The Greater Yellowstone Resource Guide provides recreation information for Yellowstone
National Park,
and the mountain resort
gateway communities of the Greater Yellowstone region of
Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Serving the communities
of Jackson Hole, Teton Valley, Island Park, Idaho Falls,
Swan Valley, Star Valley, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone
Park, Bozeman Montana, Big Sky, Paradise Valley, West Yellowstone, Cody Wyoming, the Wind River Valley and Pinedale.
In addition to your guide for fun the Greater Yellowstone Resource Guide provides Natural resource information including information about our Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Mountain Goats, Black Bears, Mule Deer, Elk, Bison etc. We also provide information about our mountains, Lakes, Rivers, Trout Streams, National Forests and National Parks.
The Greater Yellowstone Resource Guide is a work in progress and will never be finished because our areas gifts are to plentiful and there is always something new to find.
Yellowstone News
Greater Yellowstone ~ Window on the Wilderness 2011
The Movie
Winter Bison
64 Yellowstone bison headed for Montana tribal land
He stalled plan to repopulate the Plains with bison moved forward today, as 64 American icons from Yellowstone National Park were being transported to the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana, the Associated Press reports.................Tribal and state officials approved the transfer late Friday, but to avoid a court injunction the date was not revealed, said Robert Magnan, a tribal official with the Fort Peck Fish and Game Department................The genetically pure Yellowstone animals have been quarantined for several years since crossing over the park's northern boundary during their natural winter migration. All are free of brucellosis, which can cause the females to abort fetuses. Though the disease is rare in the United States, ranchers fear bison could transmit it to cattle. (It can also infect goats, pigs, dogs, camels and people.) Ranchers also worry that the bison will compete with their livestock and livelihood for range land.......................rest of story
Yellowstone's wildlife is a major attraction for the visiting photographer
Photographing Yellowstone ~ by Daryl L. Hunter
Yellowstone National Park has been a photography destination ever since Henry Jackson took the first photos of Yellowstone in 1872, Yellowstone's plethora of nature demands documentation from all who visit this world treasure. Yellowstone National Park welcomes photographers from across the country and from around the world to photograph its embarrassment of riches of natural wonders. Photographers come to document its pristine beauty and seasons of breathtaking contrasts: Scenic photographic opportunities abound, the wide-open grassy valleys, the perpendicular peaks of the Gallatin, Beartooth and Absaroka mountains. Yellowstone has hundreds of waterfalls, rivers that both gently meander through big valleys and writhing thorough whitewater canyons. This high mountain plateau attracts violent weather which makes wonderful accents too our earthly objects. More geysers than anywhere else on earth are here in Yellowstone waiting for the creative photographer capture eruptions of water at sunset. Colorful red and ocher mud pots, hot springs the deepest of blue outlined in orange and odd fumaroles dot the landscape of Yellowstone beaconing photographers from the other side of the world to take their story home......................... rest of story
Superlative Yellowstone by Daryl L. Hunter
Fountain Geyser, Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
OK let me dig deep into my reservoir of superlatives to adequately describe Yellowstone National Park, it is big, wild stunningly beautiful, and dynamic. Any description of Yellowstone will be filled with superlatives, yet words can never do it justice, but I will elaborate anyway; Yellowstone has the greatest concentration of thermal features in the world, up until 1,978 Yellowstone was the largest National Park in the country, One of the world's most spectacular canyons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and its two majestic waterfalls cut 1,600 feet deep into the golden rhyolite laid down by the last major eruption 600 thousand years ago; as Yellowstone is one of the six super volcanoes of the world. It is home of the world's second largest high altitude lake nestled in the pit of the Yellowstone caldera; Magnificent mountain scenery rings the unique terrain of the Yellowstone volcanic plateaus. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. And of course, it is home to, perhaps, the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful.............................................rest of story
Greater Yellowstone Communities
Jackson
Hole, WY • Jackson Hole WY is nestled between the Grand Teton and
Gros Ventre mountain ranges. It is home of Grand Teton
National Park. Jackson Hole is the southern gateway to
Yellowstone National Park. The Snake River Flows through
the Valley and the Grand Tetons tower above it at 13,770
feet above sea level. Jackson Hole is also home to the
national Elk Refuge where thousands of elk winter right
outside of the town of Jackson. Jackson Hole is known
as the best of the old west. -------------> More About Jackson Hole
Teton Valley Idaho •Teton Valley lies along the eastern
border of Idaho, snug against the 13,000' peaks of
