Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [396]
The beauty of Yellowstone's natural architecture comes from its geology. The area experienced three separate volcanic periods, beginning 2.1 million years ago and occurring every 600,000 to 800,000 years since. The last big bang happened 640,000 years ago, meaning that the area is ripe for another massive eruption—if Mother Nature's timetable holds to form.
During the biggest eruptions, thousands of square miles of landmass were blown skyward, leaving enormous calderas (volcanic depressions). This process has repeated itself several times—some areas hold geologic evidence of 27 layers of lava. Subsequently, glaciers covered the volcanic mountains during the ice ages. The powerful bulldozing caused by the movement of the gigantic blocks of ice shaped the valleys and canyons of the park.
Yellowstone National Park was officially created in 1872, when Pres. Ulysses Grant signed legislation making it the first national park in the world. It then suffered from incompetent superintendents and shortages of cash until at last, in 1886, the U.S. Army took possession and helped rein in poaching and establish a sense of order. In 1916, the newly created National Park Service took control of the park. Yellowstone became one of the first parks to come under its stewardship.
Avoiding the Crowds. If a few thousand people on the benches in front of Old Faithful is not your idea of a wilderness park experience, then skip Yellowstone's busy summer season, which is in full swing during July and August. Or, if you can't avoid that time of year, head up the trails, away from the roads and car traffic. Less than 10% of the park's visitors venture into the backcountry.
Although the beautiful seasons between May and mid-June and after Labor Day are no longer the best-kept secret in the Rockies, they attract only a fraction of midsummer traffic. Just be careful how far you push it in this unpredictable climate. A beautiful Halloween weekend of rustling leaves and bright sun can become a winter wonderland overnight. Come too early in the spring—which is when the region gets most of its precipitation—and you'll be stuck at lower elevations while walls of snow melt on the higher trails. Try June and September, or, if you like taking chances, the first 2 weeks in October. Any earlier or later, and you're on your own—truly on your own, because most of the inns in the park will have shut their doors.
Even if you schedule your visit during the park's busy months, you can still avoid the crowds: Take short hikes in popular spots at times of day when others are eating. Take a sack lunch—you can buy them at the Yellowstone General Stores—and avoid the lines at restaurants.
Better yet, take long walks into this grand wilderness. About 500 yards from a trailhead, the crowd thins rapidly. Strap on a backpack, pick up a backcountry permit, and spend a night in the wilderness. You'll see some of the park's most beautiful landscapes, and there won't be a single tourist in the picture.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
To get to Yellowstone from I-90 and Bozeman, Montana (91 miles), take U.S. 191 south to its junction with U.S. 287 and head straight through the town of West Yellowstone to the park's west entrance.
Billings, Montana, is 129 miles from Yellowstone's northeast entrance over Beartooth Pass (closed Oct 15 to Memorial Day). It's a 65-mile drive south from I-94 on U.S. 212 to Red Lodge, then 30 miles on the Beartooth Highway to the park.
Cody, Wyoming, is 52 miles from Yellowstone's east entrance (closed from Nov–Apr) on U.S. 14/16/20. To Yellowstone's northeast entrance, it's 53 miles on Wyo. 120/296 to the Beartooth Highway (closed Oct 15 to Memorial Day) intersection, and 14 miles beyond that to the entrance.
Jackson, Wyoming, is 57 miles south of Yellowstone's south entrance. Take U.S. 89/191 north through