Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, making it the very first U.S. National Park, and probably the first national park in the entire world. But this area was first inhabited by Native Americans over 11,000 years ago!
Yellowstone is the 8th largest national park, spanning nearly 3,500 square miles and over 2.2 million acres. The park resides mostly in Wyoming but also extends to parts of Montana and Idaho as well. (The only national parks larger than Yellowstone are Death Valley, and 6 of the Alaskan National Parks. So, it is 2nd largest in the Lower 48 states.) And Yellowstone welcomes over 4 million visitors every year.
The park was originally managed by the Secretary of the Interior and then the U.S. Army took over for a 30-year span, until the National Park Service was finally established in 1916.
The Landscape of Yellowstone
Yellowstone’s terrain is incredibly diverse consisting of lakes, rivers, canyons, incredible waterfalls, grasslands, forests, and mountain ranges. The park sits directly over the Yellowstone Caldera, which is one of the largest super-volcanoes on the entire continent! It is currently considered dormant but has erupted multiple times throughout history, with lava flows and volcanic rocks shaping much of the park landscape.
Perhaps one of the most well-known features of Yellowstone are the geysers and other hydro-thermal features including the bubbling mud pits and the grand prismatic hot springs. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is home to at least half of the geysers in the ENTIRE WORLD!
When we were there, it was crazy to me that they could actually time when Old Faithful was going to erupt and had specific viewing times…there’s an incredible science to the geothermal activity. We just happened to be driving by and stopped just in time to watch!
I think Grand Prismatic was our favorite spot in the park though. It’s literally a giant rainbow colored hot spring created by the heat and bacteria living in it. And the varying temperatures throughout the pools are what create all the different rings of color. It’s unbelievable!
Yellowstone Wildlife
The wildlife and ecosystems in Yellowstone are incredibly diverse as well. It contains hundreds of species of animals and the largest population of mega-fauna in the lower 48 states (large or giant animals usually over 90kg) including wolves, grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, bison herds, and elk.
And we saw this first-hand. We literally swam in a creek with a herd of elk hanging out like 20 yards away. They really didn’t seem to care. There is an estimated 30,000 elk in the Yellowstone region making them the most prominent mammal in the park.
The bison herds were incredible too. Just massive animals (that some people think it’s cool to just turn their back on for selfies. We’ll get to that tho.) And the Yellowstone bison herd is the largest herd in the U.S. And there is estimated to be over 5,000 bison in the park.
Devin actually got stuck in the bathroom because a herd of bison decided to post up right outside the door!
We didn’t see any wolves or grizzlies while we were there, but Yellowstone is one of six Grizzly Bear recovery zones in the lower 48 states, aimed at re-establishing the grizzly bear population. It is estimated that there are about 700 grizzlies in this recovery zone.
Finally, black bears can also be found in the northern regions of the park, and in fact, for the first 80 years or so of the park’s history, one of the main tourist activities was to feed the black bears. But there were so many injuries associated with this, and the bears were so habituated to eating human food, that the park outlawed this activity in 1960…And we now know how stupid and dangerous it is to feed bears.
Yellowstone Survival/Demise Stories
Drownings
From 2006 to 2016, there were over 1,000 accidental deaths recorded in U.S. national parks. The number one cause of death in all national parks combined, including Yellowstone, is drowning. According to the NPS website, since it’s establishment in 1872, 121 people have drowned in Yellowstone National Park.
The most recent that I could find, was on July 23rd 2015, when a 21 year old seasonal park employee from China named Feiyang “Isaac” Xiang, was seen being swept away by the Yellowstone River. A massive search ensued including search dog teams, ground searchers, and helicopters, but they turned up nothing. Finally, almost 3 years later in February 2018, park staff found human skeletal remains near the site where he was last seen. The bones were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for DNA testing and a confirmation was made in June 2019 that the remains were indeed Isaac’s.
Geyser/Hot Spring Incidents
Yellowstone is home to over 10,000 geysers, hot springs, and other geothermal features, some of which can reach up to 250 degrees F! Since 1890, at least 22 people have died from hot spring related incidents in Yellowstone, and several others have been injured.
