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YELLOWSTONE
NATIONAL PARK
This information on
Yellowstone National Park is brought to you by
http://www.shannontech.com
Introduction
Among national parks
Yellowstone is first in may ways. It is the first
national park in the world, the example on which parks
everywhere are modeled. It is the largest park in the
lower 48 states, larger than the states of Delaware and
Rhode Island combined. It has some of the most famous
park features, such as Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of
the Yellowstone, and freely roaming herds of buffalo. It
also includes the nation's largest wildlife preserve, an
enormous lake, the Continental Divide, some 10,000
hydrothermal features, and over 1,000 miles of trails.
And its diversity of attractions is a match for any
location on the planet.
Yellowstone is one of the most
popular of the national parks, particularly in the western
part of the country. Nearly three million people visit the
park each year, and over 60 million have visited it since
1872.
Park History
The Yellowstone area has a
a wild geologic history. Over 600,000 years ago the
central portion of the park exploded and collapsed,
leaving a smoldering caldera 28 by 47 miles in size. The
hydrothermal features in the park are continuing
evidence of the powerful effect of geological forces.
Evidence indicates that
the area was used by hunters for at least 5000 years.
Prior to the arrival of American explorers Indian tribes
used the area on a steady basis as a source of food,
weapons, and the obsidian found in the Yellowstone area.
The Crow, Blackfoot, Bannock, and Shoshone tribes were
frequent inhabitants.
The park was first viewed
by people from the United States relatively late. The
Rocky Mountain ranges which surround the park area, and
its remoteness, are largely responsible for this. The
first white man to visit the Yellowstone area was
probably the famous mountain man and adventurer John
Colter, who wandered throughout the Rocky Mountain area
in 1807-1808 following completion of his participation
in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Although the area was
frequented by trappers, it was largely unmapped until
after the Civil War. The Hayden Geological and
Geographical Survey in 1871 piqued public interest in
the many unusual features that existed in the area.
Additional notoriety was gained through the work of
painter Thomas Moran and photographer William H.
Jackson. The idea for a national park was promoted by
Cornelius Hedges, Nathanial Longford, and others. With
support from the Northern Pacific Railroad, which saw
the potential benefits on tourism, the bill creating the
park was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March
1, 1872.
Hydrothermal Features
Without question
Yellowstone's most famous items are the hydrothermal
features found throughout the park. These features are
the result of the "Yellowstone Hot Spot"--a section
where the thickness of the earth's crust is extremely
thin. The magma below the crust is less than two miles
thick in this area; the planet's internal heat is closer
to the surface here than anywhere else on earth. Water
from heavy precipitation in the area seeps down through
the ground until it it is superheated, begins to rise,
and eventually returns to the earth as a geyser, hot
spring, pool, mud pot, or other hydrothermal feature.
This trip from surface to surface may take 500 years.
The most famous of the
hydrothermal features is Old Faithful, whose eruptions
have been witnessed by millions. Although there is a
popular misconception that the geyser erupts once per
hour, in reality it averages an eruption every hour and
a half or so. It was named for its regularity by members
of the Washburn-Longford Expedition in 1870.
The hydrothermal
features are varied. Below, on the left, is Abyss
Pool in the West Thumb Geyser Basin. This is the
deepest pool in the park, hence its name, and
actually erupted as a geyser in 1987. On the right
is the "cooking hillside" near Mud Volcano. This
barren area, once covered with trees and other
vegetation, changed as a result of a number of
earthquakes in 1978-1979 which radically increased
soil temperatures to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
One of the most
interesting locations which contains hydrothermal
features is the Mammoth Hot Springs area in the far
north portion of the park. Here water containing
calcium and bicarbonate rises to the surface where
carbon dioxide escapes and the remaining carbonate
is combined with calcium to form travertine, which
is deposited on the surface in fantastic shapes and
formations.
There are many
other pictures of Yellowstone's hydrothermal
features that can be viewed in a separate document.
Wildlife
Yellowstone's wildlife
is as spectacular as the hydrothermal features.
Because of the park's remote location, and because
of its large size, animals roam freely and are able
to live in a natural way much as their kind have
lived for centuries. Large animals in the park are
not hunted, herded, or fed. Because there are many
areas within the park with panoramic views or where
meadows break up forested areas it is relatively
easy to see the wildlife in its natural state. Many
kinds of animals have little fear of people and can
be approached fairly closely.
The animal which comes
first to mind when Yellowstone is mentioned is
probably the buffalo, the largest land mammal in
North America. These animals, such as the one below
peacefully munching grass, can be seen all over the
park, in herds with many other animals or alone.
Moose can also be seen
along waterways and in clearings. These large
animals may weigh up to 1400 pounds, stand 7 1/2
feet at the shoulder, and have antlers which may
spread up to 5 feet. They feed on willows and
aquatic vegetation such as water lilies. The bull
below was sighted in the northern section of the
park.
Wapiti, or elk, are
also numerous; about 38,000 of these animals
currently roam the park, as their progenitors have
done for 12,000 years. Male elk typically weigh
600-1100 pounds and stand 5 feet at the shoulders.
Females weight from 450-600 pounds. The female below
is browsing on seedlings which form part of the
normal elk diet.
Plants and Trees
There are lots of
wildflowers in the park, particularly late in the
spring and early in the summer. The patch of flowers
below includes lupine and other flowers.
These close-ups
include what may be a Heartleaf Arnica (left) and a
Northern Fairy Candelabra (right).
 