the Grand Teton range. We share the Tetons with our
neighboring valley to the east, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Folks describe Teton Valley as "the quiet side
of the Tetons." --------------> More about Teton Valley
Bozeman Montana • Bozeman Montana was established in 1863, in Gallatin County which is 2,517 square miles in size. To put this in perspective, Gallatin County is larger than the states of Rhode Island or Delaware. Much of surrounding countryside is fertile farm fields, and over 40% is managed by the U.S. Forest Service which provides excellent recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Agriculture continues to be the number one industry of the area, and wheat, and barley fields and picturesque old barns dot the landscape.The great active lifestyle magazine, Outside Magazine, has rated Bozeman on of the 15 best “sport cities” in the country. Bozeman received this recognition because of outstanding opportunities for fly-fishing, downhill skiing, hunting, hiking, camping, climbing, canoeing, and kayaking. Bozeman is an angler's paradise with several outstanding streams and rivers within an hour's drive.----------------------> More about Bozeman
Yellowstone National Park • Established on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone
National Park is the first and oldest national park
in the world. Preserved within Yellowstone are Old
Faithful Geyser and some 10,000 hot springs and geysers,
the majority of the planet's total. These geothermal
wonders are evidence of one of the world's largest
active volcanoes; its last eruption created a crater
or caldera that spans almost half of the park. An outstanding mountain wildland with
clean water and air, Yellowstone is home of the grizzly
bear and wolf, and free-ranging herds of bison and
elk. It is the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,
one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems
remaining on the planet. ----------------------> more about Yellowstone
Island Park ID • Island Park Idaho is In the heart
of Targhee National Forest, whether you are interested
in historical landmarks, fly fishing, hiking, camping
horseback riding, hunting,snowmobiling or just on your
way through to Yellowstone, Island Park’s natural
splendor will captivate you. Most people think of an
island as something belonging in an ocean. But deep
within the boundaries of the Targhee National Forest
lies an almost magical island that offers all of this
and more. --------------------> More about Island Park
Star Valley Wyoming • Star Valley is located 30 miles south of Jackson Hole, a
beautiful valley dotted with farms and a mountainous
topography tucked between the Salt River Range in western
Wyoming and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho. Three
national forests surround Star Valley, Bridger-Teton
National Forest, Caribou National Forest, and the Targhee
National. Star Valley Wyoming. The Snake and Greys River
inter the valley on the north side and dump into 20 mile
long Palisades Lake and the Salt River winds through
its center. Star Valley provides great access for the
outdoorsman and is home to world class hunting and fishing.
Star Valley Is a rich place to visit or live.------------------> More about Star Valley
Idaho Falls ID • On the banks of the Snake River at the foot of west
slope of the northern Rockies lies Idaho Falls Idaho
a beautiful farming, ranching, and high tech community.
As a gateway community to Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National parks and a hub for the best wild trout fishing
in the lower 48 states Idaho Falls is also a great recreational
community. ------------------------> More about Idaho Falls
Swan Valley Idaho • Swan Valley, Irwin and Palisades are the communities
that comprise the scenic valley that nestle along the
banks of the South Fork of the Snake River below Palisades
Dam, collectively known as Swan Valley, one of the premier
tail water dry-fly fisheries in North America. With the
Big Hole Range to the north, the Caribou Mountains to
the south and the Palisades Range to the east, splendid
panoramas abound and year-round outdoor activities are
a magnet for sportsmen and adventurers. The surrounding
mountains provide some of the best hunting, horseback
riding, hiking, mountain biking etc. to be found anywhere.---------------------> More about Swan Valley
Grand Teton National Park • Established in 1929, Grand
Teton National Park emerged from a complicated and
controversial series of events. The park first consisted
of the mountain range and several glacial lakes. Later
the valley floor was protected as Jackson Hole National
Monument. The two areas were combined in 1950............... Today the park encompasses
nearly 310,000 acres and protects the Teton Range,
Jackson Hole (mountain valley), a 50-mile portion of
the Snake River, seven morainal lakes, over 100 backcountry
and alpine lakes, and a wide range of wildlife and
plant species............... The park is also rich in
a cultural history that includes seven eras of human
history: early peoples (paleo-indians), Native Americans
(modern tribes), fur trappers, homesteaders, ranchers/farmers,
conservationists, and recreationalists. Climbing, hiking
and backpacking, camping, fishing, wildlife and bird
watching, horseback riding, boating on Jackson and
Jenny Lakes, rafting on the Snake River, bicycling,
and photography are all common activities in the area.
