Shortages and rationing of everything from gasoline to baking flour discouraged them further. However, the end of World War II marked a great renaissance for tourism nationwide. Just as the doughboys of WWI had flocked to their national parks, returning WWII veterans made the most of a post-war economic boom and took to the highways. Yellowstone tourism surged. The parks themselves, however, were not ready for the onslaught and visitors encountered crumbling roads, poor accommodations and evidence of more than a decade of neglect, as the nation had concentrated its efforts on fighting the Superintendent Horace Albright at the 50th anniversary celebration of the founding of Yellowstone National Park, 1922. depression and the war. The NPS recognized Courtesy National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park. their visitors’ needs and inaugurated a 10-year, system-wide program to update and upgrade was a new concept for many Americans – who were again concerned park facilities in 1956. Known as Mission 66, the program built new about the commercialization of the nation’s recreational areas – and the hotels, repaired aging infrastructure and brought YNP into the modern agency moved forward with plans to professionalize its scientific efforts. age of tourism. Space-age architecture was included in Yellowstone’s new Demonstrating its commitment to conserving natural places, while Canyon Village, while elderly structures like the Canyon Hotel inviting the public to enjoy them, the NPS continues to balance these were removed. often-competing missions. The great Yellowstone fires of 1988 directed national attention to the Service’s conservation strategies and, though As Mission 66 concluded in 1966, the NPS again sought new directions initially seen as catastrophic, fire is now recognized as a natural part of as the protectors and promoters of the nation’s parks. Conservation park resource management. Automobiles lined up for touring the park next to Liberty Cap, Mammoth, Yellowstone National Park, ca. 1925. Courtesy National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park.
Today, the NPS continues to welcome visitors to Yellowstone from every nation on earth. Record-breaking visitation numbers are almost routine as more than three million people pass through the park every year. Still, the NPS retains vestiges of its early days in the park. From the WWI era campaign hats to the rangers’ knowledge of geology, plants and animals, the NPS can be proud of the 100 years of professional management that they continue to bring to the public in Yellowstone.
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