Driving Tip #82190: What to do when you encounter bison crossing the road
Our Creator made some amazing places in the world. Yellowstone is one of the them. God did good work there. His creativity, power and beauty are on display for all the world to see.
Yellowstone National Park is located in three states in the Northwest USA: 96% of the park is in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, and 1% in Idaho. (The zip code is 82190.) President Grant established Yellowstone Park in 1872 and he said the park was established “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” In the early 1900s, President Teddy Roosevelt expanded the park.
In addition to amazing mountains, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, cauldrons and geysers, Yellowstone is home to bald eagles, black bears, prong horn deer, elk, grizzly bears, many other animals, and more bison than you have ever seen in your life.
The wildlife roam free inside the park so you have to pay attention when you are driving down the road. You also have to pay attention as you drive around the park because at times you find yourself traveling on roads along cliffs without guardrails, hundreds of feet above the valleys below. No need to worry about bison up there, so keep your eyes on the road!
So, when you are driving through the valleys, such as Lamar Valley, and you encounter a herd of bison near the roadway, what do you do?
- Slow down.
- Stop.
- Watch for the bison crossing the road.
- Be amazed as the bison cross the road right in front of you.
- Pull off to the side of the road (if you are like us) to take pictures and watch the bison for a few minutes.
- While you are stopped on the road, keep the doors to your van open in case a bison begins to charge you (seriously).
- After a few minutes, head back to the van.
- Drive slowly.
- Hope that you see more bison crossing the road.
- Repeat steps 1-9.
Happy driving!
