Yellowstone News

I was enveloped in a sulfurous fog, standing next to a sign that urged me to “Be Bear Aware,” and even though it was mid-June, a steady sleet was pelting my face. I could only be in one place. One hundred thirty-six years after it was established as the world’s first national park, Yellowstone endures as a wild, weird and wonderful place that continues to attract millions of visitors from across the country and around the world.

An out-of-state resident has been diagnosed with bubonic plague after recently visiting Teton County and Yellowstone National Park, the Wyoming Department of Health said Monday. State epidemiologist Tracy Murphy says the victim traveled to several sites within the park with a Boy Scout troop between July 26 and August 3.

It must have looked a little strange to passers-by on the boardwalk as Steve Wood knelt to take a photo of a small, plastic toy grizzly bear and cub perched on a bench in front of Old Faithful geyser. But it was Jeremy Sullivan's way of introducing his photography students to the concept of depth of field -- having objects close and far away in focus at the same time. "The thing that's fun for us is these folks are on vacation so everyone is in a good mood, and we're in a beautiful place," Sullivan said.

A new Yellowstone National Park Justice Center at Mammoth Hot Springs will be dedicated Monday by the National Park service and the U.S. Department of Justice. Monday is the 92nd birthday of the Park Service.

As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."

For all that happened in Yellowstone in 1988, we now know it, simply, as the "summer of fire." It was one of the park's driest years on record, and after lightning strikes in June, Mother Nature would not allow mercy on America's wild kingdom.

August 20th is the 20-year anniversary of "Black Saturday" in Yellowstone National Park. This is when much of the sky over the park was black with smoke, on a day where it was learned the 1988 fires of Yellowstone had doubled to almost 500,000 acres. It's been 20 years since the eyes of the nation were upon our region, as Yellowstone burned and some wondered if it was ruined for future generations. Yellowstone National Park -- It's pristine beauty attracts travelers from around the world - and it's all in our backyard.

Today in Yellowstone National Park, Toyota presented a check totaling more than $800,000 and five vehicles to the Yellowstone Park Foundation -- the official fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park -- in support of instilling a preservation ethic and promoting environmental stewardship among visitors. Through Toyota's donation, Yellowstone National Park will enhance the curriculum and accessibility of its educational programs to inspire future Yellowstone leaders as part of its No Child Left Inside initiative.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — If there is a place where heaven and hell meet, it's here. Twenty years ago this summer, a series of wildfires burned 36 percent of America's first national park, scorching huge swaths of pristine forest and killing scores of wild animals. Today, there is new life at Yellowstone National Park, as trees have taken root among the burnt logs that still litter the earth.

CODY -- Cooler temperatures and lighter winds Wednesday slowed a wildfire burning mostly in a wilderness area east of Yellowstone National Park. Fire spokeswoman Laura McConnell said there were no reports of major activity associated with the Gunbarrel Fire on Wednesday. It was the first time in several days that conditions weren't hot and windy enough to warrant a red flag warning. The fire was burning about six miles east of Yellowstone and 40 miles west of Cody. It had burned about 32,600 acres, or about 51 square miles, in the Shoshone National Forest.

GET AWAY: The vast Yellowstone Park boasts the lower 48's largest concentration of free-roaming wildlife, bison and wolves included, plus waterfalls, canyons, mountains and, of course, geysers. The world's first national park, established in 1872, covers 3,400 square miles and lies mainly in Wyoming, jutting into Montana and Idaho, too. Miles of hiking, car and bike trails afford almost countless ways to view Yellowstone's natural beauty. The park's many lodging options book quickly, so plan now for a summer 2009 visit.

The LeHardy Fire, which is burning In Yellowstone National Park, is holding steady at around 600 acres burned. Lighter winds and additional firefighters resulted in a day of significant progress on Thursday. The blaze is north of Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone National Park, and officials tell us it was started by a power line which runs in a utility corridor west of the Grand Loop Road between Fishing Bridge and Canyon.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Crews at Yellowstone National Park are improving four hiking trails this summer as part of a long-term project to rehabilitate the most heavily used hiking trails in the park. The Yellowstone Park Foundation recently received $100,000 from the National Park Foundation to help pay for the project. The nonprofit Yellowstone foundation last year completed a drive to raise $2 million for trail restoration in the park. To date, 16 trails covering more than 70 miles of trails have been rehabilitated.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Rangers in Yellowstone National Park have killed a black bear that became accustomed to eating human food. Park officials say the 130-pound male bear was getting food from hikers' backpacks in northern Yellowstone. Repeated attempts to trap the bear failed. On Wednesday, the bear was caught ripping into the packs of a large group of backcountry hikers. Rangers cleared the area of visitors and shot the bear.

For a mere 25 cents, the nation will know in a couple of years that Wyoming is home to the world's first national park. Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, will grace the first of 50 quarters in a new series of the coins, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Wednesday.