Entry Points:
About West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone sits at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park in the 6,660 foot-high Madison Valley. A forest of dark green evergreens covers the valley floor and the surrounding mountains. Being volcanic in origin, chunks of black obsidian rock lie scatter about on the mountainsides. The Madison River passes the city, flowing out of Yellowstone's geysers and hot springs, and toward the nearby Hebgen Reservoir. West Yellowstone is the southernmost city in Montana, sitting in a tiny tip between the Wyoming and Idaho borders.
West Yellowstone had its beginnings as a terminus for a Union Pacific Railroad line built in the early 1900s to bring tourists to Yellowstone National Park. After being called 'Boundary', 'Terminus', and just 'Yellowstone', the name 'West Yellowstone' was adopted in 1920. The railroad is no longer in use but West Yellowstone has grown into a tourism-centered town with a population of 1,177 (as of 2000).
U. S. Highway 20 passes through West Yellowstone coming from Yellowstone on the east, and heading into Idaho a short distance to the west. Combined U. S. Highways 191 and 287 leave toward the north, heading toward Bozeman and Interstate 90. Minor roads lead into the surrounding Gallatin National Forest, where camping, hiking and other recreational opportunities are available.