winter of 1874–1875, not less than 3,000 buffalo and mule deer suffer even more severely than the elk, and the antelope nearly as much." As a result, Langford was forced to step down in 1877. Having traveled through Yellowstone and witnessed land management problems, Philetus Norris volunteered for
12610-411: The position following Langford's exit. Congress finally saw fit to implement a salary for the position, as well as to provide minimal funding to operate the park. Norris used these funds to expand access to the park, building numerous crude roads and facilities. In 1880, Harry Yount was appointed as a gamekeeper to control poaching and vandalism in the park. Yount had previously spent decades exploring
12740-455: The practical problems park administrators faced in the 1872 Report to the Secretary of the Interior and correctly predicted that Yellowstone would become a major international attraction deserving the continuing stewardship of the government. In 1874, both Langford and Delano advocated the creation of a federal agency to protect the vast park, but Congress refused. In 1875, Colonel William Ludlow , who had previously explored areas of Montana under
12870-526: The premise during Prohibition days. His most successful endeavor in the canyon was a bus route he ran in 1924 from Salesville (now Gallatin Gateway ) to Yellowstone National Park. "Karst Camp", as it came to be known, was home to the first tow rope ski hill in Montana, and held annual ski jumping competitions. Parts of the movie A River Runs Through It were filmed on the Gallatin River. Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park
13000-503: The region. During the construction of the post office in Gardiner, Montana , in the 1950s, an obsidian point of Clovis origin was found that dated from approximately 11,000 years ago. These Paleo-Indians , of the Clovis culture, used the significant amounts of obsidian found in the park to make cutting tools and weapons. Arrowheads made of Yellowstone obsidian have been found as far away as
13130-549: The relatively small caldera that contains the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. Since the last supereruption, a series of smaller eruptive cycles between 640,000 and 70,000 years ago, has nearly filled in the Yellowstone Caldera with 80 different eruptions of rhyolitic lavas such as those that can be seen at Obsidian Cliffs and basaltic lavas which can be viewed at Sheepeater Cliff . Lava strata are most easily seen at
13260-694: The result that some almost doubled their home range, using deeper snow areas than previously, and sometimes browsing burned lodgepole pines. Moose are commonly observed in the park's southwestern corner along the Bechler and Fall rivers , in the riparian zones around Yellowstone Lake , in the Soda Butte Creek , Pelican Creek, Lewis River , and Gallatin River drainages, and in the Willow Park area between Mammoth and Norris. Summer moose migrations from south and west of
13390-583: The rocky Gallatin Canyon, and flowing out into the Gallatin Valley. It is an exceptionally popular fly fishing destination for rainbow trout , brown trout and mountain whitefish . Portions of the river are designated as a Blue Ribbon trout stream while the remainder is designated Red Ribbon by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department. The river is closed to fishing from boats from Yellowstone Park to
13520-569: The same range throughout a large portion of North America. Bears were once commonly observed along roadsides and within developed areas of Yellowstone National Park. Bears were attracted to these areas by the availability of human foods in the form of handouts and unsecured camp groceries and garbage. Although having bears readily visible along roadsides and within developed areas was very popular with park visitors, an average of 48 bear-caused human injuries occurred each year from 1930 through 1969. Rocky Mountain grizzly bears have killed several people in
13650-674: The scenic resorts and baths in England, Germany, and Switzerland. THE ACT OF DEDICATION AN ACT to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the headwaters of the Yellowstone River as a public park. 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 ... is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or sale under
13780-509: The shoulder, and can move with surprising speed to defend their young or when approached too closely by people. Bison breed from mid-July to mid-August, and bear one calf in April and May. Some wolf predation of bison is documented in Canada and has recently been observed in Yellowstone. Bison live an average lifespan of 20–25 years in the wild. Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states where
13910-471: The snowmelt is released from the mountains, the river has a class IV section called the "Mad Mile". This section is over a mile long and contains continuous stretches of challenging whitewater. Rafting companies offer trips on this river – on the Mad Mile Section as well as other, less challenging sections. The Gallatin River is an amazingly scenic river – winding through high alpine meadows, dropping into
