Category Archives: Parks

Attractions, Parks

Yellowstone National Park

RED LODGE POST

Millions of people will visit Yellowstone National Park this year. And why not? This park is America’s Wonderland.

Most come to see nature in all its glory at Yellowstone. As for wild animals: elk, black bears, grizzly bears, gray wolves, buffalo, moose, mountain goats, and bald eagles live and thrive in Yellowstone’s wild ecosystem. To see these magnificent creatures in a natural setting is stunning.

Be patient and observant if you are eager to experience wildlife. Wildlife come and go on their own schedules and are found in different areas of the park. Their lives and activities reflect seasonal patterns of nature. It’s good to have a pair of quality binoculars for best viewing.

Then there is the landscape. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River rivals the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The canyon of the Yellowstone River is a huge slice cut out of the earth, caused by action of the river over millions of years. When you see it close-up, it’s hard to imagine how the forces of nature were able to create the canyon.

One feature along the canyon is nothing short of spectacular. This is the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. It’s magical, the waterfall and canyon converge in space, making the Lower Falls one of the most photographed scenes in America.

Panoramic landscapes in Yellowstone are uncommonly beautiful and inspiring. Hayden Valley (central Yellowstone) and Lamar Valley (northwest Yellowstone) are the stuff of travel posters. Yellowstone Lake (southeast Yellowstone) is another huge attraction.

Other features found on Yellowstone’s landscape are very different from anything found elsewhere in America. Features on the landscape such as geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, and mud pots are significant attractions. In part, Yellowstone owes its appearance to volcanic activity deep below the surface of the land. Emblematic of it all is Old Faithful geyser near the western edge of the park.

Yellowstone is also a mecca for outdoors activities, such as camping, hiking, boating, and fishing. Some visitors take guided trips while others take part in programs led by park rangers. Yellowstone officials like to say they have something for everyone.

Yellowstone National Park is unrivaled for its natural bounty, a sensory experience cherished and remembered by all who come. Outdoor activities in nature are a bonus. Memories are made in Yellowstone.

https://www.MontanaTraveler.com
Copyright © 2020 John Sandy

Parks

Glacier National Park Can be Dangerous; Death for Some

RED LODGE POST

Glacier National Park is a place where nature is king, and nature operates and plays by its own rules, not the niceties and within boundaries understood and set by man.  Since 1910, when Glacier National Park was established, 260 people have suffered death at the hands of nature  and from other causes in Glacier.  Many more experienced dangerous situations and lived to tell about it.



The National Park Service does all it can do within its power to make the park safe for visitors. But when nature and people come together, bad things can sometimes happen.

For those who want to learn more about tragedy from Glacier’s history, the book Death & Survival in Glacier National Park: True Tales of Tragedy, Courage, and Misadventure by C. W. Guthrie (Farcountry Press, 2017) tells the story.  Still another book, “Death in Glacier National Park: Stories of Accidents and Foolhardiness in the Crown of the Continent by Randi Minetor (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) recounts much of the same.

Perhaps the most shocking and tragic event in Glacier’s history occurred in August,1967.  Within the space of a few short hours, at separate locations in the park, two teenage girls, Julie Helgeson from Minnesota and Michele Koons from California, met death at the hands of marauding grizzly bears. This story is told in a book entitled Night of the Grizzlies, by Jack Olsen (Homestead, 1995).

Visitors to Glacier should learn lessons from the past and be careful; further, religiously heed and follow the rules and guidelines for visitor activities and behavior set forth by the National Park Service. Every visit to Glacier should and can be a wonderful and safe experience.  This post is not of the cheery sort, but of important things to know about nevertheless.

MontanaTraveler.com

Parks

Yellowstone National Park Our Natural Heritage

RED LODGE POST

The slogan at the top of the Roosevelt Arch, a huge monument located at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, Montana says, “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.”  Is this the best way to think of the park?



Let’s work with the National Park Service to change the mission of Yellowstone and refocus on nature. To start with, let’s lobby the National Park Service to build new structures/monuments and place them at  all entrances of Yellowstone National Park, to express as follows:

Yellowstone National Park:

“For the Conservation of our Natural Heritage.”

The forests, wildlife, rivers, and the landscape, more generally, are what makes Yellowstone a special place worthy of preservation and protection.

As for the Park’s cultural history,  the man-made structures/buildings in Yellowstone are only of minor interest and importance. They are a reminder of   commercial ventures, past and present, seeking to exploit this natural wonderland.

Contact Yellowstone today:

Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168

Call today (307) 344-2002.

On Twitter, mention @yellowstonenps

posted by John Sandy

About grizzly bears.

Promote and protect grizzly bears.

More on protecting grizzly bears.

MontanaTraveler.com