Drunk Drop
Just in September 2019, a 48 year old man named Cade Edmond Siemers was getting his drink on, and decided to take a late-night stroll, drunk, around Old Faithful. He didn’t bring a flashlight, and like many of the others we will talk about, decided to leave the boardwalk. Seimers subsequently tripped and fell right into a 150 degree hot spring, receiving severe burns to most of his body. He was somehow able to make it back to his hotel room where he called an ambulance. He was airlifted to a burn center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and placed in critical care. I couldn’t find an update but I hope he survived.
Father/Son Fall
On June 6th, 2016, a father was carrying his 13 year old son near the Old Faithful geyser, and decided to wander off the designated trail despite the warning signs. The father slipped and fell, and the boy suffered severe burns on his ankle causing him to be hospitalized. The father was also burned but fortunately, they both survived the incident.
Hot tub Meltdown
Literally one day later on June 7th, 2016, 23 year old Colin Nathaniel Scott of Portland, OR, was walking along the boardwalk with his sister, Sable Scott, at Norris Geyser Basin. They ignored the signs to stay on the boardwalk and instead decided to wander over 200 yards off the trail into the basin searching for what she described as “a natural hot tub.” Sable was filming her brother attempting to test the water temp but Colin slipped and fell into a hot spring, where he quickly died of burn injuries. Authorities originally saw his body floating in the hot spring but a lightning storm made the conditions so dangerous that they were unable to recover it. When they came back the next day, they found that the acidity from the hot spring almost completely dissolved his body, so there were no remains left to be recovered.
Firehole Tragedy
Another serious incident occurred in August 2000. A 20 year old Yellowstone concession employee named Sarah Hulphers and a few of her co-workers decided to take a late night swim in the Firehole River in the Lower Geyser Basin near Old Faithful.
After their swim, they were attempting to walk back to their cars in the dark without flashlights. They thought they were about to jump over a little sliver of water but it turned out to be the bank of Cavern Hot Spring. Hulpher and 2 others, Lance Buchi and Tyler Montague, both 18 years old, all fell into the hot spring. The 2 guys were submerged up to their necks and were able to somehow climb out on their own. They suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 90% of their bodies. Hulphers went completely under the scalding water though and suffered complete 3rd degree burns over 100% of her body. Other friends that were with them called 911 and they were all air-lifted to Salt Lake city to undergo treatment at a burn center. Buchi and Montague miraculously survived after treatment, but unfortunately, Hulpher’s injuries were too severe and she died the following day.
Dog Dive
One final hot spring story and perhaps the most heartbreaking. On June 20th 1981, 24 year old David Allen Kirwan and his friend, Ronald Ratliff, were exploring the Fountain Paint Pot area of Yellowstone. Ratliffe’s dog, Moosie, escaped their vehicle and jumped right into the Celestine Pool, which boils at 202 degrees F. Moosie began yelping in agonizing pain, and in a moment of stupidity and heroics, Kirwan decided to try to save him.
Bystanders began yelling for him not to jump in, but apparently he yelled “Like hell I won’t” before turning and diving headfirst into the Celestine Pool. He apparently made it to the dog and attempted to drag him out before letting go and trying to climb out himself. Ratliff waded in and helped pull him out, receiving 2nd degree burns on his ankles. He got Kirwan out, who then reportedly said “That was stupid. How bad am I? That was a stupid thing I did.”
Kirwan was blind, and received 3rd degree burns to his entire body. His skin was peeling off, and emergency services attempted to removed his shoes, but all his skin came off with it. He was taken to Salt Lake City for treatment but died the following day, and Moosie the dog died as well.
Death By Poison Gas
Sulfur is definitely a prominent smell in Yellowstone…In 1939, a brand new park employee named Bill Nelson was assigned the task of surveying the land near Tower Junction before beginning road construction. At the time, it was standard practice for the Bureau of Public Roads to dig a 26 foot deep pit to survey the underlying earth and rock formations before building on top of it. Nelson and another guy named Earl Johnson, lowered a 3rd employee named Vaughn Roley into the pit via a bucket.
