Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the Northeast Entrance to Tower-Roosevelt
Junction
This area saw more human activity than any other part of park territory, both before the park
was set aside and shortly thereafter. This route along Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River
was an important trail for Native American Indians, trappers, and miners in the nineteenth
century.
If miners and railroad interests had had their way in the 1880s and '90s, the Cinnabar and
Clarks Fork Railway would have been built through the valley. Congress considered but re-
jected several bills that would have authorized a right-of-way or eliminated territory from the
park's northeast corner in order to bring in a railroad. Interest in the idea waned in the early
twentieth century.
The total distance from the Northeast Entrance to Tower-Roosevelt Junction and the
Grand Loop Road is about 29 miles (46 km). The road follows Soda Butte Creek, turning to-
ward the northwest after Soda Butte. Here the Lamar River Valley offers the chance to see part
of the park's northern bison herd. Early or late in the day, you might catch a glimpse of a wolf,
especially with binoculars or a spotting scope.
The road follows the Lamar River past Specimen Ridge, where there are
petrified
trees still
standing upright. The Lamar joins the Yellowstone River just before Tower Junction.
Road Log
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Yellowstone National Park boundary.
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Northeast Entrance station. Stop here to pay the entrance fee (see the Travel
Tips for fee information). The restroom is to the east (left) of the road and outside the entrance
station.
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Side road to the north for regional ranger headquarters.
