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Yellowstone National Park stretches
across the northwest corner of Wyoming
reaching into Idaho and Montana founded
in 1872 Yellowstone was the world's
first national park and now hosts over 4
million adventures every year
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a 12-hour drive from Seattle or a
five-hour drive from Salt Lake City
there's no doubt that it's a trek to get
here but the moment you step foot in
this vast park you'll know it was worth
every mile
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with endless green prairies spectacular
mountain ranges and abundant wildlife
Yellowstone is the very best of North
American wilderness wrapped up into a 2
million acre gift for nature lovers
Yellowstone is proudly managed by the
National Park Service and its highlights
are easily accessible by the loop road
which can be reached from each of the
parks five entrances so buckle up and
get ready to explore a land untouched by
humanity
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Yellowstone is a geothermal extravaganza
that sits atop of slumbering
supervolcano which is said to have
violently erupted over 60,000 years ago
geologists have long debated the
calderas origins and theories abound as
to when the next big eruption is due
but don't let the merchants of doom put
you off seismic activity is closely
monitored to ensure the safety of park
visitors
one of the best places to witness the
geothermal activity bubbling beneath
Yellowstone is a Grand Prismatic spring
just under 25 miles from the parks west
entrance admire the vivid pool from afar
but don't get any ideas about plunging
in these steaming waters can reach
temperatures near boiling
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just to the south is Old Faithful one of
the most visited geysers in the world
aptly named Old Faithful punctual II
spews boiling water and steam into the
sky every sixty to ninety minutes the
explorers of yesteryear once used Old
Faithful as their laundry placing
garments at the vent which were blasted
into the sky and thoroughly washed by
the boiling water
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this landscape is not only an impressive
display of geothermal activity it is
also laced with lush forests rivers and
lakes the yellowstone lake is the
tranquil heart of the park and outdoor
enthusiasts congregate here for all
sorts of recreational activities cast a
line in the icy high-altitude waters
venture out in a kayak or explore the
lapping Shores and foot
the park is not only rich with legends
and precious views it is also teeming
with wildlife Yellowstone has long been
a refuge for America's native animals
and the parks greatest success story is
the restoration of the mighty bison
today Yellowstone is home to the planets
largest remaining wild herd in Hayden
Valley the close encounter with this
sturdy Beast is almost guaranteed so
remember to keep your eyes on the road
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one of the most dramatic sites in the
park is the Yellowstone River fed by
Yellowstone Lake the river winds its way
north before plummeting 300 feet off
Lower Falls and into the Grand Canyon of
Yellowstone
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leave your car and embark on the short
hike to artist point one of the best
places to sit and marvel at the
immensity of this natural wonder
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natural beauty can lift the spirit like
nothing else and there are countless
places in Yellowstone which seem to be
designed for travellers to simply sit
back and admire unfold a picnic chair at
Pebble Creek and let the sound of its
rushing waters clear your mind and
soothe your soul
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still in the parks north dense trees
open out into rolling prairies in lamar
valley it's lush fields are watered by
babbling brooks and framed by a backdrop
of snow-capped peaks
bring your binoculars to catch a closer
glimpse of more wild bison along with
Yellowstone's other native animals
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when evening sets in set up your tent at
one of the many campsites or head out of
the parks north entrance to Gardner this
Gateway town is the perfect haven for
weary travelers warm yourself with a
hearty meal at one of the many saloons
before continuing your epic Yellowstone
adventure in Yellowstone a step in any
direction is like a journey to another
continent and sometimes another planet
just south of Gardner is Mammoth Hot
Springs the springs carry minerals which
solidify into ever-changing limestone
terraces the ethereal formations are
breathtaking reminder that even in the
natural world change is the great
constant of life make your way south to
Norris an area surrounded by hundreds of
geothermal wonders listen to clay
bubbling and boiling from the depths of
the earth and artists Paint Pots wander
boardwalks set just inches from the
trembling surface of Norris Geyser Basin
and hold your breath as you advance
through billowing clouds of vapor rising
from beneath the planet's crust
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Yellowstone National Park has long been
a land of epic horizons legendary
stories and endless renewal as the
grandfather of all national parks its
legacy has inspired wildlife
preservation across the globe
today a trip into the heart of
Yellowstone is like a journey back in
time a journey to the great landscape of
America before Europeans arrived
it's a journey to creation itself
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