The picture on the
left is lupine, seen throughout the west in many
national parks. On the right are some examples of
the lodgepole pine, the most numerous of various
species of trees in the park. Lodgepole pines
constitute 75% of all the trees in Yellowstone,
which itself is covered 75% covered by forests, and
are among the first to colonize open areas after
fire. In this picture in a thermal area only the
lodgepole pine seems able to survive in adverse
conditions.
 
Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone
One of the most
impressive areas of the park is the deep canyon of
the Yellowstone River, featuring the upper and lower
portions of Yellowstone Falls. The picture below
shows the canyon and Yellowstone Falls from Artist's
Point on the south rim.
There are quite a few
other pictures of the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone, Yellowstone Falls, and the Yellowstone
River available on separate page.
Rivers, Waterfalls, Lakes
There are lots of
creeks and rivers in the park. On the left below is
the Firehole River as it flows towards the Upper
Geyser Basin. Because of the abundant runoff from
the geothermal features in this area the river is
very warm year round. Never freezing during the
winter, it is a popular gathering place for wildlife
during that season when the park is dominated by
freezing temperatures and deep snow. On the right is
Lewis Falls, 37 feet high, on the Lewis River in the
south central portion of Yellowstone.
 
Cascades and
waterfalls are abundant as well. On the left below
is Kepler Cascades on the Firehole River not far
from the upper Geyser Basin, and on the right is
Gibbon Falls on the Gibbon River midway between
Madison and Norris.
In the central portion
of the park is Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake in
the world over 7,000 feet (its exact altitude is
7,733 feet). The coast of this lake is over 100
miles in length.The view below looks southwest
across the lake toward the Absaroka Mountains in the
background.
Although the lake was
once twice its present size, it still averages 137
feet in depth with a maximum depth of 320 feet. It
is so large that it takes 11 years for all of the
water in the lake to be completely recycled! A view
looking east across the lake is shown below on the
left, while the right picture shows a portion of the
coast of West Thumb Bay.
 
Isa Lake, in the pass
between Yellowstone Lake in the east and the Upper
Geyser Basin in the west, lies precisely on the
continental divide. Water flows out of the lake both
toward the Pacific as well as the Atlantic, although
surprisingly (because of the orientation of the lake
and the divide here) it is the water at the west end
which heads toward the Gulf and at the east towards
the Pacific.
There are other
interesting views along the route of the Yellowstone
River in addition to those shown above and in the
Yellowstone Canyon page. The canyon and cliffs
below are on the Yellowstone River, a few miles
below the Grand Canyon section. These pinnacles are
basalt columns which are formed as lava cools and
contracts.
Tower Falls, where
Tower Creek joins the Yellowstone River southeast of
Tower-Roosevelt, is another impressive cascade on
the Yellowstone. The water drops 132 feet in this
location.
The Madison River
flows west through the Madison Valley and out the
western border of the park. Attractive to birds and
wildlife, it is a well known fishing river with
whitefish, rainbow, and brown trout. This view of
the river and the Madison Valley looks northwest
toward the Gallatin National Forest west of the park
itself.
Mountains
The mountains of
Yellowstone are beautiful and varied but lack the
precipitous vertical features of the Teton Range
south of the park. This picture, from Shoshone
Point, looks south toward the Tetons themselves,
approximately 30 miles away. Visible in a hollow in
the center of the shot is Shoshone Lake, second
largest in the park. Shoshone Lake is also the
largest lake in the lower 48 states without any kind
of road access.
The picture on the
left below shows the mountains in the northern
portion of the park, taken from the Mt. Washburn
area, looking northwest, while the one on the right
looks directly east from Dunraven Pass, just south
of the mountain.
 
The next picture also
looks east from the Washburn area, where the highest
mountains are Saddle Mountain (10,670 feet), Parker
Peak (10,203 feet), and Pollux Peak (11,067 feet).
The highest of the
Yellowstone mountains are the volcanic-formed
Absaroka Range, named for an Indian term for the
Crow tribe, in the southeastern portion of the park.
Below a portion of this range is pictured from
across Yellowstone Lake, looking southeast. This
range contains the highest point in the park, Eagle
Peak, at 11,358 feet.
Fire!
In recent memory the
event which had the greatest effect on Yellowstone
National Park is undoubtedly the great fires of
1988. Following one of the driest summers in park
history, a number of separate fires were ignited,
largely by lightning. These fires burned across
approximately half of the 2.2 million acres in the
park, and their remnants are visible everywhere.
Amazingly, none of the park's famous attractions
were damaged in the fire. The two pictures below,
the first near the 600 foot deep Lewis River canyon
and the second of the canyon itself, give some small
idea of the magnitude of the devastation. The fires
were so powerful they were able to leap across
breaks such as provided by this canyon.
 
