On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant changed the world. On that day, Grant signed the eloquently written “Yellowstone National Park Protection Act,” which stated that a huge corner of Wyoming and narrow slivers of Idaho and Montana would be “hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or sale…and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
“What an audacious idea it was,” said Ryan Hauck executive director of Cody Yellowstone. “The very thought of setting aside 2.2 million acres of natural resource-rich land must have seemed outrageous. But a few visionaries convinced Congress and President Grant that it was the right thing to do. And the entire world is fortunate they did.”
Photo: Cody Yellowstone
Cody Yellowstone is the marketing arm for Park County, Wyoming, which includes the Yellowstone gateway communities of Cody, Meeteetse and Powell, the Shoshone National Forest to the east and a large swath of Yellowstone National Park.
“Yellowstone was preserved to be a ‘pleasuring ground’ for everyone, and 150 years later, it still is,” said Hauck. “I’d call that a huge success and a testament to the scores of people who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that we continue to respect and promote the vision of the park’s founders.”
Simulated gunfight in Cody. Photo: Cody Yellowstone
Both inside and outside Yellowstone, there are endless cultural, nature-based, historic, classic, adventurous, relaxing and just plain fun ways to see and experience this classic American vacation destination this year and beyond. In honor of Yellowstone’s big anniversary, click here for 150 Adventures in Yellowstone.
