Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
somewhere between American wilderness and family vacations; it conjures up foggy but
perfect memories.
Evidence from archaeological sites, trails, and even oral histories suggests that humans in-
habited the region of Yellowstone as far back as 11,000 years ago. And although the land
is rich with history, one can argue that not much has changed since the park was created in
1872, the invaluable blessing of having been protected as the nation's first national park.
The unique geothermal features, pristine lakes and waterfalls, abundant and varied wildlife,
and the different ecosystems have endured through the years.
As with all of the West, Yellowstone was traversed by various Native American groups,
including the Crow, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and Shoshone, whose oral history teaches that
they originated in this area. Although these nomads passed through the area, only a branch
of the Shoshone, known as the “Sheep Eaters,” made Yellowstone their home. The first
Europeans to have visited the area were most likely fur traders and trappers who seem to
have missed the unusual geothermal activity. Lewis and Clark's expedition bypassed the re-
gion completely. On their return voyage in 1806, however, John Colter separated from the
group and ventured alone into the region. He is considered the first non-Native American
to have seen the wondrous thermal features in the park. When Colter returned home three
years later, his stories were considered suspicious. His tales of “bubbling ground,” “moun-
tains made of glass” and rivers where you could catch a fish and cook it without ever re-
moving it from the water seemed preposterous to Easterners. Colter's descriptions of fire
and brimstone quickly earned the place the nickname of “Colter's Hell.” However, as more
fur traders moved into the region, the stories of boiling mud, steaming land, and hot pools
of water continued. Jim Bridger explored the area in 1856 and is considered by some the
“first geographer” of the region. He too shared wild descriptions that were met with similar
skepticism.
The first organized expedition into the Yellowstone area was made in 1869 by David
E. Folsom, Charles W. Cook, and William Peterson, who witnessed the breathtaking Tower
Falls, Mud Volcano, Yellowstone Lake, and the geyser basins of the Firehole River. The
Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition followed in 1870. It was the 1871 government-
sponsored expedition into the region led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, however, that
produced a detailed account of the area. The Hayden Geological Survey was accompanied
by William Henry Jackson photographs and artwork by Henry W. Elliott and Thomas Mor-
an. Photographs and spectacular paintings and drawings were splashed across magazines
