West Yellowstone

Native peoples, including the Shoshone and Bannock, used the Yellowstone region long before the park; from the 1840s Bannock hunters rode from their homeland near Henrys Lake across what is now the park to hunt buffalo further east. Yellowstone became the world's first national park in 1872, and by the early 20th century railways competed to carry tourists to its gates. In 1908 the Union Pacific's Oregon Short Line reached the park boundary, and a town grew at the end of the line. Its name changed several times before West Yellowstone was settled on in 1920.

For several decades most visitors arrived by train in summer, and the town consisted of hotels, stores and the stone railway depot. As the car replaced the railway, motels, petrol stations and diners spread along the streets, and train service ended in 1960.

On an August night in 1959 the Hebgen Lake earthquake struck the area, the strongest and deadliest earthquake recorded in Montana. A huge landslide fell into the Madison River canyon, where many people were camping; 28 people were killed, and the slide dammed the river to create Quake Lake. The town was incorporated in 1966. Winter tourism grew as snowmobiles began carrying visitors into the snowbound park, and limits on their numbers became a long-running public debate.

West Yellowstone's identity is tied to the park and the outdoors. Its people are guides, outfitters, fishing experts, snowmobile mechanics, rangers and the owners of family-run motels, and conversation turns quickly to wildlife sightings, weather and road conditions. Fly fishing has a special place: the nearby Madison River is widely regarded as one of the finest trout fisheries in the world, the Firehole and Gallatin are also fished, and the town has many fly shops.

Winter brings a different culture. Cross-country skiers and snowmobilers use the trails of the surrounding national forest, and guided snowcoach and snowmobile tours leave from town for the park.

The atmosphere is that of a frontier gateway: casual, practical and welcoming to visitors, who outnumber residents many times over in summer. Local people take pride in surviving the long, bitterly cold winters and in a small community where everyone knows one another once the crowds leave.

Only about 1,300 people live in West Yellowstone, but many of the park's millions of visitors pass through, since the west entrance is at the edge of town. Almost the entire economy depends on tourism: lodging, food, guiding, fuel and gift shops. Many businesses employ seasonal workers who arrive for the summer, and housing for them is in short supply.

Life follows the park's calendar. Summer is long days of work and full streets; autumn and spring bring the shoulder seasons, when many businesses close and residents take holidays; and winter is quieter, centred on the snowmobile and ski trade and long, very cold nights. Children attend the small local school, and the nearest large hospitals and shopping centres are in bigger towns such as Bozeman, about 90 miles away.

The town is surrounded by national forest and park land, which limits its growth. Debates over winter vehicle limits in the park, wildlife management and the rising cost of housing are local issues that touch most families.

West Yellowstone's food is hearty and built for people who spend the day outside. Breakfast is a serious meal, with pancakes, eggs, bacon and hash browns, and diners open early for anglers and park visitors trying to beat the traffic. Burgers, steaks, pizza and barbecue fill the evening menus.

Local meats and fish give the menus a Montana character. Bison burgers and steaks are common, and elk sometimes appears as well. Trout is a regional favourite. Montana beef is the basis of most steaks and burgers, and smoked meats and jerky are sold as road snacks.

In the evenings the town's bars pour beers from Montana's many small breweries, which have grown in number across the state in recent decades.

Huckleberries are the signature flavour of the area. These small wild purple berries, related to the blueberry, grow in the mountain forests and have resisted large-scale farming, so they are picked by hand in late summer. They are turned into jams, pies, milkshakes, ice cream, chocolates, syrups and sweets sold all over town.