Roley suddenly smelled sulfur and was immediately overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes severe irritation to mucous membranes in the respiratory tract and can even interrupt the respiratory center in the brain. Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air which is why it only affected him when he was lowered into the pit. Roley lost consciousness and fell out of the bucket, dangling from his foot.
Nelson slid down the rope to help him but he was overcome by the hydrogen sulfide as well and passed out, falling to the bottom of the pit. Johnson was somehow able to pull Roley out, And then he went and got help to get Nelson out. Nelson was unconscious at the bottom of the pit for over 20 minutes though, and when they pulled him out there was a horrible yellow foam oozing from his nose and mouth. Both Nelson and Roley were rushed to the hospital, where Roley survived but Nelson died the following day.
Death By Fall
Created from a nearly 600,000 year old lava flow, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is as majestic as it is lethal. As you know, it’s views and features are gorgeous, boasting 1200-foot cliffs, and a massive 308 foot waterfall (which just for reference is twice as high as Niagara Falls.) Those heights though, come with grave consequences for those who don’t respect it.
A Tragic Slip
In August 2016, a 21 year old park concessions employee named Estefania Liset Mosquera Alcivar, of Ecuador, was hanging out with some of her co-workers at Grandpoint View Trail (an extremely popular attraction), when she lost her footing and fell over the edge of the cliff. A search and rescue helicopter found her body the following morning and rangers determined that she died on impact.
Miracle at Grand View
A year earlier in May 2015, a 71 year old man from New York, was attempting to take a picture of a sign at Grand View at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, but he lost his balance and stumbled backwards over a stone barrier into the canyon. He fell 25 feet, but miraculously was able to catch himself at the top of the precipice by bracing his body and legs against the walls of a small crevice. A visitor who witnessed this called 911 and the Yellowstone Technical Rescue Team was able to save the man with the use of ropes and pulleys. He walked away with a minor hip injury, but if it had gone any differently, he would’ve fallen over 200 feet to the rocks below.
Drove off a cliff
And I try to stick with more recent-ish stories but this story from 1924 is just fucked. A Minneapolis couple, Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Dunn were visiting the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and had parked their car only 50 feet from Grand View. After taking in the sights, they returned to their car, but were having trouble turning around because space was limited. In attempting to maneuver the car, Mr. Dunn accidentally backed them right off the edge of the cliff. The car got lodged into some rocks about 100 feet below, but they fell from the car and continued falling almost another 1000 feet bouncing off rocks and cliff formations all the way to the bottom. Both their bodies and their car were a completely mangled mess by the time rescuers were able to retrieve them.
Death by Animal Attack
Since 1872, 8 people have been killed by Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone. The last 3 in particular occurred fairly recently.
Defensive Grizzly Mom
In July 2011, 57 year old Brain Matayoshi and his wife were hiking in Hayden Valley on Wapati Lake Trail. They were only about 1.5 miles into their hike when they came across a momma grizzly and her two cubs in an open meadow. According to the wife, they saw the bears from a distance and tried to walk away but, the next thing they knew, the bear charged them and mauled her husband to death.
She hid behind a tree but the bear approached her and actually lifted her off the ground, but she played dead and the bear dropped her and walked away, leaving her uninjured. Other hikers heard the initial screams of her and her husband from a distance and called 911. Since it wasn’t a food related death, park officials said it was natural that the bear would protect her cubs so they didn’t attempt to capture or kill the bear. This was the first bear related death in Yellowstone in 25 years.The next couple came in pretty short order though.
Predatory Grizzly
Literally 1 month later in August 2011, a 59 year old man named John Wallace was solo hiking in Hayden Valley on Mary Mountain Trail. His remains were found just Northeast of Old Faithful by other hikers, and authorities determined via autopsy that he was mauled to death by a grizzly after sitting on a log for a snack.