About 4 million visitors enjoy the park each year,
most visit between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day.---------------> More about Grand Teton National Park
Wind River Valley, WY • The Wind River Valley a is where ancient geology meets today’s adventurer, where an adventurous day of moving cattle from horseback, can be followed by an evening of fine dining and fine art. Wide expanses of country enrich the senses, from sage on the morning air, or the cry of an eagle, to the sight of majestic snow-covered mountain peaks. The vivid landscape is rich with the juxtaposition of a festival of the color, sounds, and sights of breathtaking wonder. The Red Desert’s Badlands stand starkly against the stark contrast of the magnificent Absaroka and Wind River mountains that serrate the skyline in the background. The deep curve of the Wind River Valley is shaped by the snowcapped Wind River Range to the West and the Absaroka and Owl Creek ranges on the east, forming a cottonwood-lined bottom that many consider one of the most beautiful areas in Wyoming. --------> More about the Wind River Valley
Pinedale Wyoming • Pinedale is located on the eastern flank of the Greater Yellowstone Eco-system and is home to more than 100,000 big game animals including Continental America's longest big game migration route and a crucial link to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem The largest publicly-owned big game winter range in the GYE The largest mule deer herd in U.S. and one of the west's last best sage grouse habitats. Deer and antelope outnumber residents by ten to one and are commonly seen year-round. Elk, mule deer, antelope, wolves, moose, grizzly and black bear, and many other wildlife species call Sublette County home. The Upper Green River Valley is also a world-class fishery – Life Is Good! ------------------------> More about Pinedale
West Yellowstone Montana • West Yellowstone, Montana is the western gateway to the world’s first national park, Yellowstone. West Yellowstone nurtures the charm of small western town snuggled into a spectacular Rocky Mountain setting. West Yellowstone is the perfect vacation destination for the nature lover and outdoorsman. West Yellowstone has a wonderful sense of history and prides itself on the way they have taken care of Yellowstone Park visitors since Yellowstone Parks founding n 1872. With all that experience, West Yellowstone has the lodging, restaurants, and services to show its guests a real good time.---------------> More about West Yellowstone
Cody Wyoming • The past is always present in Cody Wyoming. This part of Wyoming represents the last of the true West. Cody is what America was; a place cowboy culture survives the retro heartbeat of the west.The high plains to mountains vista is spectacular, the land is wild, the people are genuinely friendly and the opportunities for outdoor adventure, recreation, education, and entertainment are as large and varied as the Wyoming skies.----------------> More about Cody
Red Lodge Montana • Red Lodge, Montana is one of several gateways to Yellowstone Park however, it is the only gateway that has the beautiful Beartooth Highway as the gate. Come and experience true western hospitality in this quaint, historic, mountain town. Today, Red Lodge is still a working agricultural town. Thanks in no small part to the town’s preservation of and appreciation for its colorful past, it’s also a fascinating destination where history is not so much a thing of the past as it is a vibrant part of the present...............Red Lodge features beautiful ranch lands, flowing rivers, spring creeks, and abundant wildlife. Mule deer enjoy the open range and grasslands available to them in outside Red Lodge, Yellowstone elk come down from the mountain tops to spend the winters, grizzly bears often visit to provide a thrill or a scare, moose are also abundant and wolves wander in and out of the valley.----------------> More about Red Lodge
Paradise Valley Montana • This gem on the northern border of Yellowstone received It's named “Paradise Valley” for good reason, this premier Montana vacation spot has perfect summers and mild winters with spectacular views of the Absaroka and Gallatin mountain ranges under the famed Montana "big sky." The close proximity to Yellowstone Park; the Beartooth Highway and many other natural wonders make Paradise Valley the perfect place to vacation. Besides having the Legendary fly-fishing River “The Yellowstone” flowing through its center, world class Spring Creeks; private lakes and other fishing streams draw anglers from around the world. World class big game hunting, whitewater rafting, kayaking, wildlife viewing and photography, hiking, camping and horseback riding are just a few of the unlimited recreational opportunities available here in Paradise Valley. Many fine Bed and Breakfasts, cabins and guest ranches provide lots of options for fine lodging.----------------> More about Paradise Valley
Big Sky Montana• The Mountain Village of Big Sky is blessed with amazing beauty compliments of the Gallatin Mountain Range and more activities than a mere mortal could ever dream of doing. During summer you can fly-fish, hike, bike, raft, horseback ride, golf, camp, watch wildlife or simply relax and enjoy the scenery while trying to figure out how to do it all. Winter provides for some of the best downhill skiing in America; offering a combined 5600 acres of pure adventure. Nordic skiing, dog-sledding, trips to Yellowstone and moonlit sleigh ride dinners complete the winter experience. ----------------------------> More about Big Sky Montana
