Yellowstone National Park

We began our first day in Yellowstone by entering at the Northeast Entrance and traveling along Soda Butte Creek, through the Lamar Valley and across the northern road to the Mammoth Hot Springs.  We were amazed at the number of buffalo grazing in the immense valley and stopped more than once waiting for a herd to complete their crossing of the roadway.  One can only imagine what the plains looked like when hundreds of thousands of these beautiful creatures roamed wild before the massive slaughter by buffalo hunters nearly exterminated the species.  We also saw a good number of prong horn antelope and mule deer grazing in the early morning.  It was a very pleasant drive.

Bison on the Road

Pronghorn Antelope

We took in the sights along the Yellowstone River carving a deep valley as it meandered through the northern edge of the park.  The Lower Yellowstone Falls was spectacular as water rushed over its edge.  The Yellowstone Canyon is much smaller than the Grand Canyon but still very impressive.

Lower Yellowstone Falls

We made a stop at the Mammoth Hot Springs Visitor Center.  There we learn a bit of the park's early history and Fort Yellowstone.  Although Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872, there was  no National Park Service to protect and manage the vast area making up the park.  The park's resources were being exploited by numerous people and the situation got so bad that in 1886 the US Army was ordered to establish a fort on park lands to protect the park's resources.  We drove through the remaining buildings of Fort Yellowstone which reminded us of many of the structures found back home on Fort Leavenworth.  A large herd of elk now obstruct traffic as they graze on the fine grasses in the road medians and lawns.   https://www.nps.gov/features/yell/tours/FortYellowstone/index.htm

Elk Grazing at Fort Yellowstone

We got a good bit of exercise walking among along the boardwalk around the Mammoth Hot Springs.  It was a warm sunny day which made it very pleasant to wander this wonderful landscape.  We spent some time in the visitors center learning about the unique geology of Yellowstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Our return run to our cabin took us through Canyon Village where we stopped to buy provisions for the remainder of our stay.  We turned north and entered the Lamar Valley shortly before sunset.  The buffalo were still grazing but were obviously preparing to settle in for the night.  We got to our cabin just after dark.  It was a great start to our exploration of Yellowstone National Park.

The Left Half of this Duplex Cabin Was Our Rustic Shelter