Great Lodges of the National Parks
Grand Lodges: Old Faithful Inn
Lodge | Setting | Trivia
Setting
Yellowstone has the honor of being the first national Park – not just in America, but in the world.
Exploration
The Washburn survey party of 1870 is credited with "discovering" Yellowstone. The group of 19 prominent Montanans spent a month in the field, naming many natural features, including Old Faithful.
The Hayden party in 1871 was more scientific, and included both a painter and photographer. Their stunning images created a national interest in preserving the unique qualities of the region.
Natural History
Yellowstone exists because a gigantic, dormant (but not extinct) "super volcano" erupted about 600,000 years ago - with a thousand times the force of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Gradually, the geophysical landscape evolved into a singular habitat for numerous plant and animal species.
Today, few visitors realize they're walking atop a volcanic crater. In fact, the Upper Basin area near Old Faithful Inn has the largest concentration of geysers on the globe.
Earthquakes and wildfires offer frequent reminders that Yellowstone truly belongs to nature. An admiring public is merely allowed to visit.
People & Protection
Before it was a Park, Yellowstone was a wilderness, filled with natural dangers.
In 1886, the U.S. Army was assigned to protect Park visitors and prevent poaching. But with over 2 million acres to patrol, stagecoach robberies and illegal hunting were common.
In fact, it was a bungled robbery that led to the Lacey Act of 1894. Also known as the Yellowstone Preservation Act, this landmark legislation provided the first-ever federal protections for wildlife, and gave the Army power to enforce the new laws.
In 1916, when the National Park Service was created, 21 Yellowstone soldiers transferred to the service, becoming the first Park Rangers.
Park Transportation
Yellowstone history is firmly welded to transportation. First the railroads fought to bring in visitors - and then they fought to keep cars out.
The Northern Pacific had a monopoly on railway access to the Park until 1928, when the Union Pacific opened a route to the western entrance.
Meanwhile, the auto was opening new horizons for America. By 1914, cars were allowed in several other National Parks. Yellowstone ended the ban on cars in 1915. Within 2 years, auto traffic topped 5,000 vehicles, and the old stagecoaches were retired. In 1948, a million people came to see the Park, and most came by family car.