From west: Idaho Falls, Ida., via U.S. 20, 191 to Rexburg, Ashton, and West Yellow- stone,110 mi. Fromnorth: Livingston, Mont., The Site Guide via U.S. 89 to Gardiner, $6 mi. More than 500 mi. of roads and numeroustrails provide accessto all cornersof the park in spring, summerand fall. During the winter only the n. and n.e. entrance roads are kept open. Concessionaire-operatedsnowmobile tours YellowstoneNational Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are available to some sectorsof the park, originatingat Mammoth. Location NorthwestWyoming, overlapping into Accommodations Full accommodations are of- Montana on the north and west and Idaho on the west and south. fered from mid-June to Labor Day at all major stationswithin the park. (Limited ac- commodationsare available in early and late Description Essentiallyan elevatedplateau with seasons.)Advance reservationssuggested. an average elevation of about 8,000 ft. Campgroundsare available in and near the Roughlysquare in shape;more than 80% of park. Arrive early during the peak of the the park's 3,471 sq.-mi. area is comprisedof summerseason in order to securea campsite. lodgepolepine forests which occur for the most part at elevationsof 7,000 - 8,000 feet. At higher elevations,in streamvalleys and in glacial kettles on the plateau, Engelmann spruce,subalpine fir and whitebarkpine oc- cur. Timberline in the park is at ap- proximately 10,000 ft. At lower elevations Douglas-firand quaking aspengrow in scat- tered stands.Limber pine and RockyMoun- tain juniper alsooccur in lowerelevations, of- ten along the edgesof sagebrush-grassland communities. Nonforestedterritory in the park is generally comprised of wetland meadows, sagebrush-grassland,subalpine meadows, thermal areas or talus. Elevations in the park range from 5,000 ft. near Gar- diner at the n. entranceto 11,358ft. at Eagle Peak in the s.e.corner. Numerous ponds and lakes, includingthe 139 sq.-mi. Yellowstone Lake lie in the pockets of the mountain plateaus, and are drained by severalrivers feeding on both sides of the Continental Divide into both the Pacific and Atlantic drainagesystems. Yellowstone is surrounded by rugged mountain rangeswith the Snowy and Beartoothranges extending along the northernboundary, the Absarokasalong the east.The picturesqueGallatin Rangeextends alongthe northwestboundary, while the lofty Teton Rangelies to the south. Access Yellowstoneis servicedby airports at West Yellowstone near the west entrance; Bozeman, Mont., 80 mi. from the n. en- trance; Cody, Wyo., 56 mi. from the e. en- trance and Jackson,Wyo., 57 mi. from the s. entrance. By car: From east: Cody, via U.S. Union Geyser. Shoshone Geyser Basin. One of more 14, 16, and 20. From south: Jackson, via than 10.000 thermal .features in YellowstoneNational Park. Photo/National Park Service. U.S. 89, 287 through Teton National Park. 18 AmericanBirds, February1974 Motels, rental cottages, restaurants, food museumis located.A morningor eveningtrip markets available at West Yellowstone, Gar- to Gardiner at the n. entrance via the old road diner, Silver Gate and Cooke City near the (a one-waydirt road originating directly park entrances. behind the Mammoth Motor Inn) can be Birdwatching Owingto the generalhomogeneity rewarding.Mountain Bluebirdsand Starlings of elevationand of plant communitiesan ob- nest in the scatteredstands of Aspen along servercan expectto find many speciesof the road. This drive is one of the best birds more or lessequally distributedover a locationsin the park for raptors.Green-tailed large part of the park. A checklist,free upon Towheesare common.The road leadingfrom request, will assist you in ascertaining the entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs seasonal occurrence and relative abundance. follows the swift-moving Gardner River. Entering the w. entrance watch for paired Watch for Dipper and Belted Kingfisher Trumpeter Swam along the Madison River. along the river. In springthe willowsalong Clark's Nutcrackers are almost always the river'sedge will resoundwith the songsof presentat Gibbon Falls and W. Tanagersare Swaimon's Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Corn. common. Sandhill Cranes frequent the Yellowthroat, Lazuli Bunting and Song meadows of the Twin Lakes area between Sparrow. In fall E. and W. Kingbirds Norris and Mammoth. The lakes and wetland congregatein the willowsof the lower canyon. meadowsof SwanLake Flats(just beyond In- In late summerthe ripeningchokecherries in dian Creek Campground)provide excellent the Mammoth campground attract large habitat for Mallard, Gadwall, Blue-winged flocks of Evening Grosbeaks.Magpies are and Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Seaup, Corn. also common in the campground and Snipe,Wilson's Phalarope, Red-winged and MacGillivray'sWarblers breedon the brushy Yellow-headedBlackbird. The patient ob- hillsideabove the amphitheater.A rewarding server will find Rock Wren in the unusual spring or summer side trip is the Blacktail assemblageof travertine bouldersreferred to Deer Plateau Drive (a one-waydirt road bet- as the Hoodoos near Mammoth. Take the weenMammoth and Tower Junction).Large Upper Terrace Loop Road at Mammoth, portionsof the drive are throughsagebrush, stopping at the New Highland Terrace with scattered stands of Douglas-fir and ParkingLot. Followthe trail alongthe flank quaking aspen. In these aspen groves,one of the hill whereyou shouldfind Corn.Raven, may find Corn.