There is no place on earth like Yellowstone National Park – for no other place compares with its collection of geological features, bountiful wildlife, pristine rivers and streams, tumbling waterfalls, snow-frosted mountain peaks, virgin forests and scenic vistas.

Yellowstone was designated the world's first national park in 1872 by a president and Congress who had the courage and vision to recognize that the 2.2 million-acre area contained unique features that should be preserved forever.

It's been 21 years since the 1988 fires burned more than 30 percent of the park's vegetation. Now, maturing trees and grasses flourish in the once-scorched earth.

For visitors entering the park from Gardiner, the first Yellowstone wonder is Mammoth Hot Springs.

Hot water welling up from the aquifers below carries dissolved minerals that form the surrealistic limestone terraces. The Mammoth terraces are constantly evolving, as one area goes dormant and another springs to life.

A Golden eagle dines on a dead Elk in Yellowstone National Park.

Mammoth has full seasonal accommodations, including a hotel, restaurant/grill, campground, gasoline station, grocery and gift shops.

Mammoth is the park's year-round headquarters, housing the main post office, Albright Visitor Center, Mammoth Clinic, superintendent's office and offices for wildlife and land managers. A walking tour through the area celebrates the park's years as Fort Yellowstone under U.S. Army supervision.

To the south of Mammoth Hot Springs lies the Norris Geyser Basin, home to the world's largest geyser, Steamboat. When it's active, it sends a pillar of water and steam about 400 feet into the air. There is a campground at Norris just a short distance from the geyser basin. Next to the campground is the Museum of the National Park Ranger.

Madison Junction is located about 14 miles south of Norris and also has a campground. The Madison Information Station is located there, and it is also there the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers merge to form the famous Madison River, which has a reputation as one of the world's finest trout streams.

The Firehole Canyon Drive, just south of Madison, provides visitors with a spectacular view of this scenic and wild river.

Along the 16-mile drive between Madison and Old Faithful are the Lower Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pot, Firehole Lake Drive, Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin – all with unique thermal features.

Visitors at Mammoth Hot Springs walk along a well-maintained boardwalk while touring the Lower Terrace Area.

Undoubtedly, the most famous part of Yellowstone is the Old Faithful area – not only for the world-renowned geyser but for the nearby historic Old Faithful Inn built from hand-hewn logs in 1903-04.

The area, which is seasonal full service, also has the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Old Faithful Lodge for hotel rooms and cabins. There is no camping or overnight recreational vehicle parking available at Old Faithful. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is open in the winter.

The West Thumb Geyser Basin and the Grant Village complex are located on the western shores of Yellowstone Lake. Grant Village offers the full range of seasonal visitor accommodations.

The beautiful drive along Yellowstone Lake leads to Bridge Bay, where visitors can launch private boats at the marina, pay a fee to enjoy a guided boat tour or rent boats to tour on their own.

The historic Lake Hotel is located just a few miles north, and within the Lake-Fishing Bridge area, visitors can find a variety of seasonal services.

Sixteen miles north of Fishing Bridge is the Canyon area and more of the park's famous natural wonders – the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.

The river plunges 109 feet down the Upper Falls, and then tumbles another 308 feet down the Lower Falls.

There are full seasonal visitor services at Canyon.

Tower Falls, about 19 miles north of Canyon, has etched a notch in huge spires that tower above the 132-foot falls.

At Roosevelt Lodge, 19 miles north of Canyon, are cabin rentals, restaurant/gift shops and evening cookouts that visitors reach by horse-drawn wagon.

Guided horseback rides are offered at Roosevelt, Canyon and Mammoth.

The Yellowstone Institute, which offers informational classes on the park, is found in the Lamar Valley.

The Lamar Valley is a prime place to see wolves, which were reintroduced to the park in 1995. Elk and bison can often be seen in open meadows throughout the park, and Dunraven Pass – between Tower and Canyon – is one area frequented by bears.

Park officials caution visitors not to feed wildlife and to maintain a safe distance. It is against the law to approach within 100 yards of bears and wolves or within 25 yards of all other wildlife.

Some construction notes: Delays of up to a half hour may be experienced due to various road construction and maintenance projects inside and surrounding the park. Most projects will be suspended over the holiday weekends. Night closures of the road between Madison and Norris Junctions will be enforced from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., May 26 through Aug. 16. The road will be completely closed from Aug. 17 through the rest of the summer.

Call (307) 344-2117 for current park road information.

For other park information, call (307) 344-7381 or visit www.nps.gov/yell.

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Thousands of people look forward to visiting Yellowstone National Park in the spring and summer months for wildlife watching, hiking, fishing and a myriad of other activities.

But there usually are crowds of tourists to contend with, which can be aggravating if there is only enough time for one or two days in the park.

One option for enjoying the park while avoiding the crowds is to take a course from the Yellowstone Association Institute.

Almost all Institute classes include field trips that take participants away from the roads and into the backcountry. The courses range from one day adventures to multi-day trips.

They cover almost every aspect of the natural and human environment in the park. Some are designed as family adventures; some appeal to artists, writers and photographers; and others take participants into areas of Yellowstone rarely seen by the typical visitor.

Some are based out of the Institute's Buffalo Ranch in the park's Lamar Valley; others leave from the various lodging locations in the park.

Types of course activities include:

Field seminars and the Lodging and Learning programs:

Backcountry courses:

Private tours:

Fees for classes range from $100 for various one-day courses to more than $1,000 for multi-day adventures.

For a catalog of the 2009 Yellowstone Association Institute courses, call (406) 848-2400 or visit its Web site at www.YellowstoneAssociation.org.

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