Yellowstone! The name wreaks of enchantment. Like Disneyland and almost as popular, and as wild. At Yellowstone, geysers spew, mud pots boil, and hot springs sparkle. The river roars through that sulfurous canyon. Land shifts and lakes bubble. There is a magical mystery to it all.

Besides geology there is wild nature at Yellowstone. A superstar in its own right. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem consists of 14 million acres of mountains, meadows, and forests. The Green, Snake, and Yellowstone rivers begin in the glorious high country and tumble over hundreds of waterfalls on their j0urneys out of the park. Spectacular wildlife reminds us of a bygone era.

The ecosystem has man-made boundaries, rather arbitrary it seems, that slice it into parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges. But this huge swath of awesome wilderness was designed by the Creator to be as one, and thanks to a few visionary pioneers, it still is. (next photo)