Even today, Yellowstone is a “young” land that is undergoing relatively rapid changes. The subterranean heat that causes its geyser activity is slowly subsiding.
Old geysers die out and new ones grow in power and regularity. Imperceptibly, the canyons deepen, and erosion carves new patterns on rocky walls.
This is the land ... rich in forests and wild life, and gemmed with sparkling mountain lakes ... that has been set aside for the perpetual enjoyment of our people. This is Yellowstone, oldest and greatest of America’s National Parks.
Your trip to Yellowstone via The Milwaukee Road takes you through the most spectacular of all entrances—Gallatin Gateway.
You leave the train at Three Forks, Montana, on the main transcontinental line of The Milwaukee Road. Just outside of town the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson rivers flow together to form the headwaters of the mighty Missouri.
Lewis and Clark’s expedition camped here in 1805 on their way to the Pacific Northwest. There is a bronze tablet in the town park dedicated to Sacajawea, the Indian girl who guided the explorers. Three Forks was established as a trading post for the Missouri Fur Company in 1810.
Pale shades of gray, buff, yellow and orange-red give rich color to the face of Sheep Mountain in Gallatin Canyon. Dark conifers cling to the lower slopes.
Leaving the train, you board a motor coach for a delightful drive of a little over an hour to Gallatin Gateway Inn.
