2019-10-01 Wanderlust

YELLOWSTONE NP, USA

54 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019

DIDYOU

KNOW?

Yellowstoneonce

triedtomarket

itselfas‘America’s

NewWonderland’,

claimingictional

endorsementfrom

theeponymous

Aliceforthepark’s

naturalcuriosities.

27

Chasing

waterfalls

Of the throngs who visit

annually, fewer than 1% venture

more than 100m from a parking

lot. Lace up your boots and head

out on the backcountry trails

where wilderness awaits. Try the

hidden hike to Little Gibbon Falls,

on the way to Wolf Lake, to reach

the secret waterfall.

28

Bear-y close

The horror of legal

hunting loomed for Yellowstone’s

grizzlies bears when, in 2018, the

Trump administration lifted

protection for the bears in and

around the park. Happily (for the

bears) a federal judge blocked

the move, while grizzlies have

found themselves back on the

protected list for now.

29

Rare lower

Botanists keep shtum if

they manage to locate

a rare and mysterious herb with

a delicate creamy …lower, the

Yellowstone Sand Verbena

(Abronia ammophila). Found

nowhere other than around

Yellowstone Lake, it is one of the

world’s rarest plants and one of

only three endemic park plants.

30

What a geyser

The Old Faithful geyser

might be more …ickle than we

thought. True, she is named for

the regularity of her somewhat

predictable eruptions, but the

intervals have changed from

about every 60 to 90 minutes in

the last 100 years. And she is

slowing down further, according

to some experts.

FOUR MORE YELLOWSTONE SECRETS

Map illustration by Scott Jessop

Planning guides

 USA Travel Guide

Archive article

 ‘USA wildlife’ – issue 167

 ‘The USA’s wildest national

parks’ – issue 148

Visit http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/200

More online

opposite the eponymous geyser
and with easy access to numerous
others, it also has cross country
skis and snowshoes for hire to
explore the area. A mix of rustic
‘parkitecture’ and modern style, the
lodge’s log columns and cedar roof
blend in with the environment. Two
doubles from US$105 (£87).
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
(www.usparklodging.com), which is
based near the springs themselves,

has been closed for renovation and

is due to re-open soon. It will be the

only other park accommodation

available during winter 2019. Two

doubles from US$183 (£152).

Food & drink

Dining options in the park are

restricted to lodges, but packed

lunches can be requested. There

are various cafés and shops at

Gardiner, by the north entrance.