Yellowtone River History

Beginning in the slopes of Yount Peak in the Absaroka Range of Wyoming, Yellowstone River meanders downstream some 670 miles into the Missouri and then, eventually, into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Mexico. The river runs out of the Yellowstone National Park, flowing through Montana, heading eastward into North Dakota, where it eventually joins the Missouri River. The natural flowing, undammed, and untamed Yellowstone, travels a course that cuts through steep-walled canyons, fertile farm country, and flows in and out of lakes, crashing over falls, and meeting tributaries. The only river in the lower 48 states that has remained a free flowing gem, the clear, cool, swift waters of the Yellowstone packs beauty, challenges, and is a vital resource in the region. …show more content…
Exploration of the region began with the Lewis and Clark Expedition; upon returning from the Pacific Northwest, Lieutenant William Clark led a group down the Yellowstone River. John Colter is recorded as the first European to explore the Yellowstone region and the river. He and fur trader Manuel Lisa established the first trading post in 1807 at Bighorn River. In the 1800s, fur trapper Jim Bridger and fur trader Jed Smith also explored the waters of the Yellowstone by riverboat. In the mid-1800s, Yellowstone River region also witnessed the conflict between the U.S. government and Native Americans. In 2011 and 2015, Yellowstone River was contaminated by oil spill, but cleanup effort, environmental measures, and the resiliency of the river keeps the beauty