Category: Yellowstone Tours

How Did Yellowstone Get Its Name?

Charlie |

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was the world’s first national park. However, its history stretches back much farther than 1872. We must step into this history to discover how this park was named.

Taking in the large yellow cliffs, it might seem like a straightforward story. Yet, this name was the result of a combination of languages and groups of people who helped give the park its modern nomenclature. Here’s how it happened:

  • The river: The major river that runs through Yellowstone National Park is Yellowstone River. The park is named for this body of water. But how did the river get its name?
  • The Minnetaree tribe: In the 1800s, French-Canadian trappers traveled to the area. They encountered the Minnetaree Tribe, who lived in modern Montana. When the trappers asked these Native Americans the name of the river, they responded “Mi tse a-da-zi.” This translates literally as “Rock Yellow River.”
  • French translation: The trappers took this meaning and translated it to French as “Pierre Jaune” or “Roche Jaune.”
  • English translation: In 1797, along came David Thompson, an explorer and geographer. He began using the English version, “Yellow Stone.”
  • Lewis and Clark: These two explorers used both the French and English forms of the name to refer to the Yellowstone River. Eventually, common use solidified the name as Yellowstone.

Other fun facts about Yellowstone National Park

What kind of wildlife can I see at Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park offers a diverse landscape that supports an immense variety of wildlife. You can find nearly 300 species of birds in the park! Exploring the waters will reveal 16 different types of fish and five species of amphibians. As you trek around the park, you can also encounter six species of reptiles and another 67 species of mammals. This includes two bear species—watch out!

What kind of landscape will I see at Yellowstone National Park?

You’ll probably find that exploring Yellowstone National Park feels like traveling to another planet. In each section of the park, you’ll encounter incredible land formations that are immensely different than the previous ones. With so many unique features, the park is truly a natural wonder.

Throughout the park, you’ll discover geysers, steam vents, mudpots, hot springs, the Yellowstone River Grand Canyon, mountains, plateaus and more.

What kind of plants grow in Yellowstone National Park?

The flora of Yellowstone National Park is just as diverse as the landscape and other living creatures. A trip through the park will reveal hundreds of wildflowers. You’ll also see many species of shrubs, including Rocky Mountain maple and sagebrush. Nine different conifer trees also grow in the park, as well as a few deciduous species. Yellowstone also features three plant species that are found only in the park: Yellowstone sulfur wild buckwheat, Ross’s bentgrass and Yellowstone sand verbena.

Learn more about the park

For more information on Yellowstone National Park or to plan your next visit, contact Yellowstone Tour Guides. Since 2001, we have been dedicated to showing families the beauty of Yellowstone Nation Park. We offer small-group sightseeing tours, multi-day backpacking experiences and hiking tours. We look forward to exploring Yellowstone with you!

Help Us Celebrate Yellowstone’s Birthday Each Year!

Charlie |

The National Park System has been called “America’s best idea,” and we just so happen to agree with this sentiment. We believe that there is no more valuable resource in all of the United States than the National Park System. The parks provide recreation, peace, escape and solitude to tens of millions of visitors each and every year, and they are consistently rated as one of the most popular recreational destinations in the world.


We are always happy to have an excuse to celebrate these spectacular places, so March 1 is one of our favorite dates on the calendar—it lets us slice into the cake and celebrate Yellowstone’s birthday! This year, Yellowstone’s 148th birthday was a typically huge celebration, and we were thrilled to celebrate our favorite park.

Birthday time is the best time
President Ulysses S. Grant can really be regarded as the “father” of beautiful Yellowstone. The heroic Civil War general had settled in to his presidency by the time he signed legislation creating the world’s first national park right here at Yellowstone. It was a truly momentous occasion in the history of conservation and preservation, and we are so pleased and proud that Yellowstone’s 148th birthday allowed us to keep up that tradition of celebrating these moments.


Our team of experienced tour professionals at Yellowstone Tour Guides is keenly aware of our stewardship and preservation role when it comes to our relationship with the park, so having some cake and ice cream every year on March 1 is really just a bonus to a job that we already consider to be the greatest in the entire country.


History of Yellowstone
 The idea of Yellowstone was first understood by trappers, who came back east in the early 1800s with tales of a place that people really couldn’t believe—steam and geysers from the ground and the descriptions of the terrain were almost too much for a lot of people to comprehend. Later photographic expeditions confirmed what we now know to be true during Yellowstone’s 148th birthday celebrations: there really is no place on earth like this particular national park. Our team at Yellowstone Tour Guides could not be prouder to say that Yellowstone is our office, and we are pleased to come to work every single day and help millions of visitors share in its beauty and splendor.

A place like Yellowstone does not happen by accident. The features and the geography take hundreds of millions of years to form, but it takes special efforts and special people to make this into a “place” that people recognize, love and cherish. Yellowstone was and is a momentous achievement in the history of conservation, and its continued success is instrumental in communicating to the American people just how precious their lands are, especially their public ones.


At Yellowstone Tour Guides, we’re thrilled that you’re potentially planning a visit, and we hope you’ll give us a call so we can help you decide what sights and destinations to prioritize during your trip to Yellowstone!

Be Prepared for Springtime Scheduling Changes at Yellowstone

Charlie |

If you’re anything at all like us, you can’t wait to see Yellowstone in all its springtime beauty. Many people say it’s the best time to visit the park—crowds are smaller and temperatures are lower. Also, you can really see some spectacular animal activity that requires a degree of caution—the large mammal population begins to stir and wake up in the spring, as bears, elk, wolves, bison and other animals shake themselves awake and get ready for another warm season.

Our team of Yellowstone tour guides is also getting back into the swing of things, ready to lead tours around America’s greatest park. Yellowstone Tour Guides is the top choice in the area for a reason, so give us a call any time to learn more about our tours!

Unfortunately, until we get to that wonderful warmer weather, there’s still a few weeks of winter left for us to deal with, and there are some housekeeping issues that we want to get ahead on, including information about plowing. Take a look below for some more information that you should familiarize yourself with before planning your trip.

Road plowing ahead in Yellowstone
The roads in Yellowstone are usually covered in snow by early March every year, so a ritual of life in the park is that we need to prepare for the big spring plow that covers many of the park’s roads. This year, the date to keep in mind is the Ides of March—March 15—which is the date in 2020 when most of the park will shut down for spring plowing.

Basically, snow accumulates on the roads that so many visitors and Yellowstone tour guides use to access the park, so accessibility will be limited during this time as plows crisscross the park, clearing pavement from Norris to Madison to Mammoth Hot Springs and everywhere in-between. One thing to keep in mind is that even though the roads might be closed, all resources at Mammoth Hot Springs, including the post office and general store, remain open for business as usual during the plowing period.

Our wildlife tour—the show goes on during plowing!
One of our most popular tours will fortunately remain unaffected during this period of plowing and road inaccessibility. As mentioned above, this time of year is a great chance to really see some wonderful animal activity, particularly as our larger mammals start to get into gear and ready to attack a new warm season. We are pleased to announce that even during the spring plow our Yellowstone tour guides will still be leading our wildlife tour to Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley. This is due to the fact that this section is open year-round, so access is always readily available.

Late winter and early spring can be a magical time to visit Yellowstone as the snow starts to melt and the first flowers start to poke their heads up through the snow. It’s also a great time to take a wildlife tour—it might be your best chance to experience an uncrowded park where some of its most magnificent creatures could be in plain sight for you and your family to enjoy. Contact Yellowstone Tour Guides to learn more or schedule a tour!

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“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America