Looking for your next great book? Honor National Reading Month with one of these Yellowstone Essential Reads.
1. Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre
Renowned wolf researcher and gifted storyteller Rick McIntyre’s 2019 saga will transform our view of wolves forever. McIntyre follows Wolf 8 from his beginning as a bullied pup through his hunting mastery as an alpha male. McIntyre has worked with the National Park Service for more than 50 years and has recorded more sightings of wild wolves than any other person.
As reviewed by The Washington Post, “the Rise of Wolf 8 is “the powerful origin story of one of Yellowstone’s greatest and most famous wolves.”
2. Women in Wonderland by Elizabeth Watry
This book profiles undaunted women who made their mark on Yellowstone National Park. The women profiled in the book range from Marguerite “Peg” Arnold, an intrepid adventurer who was the first woman to become a permanent ranger in the National Park Service, to Dr. Mary Meagher, an expert on Yellowstone’s bison and overall park ecology.
3. The Light of Spring by Tom Murphy
Renowned Montana photographer Tom Murphy’s second seasonal book is a sweeping, exquisite portrait of Yellowstone National Park in its season of annual rebirth. Beautiful photography accompanied by compelling notes and stories by the photographer make this another great addition to any library!
4. Death in Yellowstone by Lee Whittlesey
The second edition of this classic book includes updated information on accidents and foolhardiness in the world’s first national park, including the infamous grizzly bear attacks in the summer of 2011 as well as a fatal hot springs accident in 2000.
In these accounts, written with sensitivity as cautionary tales about what to do and what not to do in one of our wildest national parks, Whittlesey recounts deaths ranging from tragedy to folly—from being caught in a freak avalanche to the goring of a photographer who just got a little too close to a bison.
5. Essential Yellowstone: 50 Unforgettable Places by Susan M. Neider
What are the best places in Yellowstone? What should I see to make my trip memorable?
Essential Yellowstone answers those questions with a simple alphabetical list showcasing a dramatic collection of modern and vintage photographs of 50 Unforgettable Places in the park. A small locator map and GPS coordinates are included for each place, along with timeless descriptions drawn from the journals of early explorers.
6. Dangerous Beauty by Sandi Sisti and Carolyn Jourdan
This book contains nearly 100 real-life experiences from a wide variety of experts who share their hard-won wisdom from decades of adventures in the unique landscape of the Yellowstone. You’ll laugh out loud, cringe, and cry at the funny, scary, and touching true stories about unexpectedly encountering angry grizzly bears or stampeding bison, accidentally camping out for a week or two in -70 temperatures, and much more.
Learn from the comic and tragic mistakes of visitors who did all the wrong things when encountering the furry, famous, and ferocious icons of Yellowstone.
7. Empire of Shadows by George Black
In this telling of the epic story of Yellowstone, Black weaves together the culmination of three strands of history — the passion for exploration, the violence of the Indian Wars and the “civilizing” of the frontier — and charts its course through the lives of those who sought to lay bare its mysteries.
8. Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich
Heinrich involves us in his quest to get inside the mind of the raven. He studies their daily routines, and in the process, paints a vivid picture of the ravens’ world. At the heart of this book are Heinrich’s love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation and analysis, we become their intimates too.
Mind of the Raven follows an exotic journey—from New England to Germany, and from Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic—offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature.
9. Yellowstone Official Guide by Yellowstone Forever
The Yellowstone Official Guide to Touring the World’s First National Park is an indispensable resource for Yellowstone visitors! The guidebook includes everything from reservation information to road maps to recommended activities. The guide information on the natural features with guidance on how to view the free-ranging wildlife and geothermal features safely. Along with a map of the entire park, the guide also includes an easy-to-use field guide section.
Start planning your future trip to Yellowstone with the official guide.
10. Sibley’s Birds of the West by David Allen Sibley
The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley has quickly become the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, covering more than 810 North American birds in amazing detail. Compact and comprehensive, this new guide features 703 bird species plus regional populations found west of the Rocky Mountains
Accounts include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 4,600 in total—with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks.
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