Most of the earliest Yellowstone National Park tourists came from Montana because that’s where the access rivers ran. The north entrance via the Yellowstone River was 60 miles from the farm town of Bozeman, and the west entrance via the Madison was 90 miles from the gold rush town of Virginia City. Both rivers flow through rugged canyons that made travel difficult. In fact, the Madison Canyon was so bad that early travelers chose to cross the continental divide twice to avoid it. But that was a small sacrifice. Passage over the Raynolds and Targhee Passes was relatively easy. Besides, traveling this route provided the reward of a stop at Henry’s Lake. Continue Reading →
tourism
Recent Posts
Group hosts sustainable travel training program in Wyoming
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The Yellowstone Business Partnership and Sustainable Travel International will co-host up to 30 tourism professionals at Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming for a hands-on educational experience designed to advance best practices in sustainable tourism. The course runs from Nov. 27 through Dec. 2 and is designed for tourism and hospitality professionals, sustainability consultants, professional and aspiring auditors, and environmental planners and managers, according to a statement released by the partnership. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, sustainability, tourism, training, yellowstone business partnership
Year-to-date Yellowstone and Grand Teton visitation up slightly through August
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Despite a stubbornly high national unemployment rate and weak economy, visitation so far this year to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks has increased slightly over 2011, with the summer travel season ending on a relatively high note for the regional tourism industry. Though recreational visits in Yellowstone National Park were down 3.1 percent in August compared to last year, year-to-date visits were up 2.1 percent for 2012 through August. Year-to-date visits through August were up 4.5 percent in Grand Teton National Park compared to 2011, according to figures available on the National Park Service website. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, cody, dining, retail, tourism, visitation, west yellowstone
Indiana boy enjoys Yellowstone Park dream vacation after recovering from leukemia
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An Indiana boy and his family enjoyed a Yellowstone National Park dream vacation last month thanks to a charity in his home state and the generosity and hospitality of people in the park and a nearby gateway community. "The trip and everybody involved just far exceeded everything that we expected. Everybody just bent over backwards to do great things for us," said Nathan Bartlett, whose son, Christopher was diagnosed in 2009 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Christopher, 8, of Whitting, Ind. is doing well now after a tough course of chemotherapy, his father said, so they boy was able to make the most of a family vacation sponsored by the Northwest Indiana chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Continue Reading →
Filed under: People, buffalo bill historical center, charity, cody nite rodeo, make a dream, park county travel council, tourism, wyoming river trips
Pig racing makes Montana bar a unique Yellowstone attraction
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Tourism slowed to a trickle in many small towns around Yellowstone after a series of spectacular fires in 1988 burned across nearly one third of the park. So, with a local population of only 83 people in Bearcreek, Mont., bar and restaurant owner Bob "Pits" DeArmond knew he had to do something to attract attention, and visitors. So got into pig racing. "We just figured pig races might be the thing," said DeArmond, owner of the Bear Creek Saloon and Steakhouse, home of Bear Creek Downs. A natural-born promoter, DeArmond has tried a number of attractions and events around his place in addition to pig racing, including a sagebrush golf tournament, a velcro wall and iguana races. Continue Reading →
Filed under: attractions, bars, bear creek, bearcreek, fun, just for fun, montana, pig races
Montana bar stakes claim as Yellowstone attraction where pigs fly
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Tourism slowed to a trickle in many small towns around Yellowstone after a series of spectacular fires in 1988 burned across nearly one third of the park. So, with a local population of only 83 people in Bearcreek, Mont., bar and restaurant owner Bob "Pits" DeArmond knew he had to do something to attract attention, and visitors. So he called in the pigs. "We just figured pig races might be the thing," said DeArmond, owner of the Bear Creek Saloon and Steakhouse, home of Bear Creek Downs. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, attractions, bear creek, bearcreek, fun, gambling, just for fun, montana
Yellowstone gateway businesses join effort to highlight Montana tourism industry
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As Memorial Day approaches, and with it the start of the summer travel season, members of the tourism industry around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are pushing to make sure legislators are aware of their economic clout. In towns across Montana last week, including in the Yellowstone National Park gateway communities of Gardiner and Livingston, tourism industry professionals hosted open houses and special events with legislators and candidates as part of a National Tourism Week event. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, hotels in montana, lodging tax, policy, tourism, travel, yellowstone
While Yellowstone and Grand Teton thrive, visits to most national parks declining
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A national parks and travel industry insider has hailed the work of Yellowstone Gate readers in sharing information about Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, but cautions that visitation is declining at most parks over the long term. John Poimiroo, CEO of the National Parks Promotion Council, has awarded Yellowstone Gate with the first "Promi Prize" for the Parked for a Day series of first-hand accounts of activities in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Commentary, john pimiroo, national parks promotion council, promotion, tourism, travel
Grand Teton and Yellowstone drew more than $750 million in tourist spending in 2010
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Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and their gateway communities received more than $750 million in tourist spending that supported more than 11,000 jobs in 2010, according to a new report from the National Park Service. The study found that national park visitors nationwide pumped more than $31 billion into local economies and supported 258,000 jobs in 2010, offering a counterpoint to energy industry advocates who want fewer limits on federal lands managed by Salazar, including environmentally sensitive areas near parks. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, economy, gateways, grand teton, jarvis, salazar
Cody business owners worried about slow fix for crumbling Yellowstone road
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Repairs to a partially washed-out section of road between Sylvan Pass and Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone National Park will not begin until at least the middle of next year, leaving some Cody business owners worried that further damage could shut down the road entirely. Part of the eastbound lane along a section of road known as "Nine Mile," near Sedge Bay, was washed away in mid-May, just days after the park's East Entrance opened for the summer season. Continue Reading →