Quite frankly, I think Yellowstone is the most beautiful place I've seen on earth so far. Some people might say the Grand Canyon is prettier, but personally I love the rugged wilderness of Yellowstone, coupled with its fascinating geothermal freak show. The national park is basically the crater of a volcano that's not quite extinct. Volcanic activity is all around you, sometimes roped off for your protection, and sometimes steaming out of a crater right alongside the trail you're hiking.

Old Faithful, of course, is the main attraction in Yellowstone, and when it gets going it is impressive, but in my opinion some of the smaller geysers are more beautiful. You cannot leave without seeing the Grand Prismatic Spring and the other geysers adjacent to it. Here the warm waters act as a breeding ground for colorful bacteria which cover the ground in a rainbow carpet. Another definite must-see is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, often viewed from a popular location called Artists Point. There are great (though a little crowded) hiking trails along both sides of the canyon which offer spectacular views.

Although most of the geysers are in drive-up-and-view areas, Yellowstone as a whole doesn't seem to be a very user-friendly park (unlike Grand Teton NP, for example, which is criss-crossed by a network of well-marked trails). I think if you wanted to get off the beaten path and explore some of the back country here, you would need to have some pretty advanced outdoor skills. That's part of the appeal of Yellowstone, however, that it still holds the promise of untamed wilderness.

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