Stretching across Wyoming and into Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is best known for the popular geyser, Old Faithful, and other geothermal activity. Made up of mountain ranges, forests, rivers, and lakes, Yellowstone became the first national park in the world after President Ulysses S. Grant signed The Act of Dedication in 1872.
Since then countless millions of people have enjoyed the unique landscape that Yellowstone alone has to offer. I love the etching in the stone above Yellowstone’s Welcome Arch. It reads FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE!
Thanks for that, Ulysses!
Yellowstone National Park Sulfur Springs
Look at the distressed look on his face! You may want to plug your nose for this one buddy!
Be prepared for a pungent, rotten egg, smell to greet you from the time you open your car door. It’s shocking at first but, don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
Picturesque Yellowstone Landscape
Does it get any more Americana than that? Look at this scene! You can look forward to miles and miles of peaceful meadows and scenes just like these.
Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered right over the largest supervolcano on the continent known as the Yellowstone Caldera. Did you know that the caldera is an active volcano?
Lake Village Shopping and General Store
Lake Village is the perfect place to stretch your legs and grab some ice cream!
The Dead Trees of Yellowstone
We were surprised how many dead trees we saw inside of the park. One of the reasons for so many dead trees in Yellowstone is due to a beetle invasion affecting conifers. As the trees die off the beetles move to healthy trees and the invasion continues.
Another reason is the volcanic activity underneath the ground. The sulfuric gases poison the trees. You can’t help but wonder when you see endless dead, dried up trees whether or not another large fire would result.
The Bison of Yellowstone
Be careful. These guys get scary close!
The herd of bison at Yellowstone National Park is the largest (public) bison herd in all of the U.S. Free ranging elk, wolves, and grizzly bears are just a few notable animals that share the terrain.
The Junior Ranger Program at Yellowstone Park
Want to get the kids familiar with the park before you arrive? Make sure to download the Jr. Ranger Activity Sheets ahead of time. [for 5-7 year olds and for 8-12 year olds.] You certainly don’t have to do any legwork before you get there but it is nice to look over the information and questions with the kids ahead of time so that you can really enjoy and explore the park while you are there.
If you are traveling to the park with children, but are unfamiliar with the Jr. Ranger Program, I gotcha covered! Check out the post I wrote about everything you need to know about the FREE Program offered to children at most State and National Parks! Since we learned about the program we never go to a state or national park without participating in it if it is available. It really amplifies the experience for all of us, but the kids especially!
Like with most of the National Parks that we have visited, we definitely want to go back with an RV so we can spend much more time there! There are so many ways to explore the Yellowstone, but if you are taking a road trip to get there, don’t forget to check out the post I wrote about Road Trip Games & Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained on a Long Drive!
Hope you love Yellowstone as much a we did!!! Don’t forget to drop me a line and let me know what you thought!
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