Yellowstone National Park

Established in 1872, yellowstone national park is now known as the world's first national park. The park's boundaries were set in the northwest corner of Wyoming and narrow portions of southeast Idaho as well as south-central Montana. Famous for spectacular scenery—the Rocky Mountains, explosive active geysers, crystal clear rivers and springs, still-abundant buffalo, elk, eagles, and other wildlife—the mention of Yellowstone invokes an image of pristine nature, unspoiled by humans. However, Native Americans occupied the area as long as 11,000 years ago.

Some of the first European explorers, including members of the Lewis and Clark expeditions in the early 1800s, encountered Native Americans—called the Shoshone—in the area now known as Yellowstone. A member of their expedition, John Colter, remained in the region and documented his winter ...