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You're watching Inside Yellowstone
Though Yellowstone has five entrances,
the Roosevelt Arch makes the North Entrance
the most dramatic. Located along the park’s
north boundary at the town of Gardiner, Montana,
the North Entrance was the first and only
entrance in the early days of the park.
The arch has welcomed visitors since 1903.
Although Yellowstone National Park was
established in 1872 under President Ulysses Grant,
the arch was built later to welcome visitors
arriving by train. When the Northern Pacific
Railroad extended to Gardiner. It was President
Theodore Roosevelt, a conservationist and park
supporter who dedicated the arch when he
laid the cornerstone during a visit in 1903.
The arch was designed by Robert Reamer,
the architect of the Old Faithful Inn
and many other historic park structures.
Built of columnar basaltic rocks taken
from old lava flows in the park, the arch stands
50 feet tall. The opening archway is 30 feet
tall and only 25 feet wide, so it is not the
standard width for today’s two-lane roads.
In the early days, after a long train ride
across the country, park visitors would board
horse-drawn coaches at the Gardiner Railroad
Station and pass through the arch on their
way into Wonderland. Inscribed overhead is
“For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People”
from the 1872 congressional act that created
Yellowstone as the world’s first national park.
As you pass through the arch to explore the
marvels of Yellowstone, imagine yourself on a
stagecoach, touring the park as the early
visitors did. Think of all those who have
traveled to this magnificent place before you,
and left it protected for you to enjoy.