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Woman tossed by bison in Canyon area

Another reminder that those cute and cuddly bison aren't really cute and cuddly: a 50-year-old tourist from Spain was butted and tossed in the air by a bison in the Canyon area, requiring a visit to the Lake Clinic and treatment for mild injuries.

Welcome to Yellowstone Insider 3.0!

Welcome to the third version of Yellowstone Insider! You’ll find some old faces and new voices as we continue to bring you the Internet’s definitive guide to America’s oldest National Park. We think you'll be happy with the many, many changes we've made in a complete overhaul of the site.
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Search continues for Yellowstone suicide

In what has been deemed a suicide by witnesses and park officials, searchers are still looking for the body of a Utah resident who jumped off an observation deck overlooking the Yellowstone River Tuesday afternoon.

Witnesses say that the man, identified as 20-year-old Nicholas Mostert, was standing on the observation deck when he jumped into the river and traveled downstream and down the 308-foot Lower Falls, which feeds into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Four Yellowstone bison killed after wandering outside protected area

Three Yellowstone National Park bison were killed by Montana Department of Livestock officials after wandering outside the confines of the Park and an area designated for bison grazing, while a fourth was killed near the South Fork of the Madison River.

Another lawsuit filed challenging wolf delisting

Another legal salvo has been fired in the controversial wolf-management plan proposed earlier this year, as the Greater Yellowstone Coalition filed its own lawsuit opposing the removal of the wolf from the Endangered Species list.

Visitor numbers up 20 percent in May: NPS

For those worried about a slow season ahead in Yellowstone National Park, the May numbers should alleviate some concerns, as the National Park Service announces visitor numbers for May 2009 were up sharply over a year ago.

Woman tossed by bison in Canyon area

Search continues for Yellowstone suicide

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Basics/FAQs

Destination Yellowstone

If you told your friends or family that you were going to spend some of your vacation in an active volcano, they might think you were crazy. Yet every year more than three million people do exactly that. Yellowstone National Park is a volcano. Almost everything that is special in Yellowstone is the result of being one of the world’s largest active volcanoes, in fact, a super-volcano. Fortunately, Yellowstone’s current volcanic activity is limited to hot water and earthquakes -- no eruptions, flowing magma, or cataclysmic explosions. Yellowstone did the cataclysmic explosion thing about 640,000 years ago and is resting for a possible encore in some more tens of thousands of years. Yellowstone the volcano is not going to erupt anytime soon.

Welcome to Yellowstone Insider 3.0!

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Issues

Wolves in Yellowstone: About Wolves

No other animal says northern wilderness like the gray wolf. The distant piercing howl of a wolf pack can send shivers up the spine of almost every vertebrate, including humans. In appearance and behavior wolves remind us of man’s best friend, the dog, as they should; dogs are descendants of wolves. However, in the wild, wolves are a far cry from the domestic dog. Wolves are surrounded by myths and legends, most of them dark, forbidding -- scary. Whether their frightening reputation fits the facts...that’s been a subject of controversy, probably since the dawn of human time.

Wolves in Yellowstone: A Short History

Seen as a circle of snarling, long-fanged killers closing in on the prey; or as a curious, dog-like face with fluffy white rimmed fur -- either way, wolves get our attention. Wolves are smart. They are persistent and fierce predators. They hunt in groups, as a pack. Pack hunting by wolves stimulates fear in the human imagination almost more than any other large predator, excepting the great cats (tigers, lions, cougars). Wherever wolves exist, they become the subject of mythology, and the present day is not excluded (think werewolf). Wherever there are wolves, there are people who fear them, hate them, respect them, and venerate them. This is another way of expressing that wherever there are wolves and people, there is potential for conflict and controversy.

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Plans

How Long Does It Take to See Yellowstone?

How long will it take to see Yellowstone? Wiseguy answer: A lifetime.

Don’t even think about racing around Yellowstone. The park’s 154 miles of main highway, the Grand Loop Road, is in the shape of a figure eight, but it’s no race track. For one thing, most of the other people in the park are not in a big hurry. The general park speed limit is 45 miles per hour but in normal traffic you’ll be lucky to average 30 miles per hour. Visiting park attractions takes time (parking, walking, and waiting for geysers). Figure ½ hour to 2 hours for almost every stop. Plus there will be any number of unscheduled stops, such as waiting for a bison herd to cross the road.

What to See

Sightseeing isn't the only thing to do in the Yellowstone Region; but it's way ahead of whatever is in second place. Even people who come to the area to do things like fishing or hiking will spend a portion of their time seeing (or re-seeing) the sights. So, the question "What's to see?" has got to be very important for making plans. Besides, the Greater Yellowstone Region is one of the most beautiful and scenic in the United States; sightseeing goes with the territory.

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Kids

Joining the Junior Rangers in Yellowstone

In Yellowstone, kids who are between 5 and 12 can participate in the Junior Ranger Program, which is intended to show them all the wonders and beauty of Yellowstone, and how they can help preserve it. All that is needed to participate is the $3 needed to buy a 12-page activity book. Read more...

Must-do items for the younger set

Keeping a kid occupied in Yellowstone National Park is a breeze. Here's our list of the top five all-time greatest things for kids to do in Yellowstone.

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History

Yellowstone Icons: The Roosevelt Arch

By Sean Reichard

There are many icons in Yellowstone National Park, in and of itself one of the most iconic places in the United States. Old Faithful Geyser, Castle Geyser, Morning Glory Pool, Old Faithful Inn, a herd of bison, a lone elk standing proudly on a hill as the sun rises.

A Short History of Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has a rich, detailed history extending over hundreds of years. Today, the park is known internationally as a prime destination for people seeking a unique, outdoors experience. But back during the late 1700s, the idea of a Yellowstone, neigh a national park, was ridiculous.