Yellowstone National Park is symbolic of the American West to many. It became the world’s first national park when President Ulysses Grant signed it into existence in 1872. Most Yellowstone visitors come to see the wildlife and vast, picturesque expanses of land. Some liken it to America’s Serengeti. Fewer new visitors appreciate that the park sits atop an active caldera, the remains of a supervolcano, and is home to more geysers and hot springs than any other place on earth.

Yellowstone is indeed teeming with wildlife and picturesque. It can be a sort of safari-like experience with cars sometimes jammed at a grizzly bear sighting during high season. It also has one of the largest elk herds in North America and is the only place in the lower 48 states that has had a continuous free-ranging bison population since prehistoric times.

Visitors may spot black bears, wolves, moose, bighorn sheep, coyote, deer, badgers, bald eagles, osprey, trumpeter swans, rainbow and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, pronghorn and numerous other types of wildlife that make this area home. Because the park’s ecosystems range from near-desert to subalpine meadow and forest, they support a variety of habitats that sustain diverse wildlife. Observing the animals around this vast 22 million acre preserved land allows visitors to witness wild animals in their natural habitats who largely behave like their ancient ancestors.

Bisons, the largest mammals in North America, travel in herds, though sometimes male bison are exiled by dominant males and live a relatively solitary existence until mating season. Bison seem gentle and tolerant with their slow ambling, but can be quite fierce, especially when “red dogs,” or young offspring, are nearby. A hilarious and popular Instagram account, @TouronsOfYellowstone – from a combination of the words tourists and morons -- posts photos and videos of people who venture too close to the bison and other wildlife, despite abundant park-sponsored warnings. Although bison can stand six feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds supported by what look like spindly legs, they can run up to 35 miles per hour and jump high into the air. These massive animals can and do charge at people and vehicles.

I was so fascinated by the bison of Yellowstone National Park, one of whom took residence next to our lodge one evening. They look ancient and stately, even as they shed huge amounts of fur as the weather warms. The animal most Americans call buffalo are actually bison. Buffaloes generally are found in South Asia and Africa, and bison roam in the Americas. Unlike buffaloes, bison have massive heads with beautiful thick beards that circle around their rib cages and a characteristic large hump on their backs.

Wolves were reintroduced to the park in 1995, after being driven extinct in the area nearly 100 years ago. It is estimated that approximately 500 wolves are present now throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The wolves’ presence played a vital role in increasing the health and diversity of Yellowstone’s wildlife, though they can be tough for park visitors to spot.

While the wildlife and panoramic vistas are a huge draw for visitors to Yellowstone, so too are the spectacular 10,000 geothermal features within the park. The supervolcano feeds the world’s largest group of hydrothermal features, which are a wonder to behold.

The most recent volcanic eruption occurred in Yellowstone approximately 650,000 years ago resulting in a 30- by 45-mile caldera, or basin. The heat powering the volcanic eruptions still fuels the park’s hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and mudpots. On July 23, 2024, visitors were sent running when an unexpected hydrothermal explosion spewed debris and steam hundreds of feet above the ground, and ejected grapefruit-sized rocks tens to hundreds of feet from the source. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “Hydrothermal explosions typically occur in the park one to a few times per year, but often in the back country where they may not be immediately detected.” No one was injured during this explosion, but some of the walkways and fences were damaged. This explosion was not considered volcanic activity. The USGS stated that the explosion resulted from water suddenly transitioning to steam in the shallow hydrothermal system beneath one of the pools.

Hot springs are the most common hydrothermal feature in Yellowstone. They could boil a human alive in seconds. On my visit, I saw the decaying bones of an unlucky mammal in one of the springs. One can feel the heat, hear boiling sounds and smell sulfur emanating from some, while others present as clear and calm pools of great depth. Geysers erupt with steaming hot water. Old Faithful Geyser predictably erupts about every 90 minutes, putting on a great show of gallons of water shooting an average of 145 feet into the air for delighted guests who come from all over the world to witness the sight. Lucky guests can watch Old Faithful erupt from the historical Old Faithful Inn’s rooms or viewing deck.

Yellowstone’s largest hot spring, Grand Prismatic, grants visitors a stunning display of rich blues and greens in the center, ringed with yellow, orange and red along the outside of this steaming pool of water. The spring is approximately 370 feet in diameter and it is over 120 feet deep. Its vivid colors are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The National Park Service constructed boardwalks for visitors to view the hundreds of geysers and other features, including trails that lead to elevated views.

Fumaroles, or steam vents, are the hottest hydrothermal features in Yellowstone. These cracks in the ground hiss, or thump if the steam pathway is restricted at the surface.

Mudpots are acidic hot springs, like those found at Artists Paintpots, with their colorful hues of mud. They emerge when acid from volcanic gasses and microorganisms decompose rock into clay and mud. Some look otherworldly, resembling photos from lunar explorations.

The travertine terraces found in the park’s northern area at Mammoth Hot Springs are among the fastest changing features found in Yellowstone. The interactions of fast-emerging water and limestone create chalk-like travertine that dries up quickly, resulting in a fantastical landscape.

The 10,000 year old Grand Canyon of Yellowstone surrounds the mighty Yellowstone River. Gazing from the canyon rim into the 1,000-feet deep gorge should make even the most seasoned traveler feel small. Striations in the canyon walls formed over millennia provide a pastel-colored backdrop against which one may view majestic bald eagles glide. Impressive Upper and Lower falls feed into the river, which one can view from overlooks and walkways.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America. It is more than 400 feet deep, with 141 miles of shoreline. Fishing by permit is allowed. My guided group and I enjoyed watching yellow-bellied marmots frolic on the rocks near the lake and picnicking in the nearby wildflower carpeted valley.

After visiting Yellowstone and enjoying its glorious geothermal features and magnificent wildlife and scenery, I recommend the open-air natural mineral hot spring pools in Chico Hot Springs. Established in 1900 in Paradise Valley, not far outside the north entrance, the geothermically heated pools are chemical-free and, I like to think, bestow healing properties on those who ease themselves into the heated mineral waters. In any event, can feel like returning to Mother Earth’s womb after being treated to abundant views of earth’s wonders, if one allows oneself to imagine it.