by L. Woodrow Ross

Created on: February 22, 2008

If you enjoy vacations that allow you to get close to nature, Yellowstone National Park is one of the best possible choices. You have a choice of staying inside the park at Yellowstone Lodge, camping, or staying in one of the small satellite towns.

Yellowstone offers bison in Hayden Valley, wolves and grizzles in Lamar Valley, and cutthroat trout viewing at Fishing Bridge. For raw power and beauty, the waterfalls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are awesome. If you love fly fishing, the rivers abound with trophy sized trout. Check out the Yellowstone, Madison, Gallatin and the Gibbon.

While riding through the park, you never know what animal may be around the next bend: ungainly moose calves with a cow guarding them from eager photographers, a hunting coyote, or a proud bald eagle posing in a waving treetop. Elk are abundant in the lush meadows and offer great photo opportunities. If you are there in the fall, the bugling of the bulls as they try to gather their harems makes your blood course rapidly through your veins.

There are small herds of antelope in Lamar Valley. They bound gracefully away if you get too close. They have telescopic vision and their eyes protrude allowing them to see almost 360 degrees. They are the fastest land animal in North America, reaching speeds of 60 miles per hour.

Geese, ducks, herons and various other bird life are abundant and add to the beauty of the area.

Geysers, mudpots, steam vents and other thermal features are interesting and add to the unique flavor of the area. The Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest calderas in the world. The area sits atop one very active volcanic region.

The Yellowstone area offers a variety of natures best and is beautiful, intriguing, and educational. It is a great place to take children to view the interaction of animals in a natural habitat.

The town of West Yellowstone sits at the west entrance to the park. It is a town dedicated to tourism and fly fishing. It offers selection of some of the best fly shops, Discovery park where captive wolves and grizzlies can be viewed and a wide-screen theater offering entertaining and historical feature.

The restaurants are great and the international students in the exchange programs work in them and add an interesting element.

Yellowstone National Park is a treasure and everyone should take advantage of the beauty and grandeur of this unique geological area.

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