14040-571: The south, and the Yellowstone River has carved two colorful canyons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone in its journey north. Yellowstone is at the northeastern end of the Snake River Plain , a great bow-shaped arc through the mountains that extends roughly 400 miles (640 km) from the park to the Idaho-Oregon border. The volcanism of Yellowstone
14170-526: The supposedly mystical place was nicknamed " Colter's Hell ". Over the next 40 years, numerous reports from mountain men and trappers told of boiling mud, steaming rivers, and petrified trees, yet most of these reports were believed at the time to be a myth. After an 1856 exploration, mountain man Jim Bridger (also believed to be the first or second European American to have seen the Great Salt Lake ) reported observing boiling springs, spouting water, and
14300-431: The surrounding ecosystems. The Heritage and Research Center is located at Gardiner, Montana, near the north entrance to the park. The center is home to the Yellowstone National Park's museum collection, archives, research library, historian, archeology lab, and herbarium . The Yellowstone National Park Archives maintain collections of historical records of Yellowstone and the National Park Service. The collection includes
14430-561: The survey. Cooke wrote that his friend, Congressman William D. Kelley had also suggested " Congress pass a bill reserving the Great Geyser Basin as a public park forever". In 1871, eleven years after his failed first effort, Ferdinand V. Hayden was finally able to explore the region. With government sponsorship, he returned to the region with a second, larger expedition, the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 . He compiled
14560-457: The total land area of Yellowstone National Park is located within the state of Wyoming. Another three percent is within Montana, with the remaining one percent in Idaho. Montana's portion of Yellowstone contains multiple trails, facilities and swimming holes, while the Idaho portion of the park is completely undeveloped. The irregular eastern boundary of the national park follows the height of land along
14690-534: The traditional log cabin style with design features of a modern style. During the late 1980s, most construction styles in Yellowstone reverted to the more traditional designs. After the enormous forest fires of 1988 damaged much of Grant Village , structures there were rebuilt in the traditional style. The visitor center at Canyon Village , which opened in 2006, incorporates a more traditional design as well. The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake just west of Yellowstone at Hebgen Lake damaged roads and some structures in
14820-507: The treaty and refused to recognize the claims of the Sheepeaters or any other tribe that had used Yellowstone. The Nez Perce band associated with Chief Joseph , numbering about 750 people, passed through Yellowstone National Park in thirteen days in late August 1877. They were being pursued by the U.S. Army and entered the national park about two weeks after the Battle of the Big Hole . Some of
14950-435: The utilitarian vision of maximum exploitation of natural resources , a characteristic of developers in the late 19th century. Second was the spiritual vision of nature inspired by Romanticism and the transcendentalists in the mid-19th century. The twentieth century saw the biocentric moral vision that focuses on the health of the ecosystem as theorized by Aldo Leopold , which led to the expansion of federally protected areas and
15080-494: The velvet dries up and bulls begin to scrape it off by rubbing against trees, in preparation for the autumn mating season or rut. A bull may gather 20-30 cows into his harem during the mating season, often clashing or locking antlers with another mature male for the privilege of dominating the herd group. By November, mating season ends and elk generally move to their winter ranges. Calves weighing 25-40 pounds are born in late May or early June. Moose ( Alces alces shirasi Nelson),
15210-493: The wild, though 6 to 8 is normal. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service provides weekly updates on the wolves of the Rocky Mountain region including wolves of Yellowstone. This site has stated that at the end of 2011 there was at least 98 wolves in ten packs and two loner wolves in the park. A montane subspecies of red fox ( Vulpes vulpes macroura ) occurs in the park and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem . These foxes are not overly common due to predation and displacement by
15340-430: The wild. Bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) were once very numerous in western United States and were an important food source for humans. The " Sheep eaters ", a band of Shoshone people , lived year-round in Yellowstone until 1880. Their principal food was bighorn sheep and they made their bows from sheep horns . By 1900, during an "epoch of relentless destruction by the skin hunters", bighorn numbers were reduced to
