Yellowstone National Park

grizzly bear, wolf or herds of buffalo. In 1978, the Yellowstone National Park was declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site. .

Basic Facts

The Yellowstone National Park was established in order to protect geographical and natural rarities. Nowhere in the world you would find so many natural monuments so close to each other. There is a large petrified forest which is ranked among the largest ones on the planet. It comprises trees that had been buried under layers of volcanic dust and soil and became petrified. Yellowstone National Park is popular among tourists because of geothermal phenomena: geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots are living reminders of the fact that the most frequently visited American park is situated on a huge caldera - in fact, on an active super volcano. Another nature´s rarity is a canyon, nearly 300 meters deep (Grand Canyon Yellowstone) and a large lake, the largest one out of many lakes within the national park, called Yellowstone Lake.

Old Faithful Geyser

Old Faithful Geyser is the best-known tourist attraction in the park. It is located in the Upper Geysers Basin, along with other well-known geysers, mud volcanoes and fumaroles (hot springs which burst out) . The Old Faithful Geyser has been throwing gallons of water skyward over 120 years already, in fact, every 65 minutes on average. The water tower reaches 32 through 56 meters. There are over 300 geysers within the Yellowstone National Park, which means 2/3 out of all geysers in the world. Other well-known geysers are e.g. the Castle, whose cone really resembles a castle, and the Riverside and the Grand. When visiting the Yellowstone National Park, you should not skip the Old Faithful area as it its active in a predictable way, and the approximate time of the spectacular performance is announced by the Information Centre, which is less than 200 meters far from the site. In addition, they can recommend you best trails in case that you feel like discovering a geyser on your own, or enjoying nearly virgin wilderness.

Useful Tips

You can explore the Yellowstone National Park on foot or on bike, following marked trails, or by boat. In winter, you can take a guided ride on motor sledge. One of the options is the Grand Loop Road, which is 230 km (142 miles) long. It will get you to Yellowstone Lake and most impressive geothermal phenomena. The scenic views on the way are just amazing. Seated in your car, you can admire the waterfalls (by the way, there are 300 hundred waterfalls within the park) , as well as the wildlife - animals move from place to place freely. When passing through the park, it is worth stopping at places where other cars have stopped already - as the other tourists may observe herds of deer or bison, or perhaps a pair of lovely little bear cubs. Actually, bears from the Yellowstone National Park had been models for world-famous cartoon heroes: Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, his inseparable friend (they live in the Yellystone Park) . Walking along trails directed among unbelievably varicolored - yet rather smelly - hot springs and mud volcanoes, you can find yourself in front of a lying buffalo. If you inform a ranger, he will act immediately to solve the problem - he will close the path to prevent other visitors from disturbing the majestic animal. A one-day visit to the Yellowstone National Park is not enough – for example, National Geographic recommends five and a half day. If you do not like crowds, you should visit the park beyond the main season - and you should hike, rather than drive a car. Yellowstone National Park is accessible through five entrances, of which the North Entrance is open around the year, while the others are open from May to end of October. Admission: $25 per vehicle, $12 per biker/hiker; the ticket is valid for seven days.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available in private campgrounds (tents or cabins) or in hotels, e.g. Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Overnight stay beyond the campgrounds is possible but you have to ask for permit ahead of time.

Transport

The Yellowstone National Park is accessible from Highway no. 15 or Highway no. 90. The nearest airport is in Cody or Jackson . Sometimes it is good to fly to Salt Lake City (Utah) , or to Denver (Colorado) and hire a car there.