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 A closer look at Yellowstone's Bison |
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Greater Yellowstone is one magnificent address.
It doesn't matter if you live in Wyoming, Montana or Idaho -- this precious place of national and world significance is in your back yard. Much of the 28,000 square miles known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is in federal ownership. All of it is a national treasure.
The region surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks includes the largest geothermal basin in the world, with 300 geysers and 10,000 other geothermal features. Its elk herds are the largest on earth.
The natural system on which its life depends remains virtually intact. It hosts almost the full complement of wildlife and plants that existed when white men settled in the region little more than 150 years ago. Only a handful of species are missing.
It serves as the headwaters for three of the West's most important river systems -- the Yellowstone, Snake and the Green. The wild character and strict regulation provided in more than 5 million acres of the region protect water quality for nearly a quarter of the continent.
Balancing the needs of the humans who visit or live around the parks with the natural limits of the ecosystem is not easy. And as the number of people increases steadily, it becomes harder.
Moreover, the lifestyles and occupations of the people in the region are closely tied to the land. The cultural values that underlie natural resource industries such as ranching also must be preserved.
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Weather
A weather update for the region Other Great Sites... Yellowstone National
Park
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