(Red-shafted) Flicker, Dusky Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Flycatcher,Tree Swallow,House Wren and Red-breastedNuthatch, Brown Creeper, Am. Mountain Bluebirdall nestingtogether in one Robin, Towmend's Solitaire, Ruby-crowned small grove.Further along the plateau drive Kinglet, W. Tanager, Cassin'sFinch, Pine watch exposed dead limbs for W. Wood Siskinand ChippingSparrow. In Mammoth Peweeand Olive-sidedFlycatcher. Harlequin village watch for Yellow-belliedSapsuckers Duck breedson Hellroaring Creek aboveits in the birch trees oppositethe post office. ford with the Yellowstone River. To reach Listen and watch for Warbling and oc- HellroaringCreek requires a 10-milehike (5 casionallyRed-eyed Vireos in the cottonwood miles eachway). Watch in the area just before trees which line the street on which the crossing the suspensionbridge over the YellowstoneRiver for Brewer'sSparrow and in the rocky canyon beyondthe suspension bridge for Rock Wren. Red-tailed Hawk and Am. Kestrel are also common in this area. From Tower Junction take the northeast en- trance road. Within a few miles glacial bouldersare strewnabout and small glacial ponds dot the valley floor. Watch for Great Blue Herons and showy Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the tules along the edges of these ponds. Numerouswaterfowl including Trumpeter Swans, Ruddy Ducks and Coot breed in theseponds. In the upper portion of the valleywatch for GoldenEagle and Swain- son's Hawk. Hundreds of Cliff Swallows nest The YellowstoneRiver near HaydenValley. Photo/author. on Soda Butte, an extinct hot spring cone near the head of the valley. Returning to the Volume 28, Number 1 19 loop road system,search the tules along the Corn. Snipe,Great Blue Heron and Am. Bit- edge of Rainey Lake near Tower Falls for tern may be seenalong the river margins. In breeding White-throated Swifts. In Tower spring, and in more pronouncedfashion in Falls campgroundlook for Steller'sJays and fall, Hayden Valley is a meccafor migrating in spring, migrating Townsend'sWarblers. shorebirds. Solitary and Least Sandpipers, At Canyon, take any of the Grand Canyon Greater and LesserYellowlegs are mostcom- rim trails. From a safe vantage point watch mon, while Baird's and Pectoral Sandpipers, for soaringOspreys in the canyon.Along the Marbled Godwits and Mountain Plovers are rim of the canyonwatch for the rare Northern rare. Along the eastentrance road at the nor- Three-toedWoodpecker, Gray Jay, breeding thern end of Yellowstone Lake take the Pine Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, and Dark-eyed Squaw Lake Trail. Red Crossbillsare con- (Oregon)Junco. South of the canyon,watch sistentlyseen here; watch also for Yellow- in early spring for Harlequin Duck on the rumped (Audubon's) Warbler and White- LeHardy rapids of the YellowstoneRiver. crownedSparrow. The lake area in general Watch along the river's edge for Lincoln's is also the best area for locating Bald Eagle, Sparrow. North of Yellowstone Lake the Osprey,White Pelican,California and Ring- YellowstoneRiver flowsplacidly through the billed Gull. Near Old Faithful watch for broad, rolling sagebrush-coveredhills of Ruffed Grousealong the trail to Lone Star Hayden Valley. Grizzly bear, moose, bison Geyser.This and other trails on the plateau and coyote share this valley with breeding representthe best possibilityfor observing Canada Geese, Mallard, Gadwall, Green- the Goshawkand the uncommonGreat Gray winged Teal, Blue-wingedTeal, and Cin- Owl. namon Teal. The river also attracts American Rating Summer (June-August) ,,,,,,,,,,,,. Fall Wigcon, LesserScaup, Barrow's Goldeneye, (Sept.-Nov.) ,,, ,,, ,,', Spring (March-May) Common Merganser, Am. Coot and on oc- ,,,,,,, Winter (Dec.-Feb.) ,,,. -- Richard casion Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead. Follett, 2531 Cactus Ave., Santa Rosa, Calif. Bald Eaglesand Ospreypatrol the river and 95405. The Gallatin Mountainsform a picturesquebackdrop.for this SwanLake Flats scene.Photo/National Park Service. 20 AmericanBirds. February 1974 21 Volume 28, Number 1 .