This year our spring vacation took my wife and I to the east entrance of Yellowstone, 53 miles west of Cody Wyoming to one of the most impressive national parks in the United States. After entering the east gate and traveling the 27 miles to Fishing Bridge we were impressed with the vast beauty of the park and the immenseness of Lake Yellowstone. The park has over 40 major waterfalls, approximately 300 active geysers and about 10,000 thermal features. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide and 1500 feet deep.

Spring in Yellowstone is a feast for your senses. Young animals are being born all around the park, birds are returning or passing through in their timeless migration, frogs call in the ponds. Just by listening, looking and enjoying the spring air you can tell this is a special time of the year.

As we traveled by the many geysers on our drive through the park we were reminded that preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers and hot springs. An outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air, Yellowstone is home to the grizzly bear and wolf and free-ranging herds of buffalo and elk. Centuries-old sites and historic buildings that reflect the unique heritage of America’s first national park are also protected. Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks through the world.

National Parks 100 years in the making

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park. The park was dedicated by President U.S. Grant. Twenty years before Montana, Idaho and Wyoming were granted statehood.

Forty four years later on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. This service now comprises more than 400 areas covering more than 84 million acres in 50 states. On August 25, 2016 the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th birthday. For a century the National Park Service has cared for and protected wildlife, land waterways, accomplishments, lessons and stories belonging to the citizens of the United States.

The park claims to have 50 mammal species, 311 bird species, 18 fish species, 6 reptile species, 4 amphibian species, and 5 endangered or threatened species. It is estimated that Yellowstone has 2000 earthquakes yearly. There are only 30 active volcanoes in the world and Yellowstone Park is one of them and the only one to be located on land.

Joining the Herd

As our journey continued we traveled the 16 miles from Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village beside the Yellowstone River and the next 12 miles to Norris. During this leg of our journey we were reminded of the many buffalo contained in the park. Buffalo are animals of the grasslands, from which they get their primary nutrition. The buffalo or bison are the largest land mammal in North America. Cows, calves, and some younger bulls comprise a herd. Mature bulls spend most of the year alone or with other bulls, except during the rut.

Calves can keep up with the herd about 2-3 hours after birth and are protected by their mothers and other herd members.

As we traveled through the buffalo herds, we were impressed with how they would graze peacefully through a valley as the young calf’s butted heads and frolicked in the green grass. On one occasion a bull walked along the highway in the east bound land and held up traffic with his slow gate for 10 minutes. Taking the opportunity for a good picture of the grazing herd of buffalo I stopped at one of the many pull out sections. After taking a number of pictures of the herd I noticed an elk wandering by between me and the herd. The resulting photograph made it look like the cow elk had a native rock on her head she was using to disguise herself as she passed by the herd.

West Yellowstone, Montana

In the afternoon we traveled the 16 miles from Norris to Madison and the last 14 miles to West Yellowstone Montana. We took advantage of the opportunity to see the Grizzly bear and Wolf exhibit, which housed 4 Grey Wolves and 6 Grizzly bears.

The two yearling grizzly bears entertained the viewers with a combative show while they wrestled each other which appeared to be a hostile battle but was merely a sibling rivalry.

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