History & Facts
West Yellowstone Montana
West Yellowstone came into being with the arrival of the Oregon Shortline Railroad at the West Boundary of Yellowstone National Park. In November of 1907 the track was completed, by the following summer, June 1908, when the first train arrived there were three merchants in business nearby. Train service was to continue until 1960. An occasional train arrived for freight but little use of the line existed and it was abandoned in 1977. The wonderful buildings that had been built to service visitors, among them the Depot and Dining Lodge were given to the town and are part of the Oregon Short Line Terminus Historic District, located on Yellowstone Avenue.
For the first twelve years West Yellowstone was a part of the National Forest. Lots were held on Forest Service Leases and rules and regulations regarding usage were set by the District Forester. By 1913 there were thirteen lease holders and some fifty plus buildings in the area. Efforts were begun at this time to remove the holdings from the National Forest and create a town site, to be governed by the people themselves.
It would take another seven years before this dream became a reality. In January of 1920 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Proclamation removing the lots from the National Forest and creating the new town site. That same year the town's name was changed for the third and last time. Beginning as Riverside in 1908 it was changed to Yellowstone the following year 1909. With the confusion of the Name "Yellowstone" to the neighboring National Park the "West" was added in 1920.
Business was strictly a summer occupation in the early years. Families left in the fall for other jobs and to take their children to cities with schools. Those who stayed stocked up on groceries and such to wait out the winter. The roads snowed over and travel to the outside world was by dog sled or skis. The roads north to Bozeman Mt. and South to Ashton Id. were not kept open in the winter until 1936. Still there was little to do but to clear snow paths to the school which was the community center, and await the arrival of Spring and the opening of the Rail Line.
The Spring Campaign as it was known to the Railroad was the opening of the Line from Ashton Id. to the South to West Yellowstone. The town’s people would turn out in force to greet the first work train, a party was held at the school and another summer was begun.
The first years saw the trains arriving and the tourists boarding stage coaches for their tour of Yellowstone National Park. In 1915 cars were first allowed to enter the Park. With this introduction of travel business changed in town. Now the "sagebrushers" or "common folk" started to visit the park more and more. As visitation increased so did the size of West Yellowstone. Since that first summer of 1908 tourism has been the main business. Over the years logging was conducted but always tourism prevailed as the basis of its economy. To this day the town's economy is based on the tourist traveling to and from Yellowstone National Park. Beginning in 1971, when the first overnight accommodations opened for the winter in Yellowstone National Park, the two season economy became a reality.
Yellowstone National Park Facts
Here are a few brief facts about our Nation’s First National Park.
Established: 1872
Size:
3,472 square miles or 2,221,766 acres
63 miles (101 km) North to South
54 miles (84 km) East to West
Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
Location:
96% in Wyoming and two gateways: East at Cody and South at Jackson
3% in Montana and three gateways: Northeast at Cooke City, Northwest at Gardiner and West at West Yellowstone.
1% in Idaho
Numbers of:
Miles of roads: 300
Visitors Centers: 6 manned
Species:
Coniferous trees: 5
Ungulates: 6 (Elk, Moose, Deer, Goat, Antelope, Bison)
Bears: 2 (Black and Grizzly)
Other mammals: 49
Birds: 150 that nest in the Park, 300 species have been seen at least once.
Thermal Features: approximately 10,000
Geysers: approximately 200
Waterfalls: 41
Caldera size: approximately 30 miles x 40 miles
For more details on Yellowstone National Park you can go to their web site at
www.nps.gov/yell
Town of West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone is located in Southwestern Montana just 1.5 miles from Wyoming and eight miles from Idaho. We share a common border with Yellowstone National Park and are the Park's only West gateway. West Yellowstone considers itself to be the "Hub of Yellowstone Country" because of our excellent location to all the wonders of Yellowstone National Park with the added benefit of all there is to explore and do West of Yellowstone.
Town Size: Approximately 49 square blocks
Population: 912 year around, 1,500 summer
Elevation: 6666 feet
Type of government: self government
Medical Facilities: one year-around clinic served by physicians' assistants
Emergency Services: Ambulance, Police, Fire and Search & Rescue
Other Town Services:
Public Library
Social Services / Job Service
Parks and Recreation
Public Parks:
One with playing fields, playground, basketball court, picnic tables and grills
One with picnic tables only
One paved basketball court / skating rink
Churches:
Baptist
Catholic
Church of Christ
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Community Protestant Church
Schools:
West Yellowstone School District #62
Enrollment: 242 K-12
Frequently asked questions about Yellowstone and the area
When is the Park open?
The Park is never entirely closed, although many roads do close for certain periods. The road between the Northwest entrance (Gardiner, Montana) and the Northeast entrance (Cooke City, Montana) is always open in order to serve Cooke City which would otherwise be totally isolated during the winter months. When an entrance opens it remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (weather conditions permitting).
When do they turn Old Faithful off?
The only control on Old Faithful, as on any other natural feature of the Park, is Mother Nature.
When do they let the animals "out"?
All the animals within Yellowstone (and a great share of those outside) are wild and living in their natural habitat. There are no cages or other means of restricting their movements.
What time does Old Faithful erupt?
Old Faithful erupts on the average of every 70 minutes. The length and strength of the preceding eruption is used to calculate the next expected eruption. Most public locations within the Upper Geyser Basin (which is where Old Faithful is located) post that time as soon as it has been calculated giving a +/- time within 10 minutes.
Are the animals dangerous?
All animals in Yellowstone National Park are in their home and they treat it as such. We are the visitors. EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED when animals are near by. Trust us when we say you can't out run them! It is considered animal harassment when you approach closer than 25 yards to an elk and 100 yards to a buffalo. Bears, of course, demand even greater distance.
What is the caldera?
Simply described, a caldera is a volcano that has collapsed in part, or wholly. When Yellowstone last erupted, approximately 625,000 years ago, it blew off nearly 100 square miles. By comparison, Mount St. Helen’s in Washington blasted about one square mile.
How close is West Yellowstone to Yellowstone National Park?
Immediately adjacent
When do the deer turn into elk?
Deer never turn into elk. They are two different types of hooved animals.
May we feed the animals?
No. The animals are wild and to encourage them to seek food from humans can result in death from inappropriate food or dependency.
Is there a speed limit in the Park?
The maximum speed limit is 45 miles per hour, with many areas posted below that.
How long will it take to see Yellowstone?
Some would say, a lifetime. To give yourself a fair overview of Yellowstone, plan to spend at least two days. One day for touring the Northern Loop and one for touring the Southern Loop. Both are easily accessible from West Yellowstone. See the itineraries in the Planning section.
What if I want to visit in the winter?
Come along. What a great time to plan to explore YELLOWSTONE and beyond! Snowmobiles, snowcoaches, cross-country skis and snowshoes are all popular means of doing so. You can even experience a dog-sled adventure. Visit our winter activities in our Eat, Sleep, Play section.
