Most people don't realize as they cruise Yellowstone's two-lane roads that the biggest attraction is underneath, not at, their feet. The nation's first and most famous national park sits on a giant underground volcano that has ferociously exploded three times in the last several million years, and it is still very active.

The hot lava and molten chunks of rock still bubbling away in some places have created at least 10,000 geothermal features in the park--from cobalt hot pools and mud pots that resemble boiling paint to steaming fumaroles and, most spectacular of all, 300 or so geysers, the most famous of which is Old Faithful.

If you leave Old Faithful after you've seen the eruption, you've missed a major part of a visit to the Upper Geyser Basin. The mile or so of boardwalk that wends its way around the surreal field of geysers and hot pools is one of the most beautiful walks in America.

Next to Old Faithful is the cavernous Old Faithful Inn, a good place from which to watch Old Faithful on rainy or cold days (it can get cold here in summer). Built in 1903, the inn is the largest log building in America, with several hundred rooms. It has a six-story lobby, wraparound balconies and yawning rock fireplaces with huge fires that blaze on chilly days. In the summer, live classical music wafts through the inn's gnarled and massive log rafters, and visitors watch Old Faithful blow its lid from the second-floor balcony.

Part of the park's story is told along its main scenic byways. But parts of the volcanic tale, as well as some of the wildlife, are hidden away in more remote corners of the park. Most visits take the form of a loop. You can enter on any one of the park's four sides and drive the entire 142-mile Grand Loop, or take the smaller Upper or Lower loops. To see the basics of the park, two or three days are recommended.

The secret, however, is not which road to take, but where to stop and explore on foot. Vast herds of elk and bison share the range with mule deer and pronghorn, prompting some people to call the park the Serengeti of North America. Bighorn sheep pick their way through outcroppings in the cliffs, and snow-white trumpeter swans rest in ponds. There are even wolves. Gone for years, the wolves were reintroduced in January 1995 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There are approximately 50 wolves, and they are expecting plenty of pups in the spring. The park's most famous inhabitant, though, is the grizzly bear.

Travelers to the park wonder why they don't see many bears. Up until the 1960s, grizzlies and black bears wandered in large numbers along the roadways. After bears killed several people here and in Glacier National Park, officials launched an aggressive program to keep bears and people apart. They stopped the feeding of bears and closed dumps. Forced to forage in the wild, the bears regained their fear of humans—for the most part. One place where grizzlies are sometimes spotted, from a safe distance, is in the broad meadow to the east of Dunraven Pass, along the road between Yellowstone's Canyon and Tower Junction. If you see a bear, consider yourself lucky. But as with any wild animal, use caution and common sense. Don't feed, approach or bother the bears, elk, bison, or any of the animals.


VISITOR INFORMATION

The park is open all year except from mid-March through the end of April, and November 1 through mid-December. A seven-day park pass includes admission to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Passes for cars/trucks/RVs are $20; motorcycles/snowmobiles pay $15; hikers/cyclists pay $10. For information and specific hours of operation, call 307-344-7901.


BEST BETS

BEST SCENIC DRIVE AND WILDLIFE VIEWING
Many animals can be seen along the western section of the Grand Loop from Yellowstone Lake to Mammoth Hot Springs.

BEST EASY WALK
Geyser Hill Loop is an easy, 1.3-mile walk that winds past Giant Geyser. Castle Geyser, with its fortress-like cone, resembles a medieval castle. Grotto Geyser bubbles away continuously, and Beehive gets animated for weeks at a time. Gently simmering Morning Glory Pool, at the far end of the walk, is one of the park's most exquisite features. It is the size of a child's swimming pool and is a brilliant turquoise color that turns to orange at its delicately scalloped edges. (My kids always get perverse pleasure groaning over its stink of sulfur.)

BEST PICNIC SPOT
Heading east from Old Faithful will bring you to the western shorelines of Yellowstone Lake, where several lookout spots and picnic sites sit over the sprawling, mountain-ringed body of water. To the north, an old stage road, once traversed by coaches filled with tourists, runs along the shore. On the main road, you'll pass Fishing Cone, a small hot spring in the lake.

BEST LODGING
The park's many hotels and lodges open at various times in the spring and close at various times in the fall. Almost all of them are operated by the concessionaire AMFAC Parks and Resorts; maps and information are available by calling 307-344-7311 or by writing Yellowstone National Park Lodges, P.O. Box 165, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. Rooms are booked well in advance.

BUDGET: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is a good, moderately priced buy. The Hotel is open from the end of December through the beginning of March and again from the end of May through the middle of October. Rates (including bathroom facilities) start at around $100 per night (double occupancy). Children 11 and under stay free. Call 307-344-7311 for reservations.

PRICIER: The Lake Yellowstone Hotel, on the northern shore, is a historic hotel with stately white columns and a sitting room that commands a sweeping view of the sky-blue water. Lake Yellowstone is a little community within the park that has cabins, a grocery store, gas station, cafeteria and other amenities. The Bridge Bay Marina is not far from here, and you can rent a guide and a small motorboat to fish the lake for cutthroat trout. There's also a large tour boat that takes a leisurely, hour-long cruise around the lake.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.