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Federal budget cuts force Yellowstone Park to curtail Old Faithful eruptions

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Visitors to Yellowstone National Park watch Old Faithful geyser erupt. (Ruffin Prevost/Yellowstone Gate)

Yellowstone National Park officials announced Monday that budgetary restrictions on water use would curtail eruptions at Old Faithful Geyser. Famous around the world for its regular eruptions timed approximately every 90 minutes, Old Faithful is the most popular attraction in America's first national park. But in an effort to save up to $150,000 toward a total of $1.75 million in cuts required under the Congressional sequestration budget deal, the geyser's eruption schedule will be reduced for the first time since the signing of an interstate water compact in 1892. Other thermal features in the park will also be scaled back. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Inside the Parks, Yellowstone, old faithful, sequester, yellowstone park

Wyoming towns meet fundraising goal for plowing Yellowstone roads on time

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Crews work earlier this spring to plow Sylvan Pass, the highest point along the east entrance road into Yellowstone National Park. (National Park Service photo - click to enlarge)

Two small Wyoming tourist towns at the edge of Yellowstone National Park are celebrating successful fundraising efforts to cover the cost of plowing part of the roads leading into the park, assuring an on-time opening for their gates this spring. The chambers of commerce in Cody and Jackson have confirmed that they have raised enough money to move forward with a plan to pay for Wyoming Department of Transportation personnel and equipment to assist in snow removal inside Yellowstone's east and south gates. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Gateway Towns, cody, cody chamber of commerce, jackson, jackson chamber of commerce, plowing, yellowstone park

Got Elk? Luck and preparation yield an arresting Yellowstone coyote photo

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A coyote is smeared with elk blood after feeding on a carcass in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. (©Meg Sommers - click to enlarge)

When I look at this image I remember it as lucky shot. But to paraphrase Louis Pasteur, "Luck favors the prepared." When this coyote crossed the road in front of me that January day in the Lamar Valley, I knew where the carcass was, and I had the right lens and tripod already set. The coyote crossed the road, looked back at us and I took the shot. I was lucky and prepared. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Photos & Videos, Wildlife, coyote, how i got that shot, meg sommers, photography, photos, yellowstone park

6 Kid-Friendly Geysers in Yellowstone Park’s Upper Geyser Basin

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Young children often have short attention spans while older kids are sometimes more interested in texting than wildlife watching. Which is why Old Faithful geyser is among the most popular family attractions in Yellowstone National Park. It provides a predictable and guaranteed natural wonder that performs on schedule. But that also makes it one of the most crowded places in the park. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, kids, old faithful, plume gyeser, yellowstone geysers, yellowstone park

How I Got That Shot: Wolf-Bison standoff at Otter Creek in Yellowstone

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A wolf from the Canyon Pack stalks an ailing bison at Otter Creek in Yellowstone National Park. (©Meg Sommers - click to enlarge)

It happened at Otter Creek in Yellowstone National Park in October. The female bison (known as a cow) wasn't feeling very well. You could tell that just by watching her. She was lethargic, and never moved very far away from a small meadow she had chosen. Had she felt better, I would have expected her to join the bison herd less than a mile away. It was also pretty clear that the wolf knew she was vulnerable. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Photos & Videos, Wildlife, bison, meg sommers, photography, predators, wolves, yellowstone park

Yellowstone fire danger remains ‘extreme,’ small blazes prompt limited closures

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The Dewdrop Fire in Yellowstone National Park was discovered July 29 burning in the backcountry nine miles southeast of Canyon. It spans approximately 63 acres.

Several days of dry weather have prompted officials to elevate the fire danger in Yellowstone National Park to extreme, the highest possible level. Fire restrictions are in effect, and campfires are allowed only in established fire grates or fire rings in picnic areas or campgrounds. Two fires in the central portion of the Yellowstone have become more active, and smoke may be visible from areas along the Grand Loop Road from Norris to Canyon Village and south to Fishing Bridge. Aside from a few trail segments and some backcountry campsite closures associated with the fires, all park entrances, roads, campgrounds, lodging, stores and other visitor services are open. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, fire, safety, yellowstone park

Yellowstone motorcyclist killed in head-on collision with SUV

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A motorcycle passes between the base of Talus Slope and the Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park. (Yellowstone Gate file photo/Ruffin Prevost - click to enlarge)

A motorcyclist was killed late Tuesday afternoon after a head-on collision with a sport utility vehicle in Yellowstone National Park, and another was hospitalized. James Michael Cody of Wright, Wyo., was killed after striking a sport utility vehicle that had crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic, according to a statement released Thursday by the Yellowstone public affairs office. The incident remains under investigation, but preliminary information suggests the SUV driver may have fallen asleep momentarily, park officials said. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, fatality, motorcycles, safety, traffic, yellowstone park

Take a leisurely stroll along Slough Creek in northern Yellowstone Park

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For an enjoyable early or late season hike in Yellowstone, the Slough Creek Trail offers unparalleled scenery and great fishing. The trail starts near the Slough Creek Campground and travels 11 miles to the Park's northern boundary, following Slough Creek for most of the way. This excellent trail is actually an old wagon road leading to the Silver Tip Ranch, just north of Yellowstone. The road is still used by ranch residents to gain access to the Silver Tip, so don't be surprised if you encounter a few horse-drawn wagons on your journey. If you do, please follow proper trail etiquette and step off the trail to allow them to pass. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Yellowstone, day hikes, slough creek, yellowstone, yellowstone park

Where is Yellowstone National Park?

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Yellowstone National Park roads and distances.

Once you've entered the park from one of the five gates, it's important to keep in mind how truly vast Yellowstone is. The world's first national park is 2.2 million acres, or more than 3,400 square miles. That's bigger than the countries of Luxembourg and Singapore combined, or larger than the U.S. states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It's not a park you can see all of on foot, or even by car, in a single day or even a week. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Plan Your Visit, Yellowstone, roads, travel, trip planning, where is yellowstone, where is yellowstone national park, yellowstone

Where is Yellowstone? New book answers question in a multitude of ways

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Where is Yellowstone?

Where is Yellowstone? For those who know and love the park, it's a place where you're always seeking to stay a little longer or return for one more visit. But for a while at least, you might also find it between the covers of a book. The comprehensive new Altas of Yellowstone includes maps and informational graphics covering a dizzying array of topics, from animal migration routes to historic explorations, regional economies to wildland fires, vegetation patterns to mountain climbing. Continue Reading →

Filed under: atlas of yellowsotne, cartography, maps, where is yellowstone, yellowstone history, yellowstone maps, yellowstone park