15470-597: The wild. The mountain lion ( Puma concolor ), also called the cougar, is the largest member of the cat family living in Yellowstone. Mountain lions can weigh up to 200 pounds (~90 kg), although lions in Yellowstone are thought to range between 140 and 160 pounds (~65 and ~70 kg) for males and around 100 pounds (45 kg) for females. Two to three kittens may be born at any time of year, although most arrive in summer and fall. For reasons that are not clear, only about 50 percent of kittens survive their first year. The current population of lions in Yellowstone
15600-552: The world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features , especially the Old Faithful geyser , one of its most popular. While it represents many types of biomes , the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion . While Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years, aside from visits by mountain men during
15730-462: Was a significant amount of consideration given to the idea of running the railroad through the canyon to increase travel between Yellowstone National Park and Bozeman, Montana . Logging was conducted in the canyon at the turn of the 20th century, and loggers would ride the logs down river to prevent them from jamming. Pete Karst moved into the canyon in 1898 to homestead a ranch, and ran everything from an inn for travelers to serving liquor he made on
15860-406: Was created by a cataclysmic eruption that occurred 640,000 years ago, which released more than 240 cu mi (1,000 km ) of ash, rock and pyroclastic materials. This eruption was more than 1,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens . It produced a caldera nearly 5 ⁄ 8 mi (1.0 km) deep and 45 by 28 miles (72 by 45 km) in area and deposited
15990-440: Was cut, and many facilities fell into disrepair. By the 1950s, visitation increased tremendously in Yellowstone and other national parks. To accommodate the increased visitation, park officials implemented Mission 66 , an effort to modernize and expand park service facilities. Planned to be completed by 1966, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service, Mission 66 construction diverged from
16120-475: Was encouraged to preserve it for others to see and experience it as well. In 1873, Congress authorized and funded a survey to find a wagon route to the park from the south which was completed by the Jones Expedition of 1873 . Eventually the railroads and, sometime after that, the automobile would make that possible. The park was not set aside strictly for ecological purposes. Hayden imagined something akin to
16250-453: Was killed and eaten by a cougar . The coyote is a common predator in the park, often seen alone or in packs, traveling through the park's wide open valleys hunting small mammals. But they are widely distributed and their sign can also be found in the forests and thermal areas throughout Yellowstone. They are capable of killing large prey, especially when they cooperatively hunt. The reintroduction of wolves in 1995 has significantly decreased
16380-538: Was named Nez Perce Creek in memory of their trail through the area. A group of Bannocks entered the park in 1878, alarming park Superintendent Philetus Norris. In the aftermath of the Sheepeater Indian War of 1879, Norris built a fort to prevent Native Americans from entering the national park. The Northern Pacific Railroad built a train station in Livingston, Montana , as a gateway terminus to connect to
16510-513: Was named in July 1805 by Meriwether Lewis at Three Forks. The eastern fork of the three, it was named for Albert Gallatin , the U.S. Treasury Secretary from 1801–14. The western fork was named for President Thomas Jefferson and the central fork for Secretary of State James Madison . The Gallatin River is one of the best whitewater runs in the Yellowstone-Teton Area. In June, when
16640-576: Was once ruled by the canine. They currently exist in several packs, the largest of which are the Slough Creek, Yellowstone Delta, and Leopold packs. The wolves had to "re-learn" an instinct that their ancestors once had: hunting bison. Being used to the elk in Canada, the wolves were dumbfounded by the large, burly bison found all over Yellowstone. However, their main prey remains elk. They have made many appearances on National Geographic Channel documentaries. Wolves in Yellowstone can live as long as 10 years in
16770-512: Was practiced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1914 and 1926, at least 136 wolves were killed in the park; by the 1940s, wolf packs were rarely reported. By the 1970s, scientists found no evidence of a wolf population in Yellowstone; wolves persisted in the lower 48 states only in northern Minnesota and on Isle Royale in Michigan. Canadian grey wolves were introduced into Yellowstone in 1995. This move has returned wolves to land that
16900-495: Was rampant. Not until after 1886, when the United States Army was called in to protect the park and wildlife slaughter was brought under control, did the large animals increase in number. In recent years, however, Yellowstone's elk population has plummeted. The Northern Herd, the only herd that winters in the park, has declined from nearly 20,000 animals in 1994 to less than 4,000 in 2013. Ecologists have linked this decline to
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