photos from

The Upper Falls, from Artist Point

A winter bison, near Old Faithful

Yellowstone bison, in the Black Sands basin

Burnt forest stretches to the horizon, near Old Faithful geyser basin

Coyote scavenging near Old Faithful

Riverside geyser

Beauty pool

Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone snow storm

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, in the north-west corner of Wyoming, is America's oldest national park (it was established in 1872). Yellowstone is famed for its wildlife, which includes grizzly bears, wolves, bison and numerous species of birds, and for its geysers. Along with Iceland (which has the original "geysir") and Kamchatka's Geyser Valley (which, let's face it, most of us will never visit), it's one of the world's most spectacular geological areas. In the summer though, Yellowstone is well down the list of my favorite National Parks - it's often crowded and many of the famous sights (Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs) are close to the park road. There are, of course, countless miles of backcountry trails, but personally I think the hiking in Grand Teton National Park (just to the south) offers more immediate scenic rewards. I've also visited Yellowstone in winter, however, and that was an entirely different (and better, in my opinion) experience. Just getting into the heart of the park in winter is something of an adventure - requiring either a snow coach ride, a snowmobile, or skis - but having gotten there the wildlife viewing is exceptionally good and the landscape truly magical.