PLACES

AMERICAN BEAUTY

Yellowstone National Park offers once-in-a-lifetime wonders amid wide open spaces

BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

There are a host of wild characters in Paramount’s hit television drama Yellowstone. The first is Kevin Costner’s rugged John Dutton, patriarch of the show’s central family and the sixth-generation owner of the fictional Yellowstone Ranch. Then, there is Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton, arguably the fiercest female character on television right now, and Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler, the gritty ranch hand and Beth’s true love. But beyond the fictional characters, there is a very real and even wilder character that brings the show to vivid life: Yellowstone National Park. And it turns out that the drama only scrapes of the surface of what the more than 2.2 million-acre park has to offer. Established as the first national park in the United States in 1872 after President Ulysses S. Grant and Congress saw artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson’s paintings and photos of the region, Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in Wyoming, but it does cross the border into Montana and Idaho a bit as well. Given its sheer size, there are five entrances to the park. A best bet is to pick attractions and then choose the entrance closest to said attractions.

North

The north entrance, which is located in Montana and open yearround, resembles the entrance to Jurassic Park thanks to its 50-foot Roosevelt Arch, which was dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1903. This particular entrance offers the fastest route to Mammoth Hot Springs, which features limestone and travertine formations as well as several dozen steaming hydrothermal wonders one may explore thanks to two sturdy boardwalks. It also happens to be the perfect place to start an American safari due to its relatively short distance to Lamar Valley, often nicknamed America’s Serengeti due to its large and visible populations of large animals. Lamar Valley is home to elk, bison, grizzly and black bears, several packs of wolves and a variety of bird species.

Northeast

For those who have animal sightings high on their Yellowstone itinerary, there is also a northeast entrance that is even closer to Lamar Valley, open now through about mid-October. While it does not have an arch, the route to this entrance is dramatic in its own way. Called Beartooth Highway, the 68-mile National Scenic Byway climbs 5,000 feet through pine forests, alpine lakes and vibrant wildflowers and offers views of nearly two dozen mountain peaks.

East

As with the northeast entrance, the east entrance is only open for part of the year, now through midfall. Water lovers will gravitate toward this Wyoming entrance as it is the path of least resistance (and least distance) to Yellowstone Lake as well as waterfalls as far as the eye can see. Yellowstone Lake boasts 110 miles of shoreline and is the largest body of water within the park and remains cold year-round, notably not even thawing until May or June each year. Given this, swimming is prohibited in the lake, but alternative activities abound thanks to the Bridge Bay Marina and historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cottages. The Bridge Bay Marina offers both one-hour scenic cruise tours as well as boat rentals ranging from rowboats to 18-foot motorized options. There are also fishing boat tours and charters available daily and dock ship rentals for those who towed their own boats as well as kayaks, canoes and more. When on any vessel, it is hard to miss the yellow Lake Yellowstone Hotel nestled along the shoreline. One of the best places to stay in the entire park, the hotel is more than 100 years old but is renovated regularly, giving it historic charm with all the modern conveniences of today. Beyond the lake, the east entrance is also the gateway to copious waterfalls, most right off the main drag of the road. There are almost 300 total waterfalls in the park itself, so this route is a perfect way to take in dozens in short order then plan time to go back to the favorites.

West

Speaking of favorites, among many visitors’ favorite attractions in the park is its geysers – especially the Old Faithful geyser. All of the geysers are best accessed through the west entrance, located on the Wyoming/Montana border, also open now through early fall. Named for its frequent eruptions every two hours, Old Faithful was the first geyser named in the park and today is joined by at least 150 other hydrothermal brethren. There are so many, in fact, several are grouped into geyser basins. The largest in Yellowstone is called the Lower Geyser Basin and it includes Fountain Paint Pot, Firehole Lake Drive area and the Great Fountain Geyser.

South

Finally, for those who want to do it all, but with the most luxurious of accommodation and dining options, there is the south entrance, open now through late fall and close to the ritzy Jackson and Jackson Hole regions in Wyoming. En route to Yellowstone, many often make a pit stop at Grand Teton National Park along the way. Once in, you will drive about 20 miles until you start hitting the western geysers and then may begin along that route to experience everything else. For more information on the park, accommodations, tours, rentals and dining options, visit www.yellowstone.org.