OFFICIALJOURNALOFTHENATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETYAmaleelksurveyshiswinterdomain,the24,700-acreNationalElkRefugenearJackson,Wyoming.PHOTO:CHARLIEHAMILTONJAMESOntheCoverThecentralpainting—abird’s-eyeviewofYellowstonefromthenorth—wascreatedfortheNationalParkServicebynotedAustrianpanoramistHeinrichBerann(1915-1999).ArtbyJordanMetcalfCorrectionsandClarificationsGotongm.com/more.may2016•vol.229•no.5PARTONETheParadoxoftheParkWhatwildernessmeanstopeople—andhowitismanaged—hassteadilychangedsinceYellowstoneNationalParkwasfounded.70ItAllStartsWithHeat82FortheBenefitandEnjoymentofthePeoplePARTTWOIntotheBackcountryYellowstonehasbecomeanaturallaboratoryfortracingthedeli-catewebofrelationshipsthatkeepanecosystemaliveandhealthy.108TheCarnivoreComeback124TrackingtheWildlifeHighwaysPARTTHREELivingWiththeWildYellowstone’swildlifeisadaptingtoitschangingrealities.Nowpeo-plemustadaptaswelliftheparkistoremainuntamed—andintact.148TheDanceoftheBisonandElk158LandofthePeopleEPILOGUETheViewFromtheBeginningSpecialPoster:YellowstoneElkMigrations,Supervolcano5492132170specialissueAmerica’sWildIdeaYELLOWSTONEByDavidQuammenPrincipalphotographybyMichaelNichols|DavidGuttenfelder|CharlieHamiltonJames|ErikaLarsen|JoeRiis30PHOTO:LOUISEJOHNSPhotographerLouiseJohnscapturedthesilhouettesof(fromleft)herfather,ChrisJohns;herself;andaranchhandridingthroughtheCentennialValleyofMontana.OnecrispJunemorninginMontana’sBigSkycountry,IrodeonhorsebackthroughtheCentennialValleywithBryanUlring,manageroftheJBarLRanch,aworkingcattleoperation45mileswestofYellowstoneNationalPark.Thevalley,whichlooksmuchasitdidseveralhundredyearsagowhenNativeAmericanhunterschasedafterherdsofbison,ispartofthemigratoryrouteforwildlifeinthenorthernRockies.Aswerode,IaskedUlringtohelpmeimaginethelandscapeasitmighthavelookedonadaylikethis200yearsago.Therearebison—hundreds,perhapsthousands,movingintograzeonthetall,roughgrassemergingfrommeltingsnow.Elkherdsfollow,eatingthetendershoots.Thehillsidesarecoveredwithmuledeerandpronghornbrowsin...
