As a 9 year old in 1950 I was fortunate to visit Yellowstone with my family. At that time I told my mother that I someday wanted to return to work at Old Faithful. In the summers of 1960-61 I served as a waitress at the Lodge–the best time of my life! There were students from 46 States and 22 foreign countries working at the park, and I learned so much about others’ lives, countries, and customs, as we all served the public. One rainy night I fell on top of a black bear as I ran, head held down while running up the hill from the girls’ dorm to mail a letter home. As I banged into its backside, my arms stretched forward to catch myself, and I grabbed into wet fur and was carried off on its back, as it made grunting sounds of alarm! I think I scared it more than vice versa. There were other close bear encounters as well as a moose munching grass right at the rock I was lying out on across the Firehole River from the dorm. Those were the days! I also met some wonderful people, one with whom I remade contact 50 years later–one of the student ministers. The Park is magical, and will someday receive a portion of my ashes to be scattered at Castle Geyser–my King Castle. We must fight any attempt to reduce the Park System for political or commercial gains–I would find that an unconscionable assault on all Americans. Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Yellowstone National Park
America's first national park is named after the river that runs through it. Within the park's massive boundaries, visitors can find mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and some of the most concentrated geothermal activity in the world. The park has 60% of the world’s geysers, as well as hot springs and mud pots. It is also home to diverse wildlife with the largest concentration of mammals in the Lower 48 states, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.
State(s): Idaho Montana, Wyoming,
Established: 1872
“I said it all above!”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now