9500 firefighters
participated in the effort to quell the
conflagration, which finally burned out largely from
natural causes and the onset of winter. In addition
to the loss of vegetation, some 257 wapiti, 9 bison,
4 deer, and 2 moose were killed, a surprisingly
small number given the magnitude of the blaze.
However, it is important to understand that forest
fire is a normal, natural event and one which is
necessary for the health of the ecosystem. Fires of
this magnitude occur periodically, if infrequently
(the last comparable one occurred in the 1750's).
Some vegetation, such as the lodgepole pine, thrives
in burned over areas. The seeds of trees like the
lodgepole pine are actually released by the heat a
fire brings. The degree of regeneration of burned
over areas in the time since the fire is very
impressive. As a result a huge number of logepoles
have sprouted, and the clearing of forests have
created opportunities for plants to grow which in
turn has created food for elk, moose, bison, and
other animals.The picture below shows a burned area
which is well on the road to recovery and
regeneration. Burned trees may remain standing as
long as 40 years and provide habitat for a variety
of animals.
The aftermath of a
forest fire provides snags for birds, recycles
nutrients and kills pathogens in soil while changing
its properties.
Buildings
There are many
historic buildings in Yellowstone, befitting its
long time as a national park. The most famous is
unquestionably Old Faithful Inn, pictured below from
the Upper Geyser Basin across the Firehole River.
The Inn was originally constructed in 1903-1904, and
enlarged in both 1913 and 1928.
The Inn area also
includes restaurants, shops and other facilities. In
fact, Yellowstone includes the most elaborate system
of museums, visitor's centers, and other facilities
in the National Park System. The following picture
provides a different view of the Old Faithful Inn,
with the Firehole River in the foreground.
Another historical
center is the Mammoth Hot Springs area, where the
remnants of Fort Yellowstone are located. The Army
cavalry which protected and administered the park in
its early days was quartered here. These buildings
are now under the administration of the National
Park Service and include NPS headquarters.
While not historic,
the picture below displays a less pleasant aspect of
the park where civilization intrudes on wilderness.
The town of West Yellowstone, Montana, is located
immediately outside the West Entrance to the park.
Other Views
One of the most
beautiful areas of the park is the meadow grassland
of Hayden Valley north of Yellowstone Lake. This
open, unforested area is a excellent place to view
wildlife, including herds of buffalo such as those
pictured below.
The Yellowstone River
meanders through the valley, with little hint of the
violence it will encounter a few miles downstream in
the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The pictures below
give a good indication of the size of grasslands of
Hayden Valley..
 
In several areas within
the park petrified trees, preserved and petrified after
being covered by ashfall from volcanic activity, can be
found. This tree is visible west of Tower-Roosevelt. The
fence was erected to prevent damage of the sort which
occurred decades ago when it was normal practice to take
home portions of such trees as souvenirs and mementos.
References
Information about
Yellowstone has been drawn from personal experience,
maps and other information available in the park
itself, and a number of other sources, including:
-
Bryan, T. Scott.
Geysers: What They Are and How They Work. Niwort,
CO: Roberts Rinehart, Inc., 1990.
-
Cottrell, William H.
Born of Fire: The Volcanic Origin of Yellowstone
National Park. Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart,
Inc., (1987).
-
Crandall, Hugh.
Yellowstone: The Story Behind the Scenery. Las
Vegas: K.C. Publications, 1977.
-
National
Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the
United States. National Geographic Society,
1992.
-
National Parks of
North America. Washington, DC: National
Geographic Society, 1995.
-
National Parkways
Photographic and Comprehensive Guide to Yellowstone
National Park. Casper, WY: Worldwide Research
and Publishing Co., 1976.
-
Robinson, Sandra C., &
George, B. Yellowstone: The Continuing Story.
Las Vegas: K.C. Publications, 1990.
-
Schreier, Carl. A
Field Guide to Yellowstone's Geysers, Hot Springs,
and Fumaroles. Morse, WY: Homestead Publishing,
1992.
-
Scofield, Susan C.
Fascinating Facts About Old Faithful and Other Hot
Spring Wonders in Yellowstone National Park.
Wayfarer Publications, 1990.
-
The Sierra Club
Guide to National Parks: Rocky Mountains and the
Great Plains. New York: Stewart, Tabori, &
Chang, 1984.
Wuerthner, George. Fire Power. National Park,
69(5-6), 1995, 32-37.
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All
photographs ©Pat Holleran, Shannon
Technologies, 1994-2003
-
Commercial use
of the images contained in this document
without express written consent is strictly
prohibited.
-
Comments and
other remarks can be sent via e-mail to
parkvision@shannontech.com
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