News

Sadly, we're now entering the part of the Yellowstone season where more of the news is made in courtroom than actually within Park boundaries. Next up on the docket: an appeal of a decision to raise snowmobile daily limits.

Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem should immediately be placed back on the Endangered Species List, as a federal judge rules the Bush Administration had no business removing the bears from protected status.

It may not have been the most ringing of endorsements of National Park Service management, but the end result was the same, as Wyoming District Court Judge Clarence Brimmer -- no fan of NPS practices -- declined to strike down a Yellowstone National Park temporary winter-use management plan, leaving intact a limit of 318 snowmobiles per day in the upcoming winter season.

At first glance, all would appear to be well with Yellowstone National Park: this summer saw an all-time record in the number of visitors to the Park, while wolf and bison numbers have stabilized to comfortably sustainable levels. But the overall future of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem isn't nearly as bright, as indicated in a report issued last week from Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis.

The Rainbow Fire on the north-facing slope of Sepulcher Mountain has grown slightly in the last 24 hours and now covers a half acre, but it doesn't pose any challenges to visitors to Yellowstone National Park.

A small fire on Sepulcher Mountain caused by a lightning strike has forced Yellowstone National Park officials to close down the popular Sepulcher Mountain Trail, near the park’s northern boundary and about three miles west-northwest of Mammoth Hot Springs.

The Yellowstone National Park bison population is up slightly in 2009, well below recorded highs but stable enough to lead Park officials to proclaim all is well.

A woman camping more than five miles into the remote Bechler River portion of Yellowstone National Park was found dead, presumably after drowning in the Bechler River.

With the tallies completed, it's official: This has been the busiest summer in Yellowstone National Park history, as nearly 2.3 million people came to the park during June, July and August, up 124,000 over the previous summer record of 2,173,371 set back in 1999.

Even though it's been a relatively wet summer -- at least by previous standards -- there's always the threat of summer fires in Yellowstone National Park, and this year is no exception, as 200 acres in the Lamar Valley have been affected by what began as an extremely small fire two weeks ago. The prognosis: minimal impact on the park.