South of Roosevelt Arch

— If you enter Yellowstone from the north entrance, near the town of Gardiner (Montana), you will pass under the famous Roosevelt Arch and start heading south on Highway 89 into the park. The arch had its cornerstone laid down by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. At the top of the arch, there’s a quote taken from the Organic Act of 1872, which established Yellowstone National Park on March 1st that year. The quote reads:

For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.

Continuing a drive on Highway 89, a visitor will begin to see beautiful scenes such as the photo above. That is close to the marker for the 45th Parallel, right before crossing from Montana into Wyoming. The 45th Parallel is the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole. However, in reality, the halfway point is 10.1 miles (16.2 km) north of that marker because of the Earth’s shape. We did this drive several times since we were staying in Gardiner when we visited Yellowstone back in 2009. Every time we entered, the majestic Roosevelt Arch would cause us to stop to appreciate its meaning for the creation of the first national park in the USA.