Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sionally allowing animals to break through and be cooked. Many people have died for fail-
ing to use caution when walking near thermal features.
Named rather inauspiciously for a cannibalistic mountain man who allegedly got rid of his
wives year after year by, ahem, eating them, Gardiner (population 875, elevation 5,314) is
actually a cute little town with plenty of places to stay, eat, and stock up, and has ideal
proximity to the park. The only year-round entrance to Yellowstone for automobiles, this
scrubby little tourist town has a charm and an identity all its own. The Yellowstone River
cuts a canyon beside the main drag, which allows for plenty of river-runner hangouts. Few
other places in the world have elk congregating in the churchyard or on the front lawns of
most of the motels in town. And where else do high school football players have to dodge
bison dung as they're running for a touchdown? The town's architecture is a combination of
glorious wood and stone “parkitecture” buildings alongside old-school Western-style build-
ings complete with false fronts. The towering Roosevelt Arch, built in 1903 and dedicated
by Yellowstone champion Teddy Roosevelt himself, welcomes visitors to the park with its
inspiring slogan, “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” Yes, Gardiner is built
around its proximity to the park, but the town has maintained its integrity by preserving its
history and making the most of its surroundings.
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Boiling River
Halfway between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs, straddling the Montana-Wyoming
border and the 45th parallel, the halfway point between the equator and the north pole,
is the Boiling River, one of only two swimmable thermal features in Yellowstone. From
the clearly marked parking area, visitors amble upstream along a 0.5-mile rocky path run-
ning parallel to the Gardner River. Where the trail ends and the steam envelops almost
everything, a gushing hot spring called the Boiling River flows into the otherwise icy Gard-
ner River. The hot and cold waters mix to a perfect temperature that can be enjoyed year-
round. The area is open during daylight hours only, and all swimmers must wear a bathing
suit. The Boiling River is closed each year during spring runoff, when temperature fluctu-
ations and rushing water put swimmers at risk. Alcohol is not permitted.
