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| 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.
The human history of the park dates back 12,000 years. The
events of the last 130 years of park history are reflected
in the historic structures and sites associated with various
periods of park administration and visitor facilities development. |
| Grand
Teton National Park |
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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. |
| Regional Wildlife |
 Nowhere else in the United States, including
Alaska, can the casual visitor observe such a striking diversity
of "charismatic mega-fauna" (the large mammals)
that abound in this region, Bald eagles, golden eagles, black
bear, the elusive cougar, the wolverine, the pine marten and
the gray wolf. Jackson Hole and Yellowstone are home to that
most formidable icon of wildness, the grizzly bear. The region
also hosts the largest herds of elk in North America and is
one of the few remaining areas in the lower 48 states where
the grizzly bear still roams in significant numbers, and is
home to the largest free-ranging herd of bison in the lower
48 states. |
| Shoshone National Forest |
Shoshone National Forest is the first federally protected National Forest in the United States and covers nearly 2.5 million acres in the state of Wyoming. Originally a part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the forest was created by an act of Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison in 1891. There are four wilderness areas within the forest, protecting more than half of the managed land area from development. From sagebrush plains through dense spruce and fir forest to craggy mountain peaks, Shoshone National Forest has a rich biodiversity rarely matched in any protected area.
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Have a great hiking adventure along the Highland Trail, obviously you could also have a look at Alpine Lake since you're here; it's not far at all. Custer National Forest has lovely nature scenery for your viewing satisfaction. Fun pursuits are bountiful; there's always something for everybody to love. At Custer National Forest you find a heap of outdoors recreation, so you could have a heap of fun. Hiking along the Pyramid Trail is glorious fun. West Fork West Boulder River is a stream that you may come across while here; a lake nearby is West Boulder
Lake.
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| Located in southern Montana, the Gallatin National Forest has snowy peaks, alpine meadows, and scenic canyons. The Forest is brimming with abundant wildlife, dense timbered valleys and ridges with rugged peaks climbing to nearly 10,000 feet. Recreational activities like hiking, fishing, and snow sports are popular, while some of the streams are excellent for paddlers. |
| Beartooth Highway Scenic Byway |
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Heralded as one of the most scenic drives in the United States, the Beartooth Highway, a National Scenic Byways All-American Road, features breathtaking views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, and open high alpine plateaus dotted with countless glacial lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls and wildlife. |
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