Yellowstone National Park

The World’s First National Park, March 1872

Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting Yellowstone National Park? Have you seen the sunrise peaking over the mountain ridge and reflecting across the river below? Have you seen a moose and her calf as they feed in the meadow below? Watched geysers erupt steam and water like clockwork which is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before? Walked back in history and transition to a place that has been preserved over time? Marveled at the beauty at your feet and across the vast miles of wilderness? If not, it is waiting for you. Waiting to share an experience that you will never forget. An experience unlike any other in the world.

March 1, 2022 was the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, and it was also one for the record books. Historic flooding that occurred throughout the northern section of the park was front page news and modified a lot of planned family vacations. Extraordinary rain and rapid snowmelt in June 2022 caused rivers in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to overflow their banks, destroy bridges, wash away miles of roads, and flood or destroy hundreds of homes in surrounding communities, leaving large portions of the park inaccessible to visitors. The summer tourist season for Yellowstone was in jeopardy.

Despite the adversities, Yellowstone has been able to turn things around. With a joint effort of the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, road construction crews, local governments, and a lot of hard work, visitor access were restored in a gradual manner over the next few weeks. By early July, the majority the park (93%) that was severely impacted by the flooding had been reopened. There were still sections of the North and Northeast entrance roads that are completely gone. Public access at the Gardiner, MT and the Cooke City/Silver Gate, MT entrances were limited to foot traffic and bicycles with some commercial tours. Although these were only temporary solutions, the long-term solutions are well underway and tourism has resumed.

Yellowstone Whitewater Rafting:

Having heard and seen the heightened attention on Yellowstone in the news, I wanted to share a recent visit we made to the area. Prior to the devastation, my husband, Herb, and I went on a family vacation with our daughter, Savannah, son-in-law, Derek, and grandson, Augie, during the summer of 2021 to Yellowstone National Park for three days. We rented an Airbnb just outside West Yellowstone which offered us easy access to the park from the West Entrance. We were able to explore the park by regions to the north, south, and east.

Our first day, we decided to head north. With a sense of adventure, we booked a day long whitewater rafting excursion with Wild West Rafting located in the old, western-style town of Gardiner, MT which has served as the main entrance to Yellowstone since its creation in 1872.

We entered the park at the West Entrance and made our way north. The signage was clear and easy to follow. The morning drive was a nice intro to the park. The vast meadows, rolling streams, miles of evergreens, and a sense of nature at its finest. We all were glued to the sites and did not want to miss what may be around the next bend.

Once we entered Gardiner, Wild West Rafting was easy to find, and we were welcomed by the friendly crew. After gearing up and a safety briefing, we were loaded onto a school bus and taken to the launch point on the Yellowstone River. We were assigned to a raft and carried our raft down to the shoreline. Each raft had eight rafters along with a guide. Since we were a party of five, we were partnered with a family of three.

We embarked on the full-day experience which included 18-miles on the Yellowstone River. We were one of about 10 other rafts taking the challenge. With class II and III rapids, we got our share of excitement and definitely got wet. Outside the rapids, the waters were tranquil, and the unique views were serene. Our adventure included lunch at Lunch Island and the best part was winding through Yankee Jim Canyon. We road through the tight canyon and at times it felt like we would be able to touch the majestic rock formations. We were even given the chance to swim before ending the day. It took us about five hours to complete the trip. We had a great time and as the day long trip may not be for everyone, there is an option for an 8-mile half day excursion but does not include lunch or Yankee Jim Canyon.

At the end of the trip, the guides loaded up all the rafts, and we were given a very entertaining bus ride back to the office. Once we got back to the office, we viewed professional photos taken while riding the rapids (see the photos below). It was so much fun, and I would highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

Geysers of Yellowstone:

Yellowstone has over 10,000 hydrothermal sites and half of the world’s active geysers. A product of millions of years of geology at work, Yellowstone sits on an ancient volcanic crater. Following the last eruption over 600,000 years ago, lava continued to flow for thousands of years. Heat from the volcanic activity is released into the surrounding ground and water which creates a thermal temperature change. The super heated water below the surface becomes trapped and vaporizes as steam to create the numerous geysers throughout the park.

Continental Divide of Yellowstone

Located on the Craig Pass, the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park is about 8 miles east of the Old Faithful Geyser on Grand Loop Road. At an elevation of 8,262 ft, the pass was names after Ida Craig who was the first tourist to cross the pass after it was completed in September 1891. The water on the north and east side of the divide flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and the south and west side flows directly into the Pacific Ocean.

Animals of Yellowstone

During the three days we spent in Yellowstone, we saw a number of animals in their natural habitat. Wildlife was alive and well. They were in herds in the countryside and even at home walking amongst the tourists.

Here are more pictures of the sites of Yellowstone.

I have only touched on some of the highlights of our trip to Yellowstone. I covered further adventures of our days in Yellowstone National Park if you would like to read more. The article is titled “Hiking the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park” under Emerald Adventures in the USA.