Authorities used DNA evidence and determined the same sow that killed Matayoshi a month earlier was in the vicinity of Wallace’s corpse, though they couldn’t determine if it was actually the same bear that killed him. Since this attack was more predatory in nature instead of defensive, authorities located and killed the suspected bear. Ironically, after Wallace’s death, park rangers said they attempted to give Wallace a bear safety lecture but he wasn’t interested, claiming he was a “grizzly bear expert.”
Park Employee Killed by Grizzly
Fast forward a few years and on August 7th 2015, 63 year old Lance Crosby who was an employee of the Yellowstone Medical Clinic, was reported missing when he didn’t show for work. A park ranger later found his partially eaten and covered remains right off of the Elephant Back Loop Trail in the Lake Village (which we definitely hiked). He had defensive wounds all over his arms which indicated he attempted to fight off the bear. Authorities determined there was a sow and her cub in the area who they deemed responsible for Crosby’s death. In response, they captured the sow, and despite petition’s not to kill her, they didn’t want a repeat of 2011, so they determined it was safer for park visitors to euthanize her.
The Power of Bear Spray
Finally, the most recent bear attack occurred in 2018, when a family of four, including a 10 year old boy, from Washington State was hiking along Divide Trail just Southeast of Old Faithful. Suddenly, a grizzly just charged out of the bushes and chased down the boy who attempted to run away. The bear hit the boy, knocking him down, but his parents were able to drive the grizzly back with bear spray. The family was able to make it to the trail head and drove to the Old Faithful ranger station where the boy was transferred to Big Sky Medical Center for treatment of puncture wounds on his back. The investigation concluded that the bear had at least one cub with her, which she was likely defending, so park officials decided not to track down the bear.
None of these incidents were from willingly approaching a bear, but just as a reminder, the recommended safe distance is to stay at least 300 feet away from bears and wolves. And I should note that I couldn’t actually find a recorded wolf attack in Yellowstone, and it’s very rare to actually even see a wolf.
Bison Incidents
Bison are a different story though. Assholes are getting gored all the time by bison in Yellowstone because they think it’s a good idea to walk right up to them. For the record, the recommendation is to stay at least 75 feet away from bison, but people are commonly seen approaching them withing a couple feet and even trying to pet them.
Girl Gets Tossed, Goes Viral
In July 2019, a clip of a 9 year old girl from Florida went viral because she was standing withing 5 feet of a bison and it got pissed off so it charged her and tossed her, literally sending her doing somersaults through the air. Luckily, she only received minor injuries and was released from the medical clinic a short time later, but the adults she was with just left her in the dust to fend for herself. A bystander who actually videotaped the incident said there was a group of at least 50 people standing around this bison all approaching and trying to pet it before it attacked…it’s not a mystery why it got pissed off.
Do It For the Selfie
In July 2015, a 43 year old woman from Mississippi was posing for a picture with her daughter near the Fairy Falls Trail head. They turned their backs to pose with a bison only about 15 feet away. Another hiker warned them that they were way too close, and before they could react, the bison charged. It caught the women on the side and tossed her to the ground with its head.
The women’s husband jumped on top of her to protect her and the bison slowly moved away bringing an end to the attack. She luckily only received minor injuries. When asked wtf they were thinking, they said they read the park literature and the warning signs, but saw other people approaching closely so they thought it would be okay.
And these are just a couple of great examples of stupidity. Yellowstone estimates at least a couple bison attacks occur each year on stupid people who don’t follow the rules. I couldn’t find any fatal bison attacks, but I’m sure time will take care of that.
And all these stories serve as warnings that Yellowstone is wild, and should be treated with the respect it deserves. It is one of the most beautiful places in America, but it’s also one of the most dangerous, so don’t be an idiot when you visit!
STAY SAFE, AND STAY ALIVE!
Cody & Devin
The Wild Bites Back
References
Otherworldy On Earth: Yellowstone National Park
Wikipedia: Yellowstone National Park
The Science Behind Yellowstone’s Rainbow Hot Spring
Deaths and Injuries at Yellowstone’s Geysers and Hot Springs
Man severely burned after falling into Yellowstone hot spring
The 10 Most Deadly National Parks
Bear-Inflicted Human Injuries and Fatalities in Yellowstone