Calcite Springs Overlook and Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

From volcanic roots to river routes. Yellowstone for the National Park Service's birthday

Today, the National Park Service celebrates another trip around the sun—and nearly 85 million acres of American beauty under its care. From geysers that spout like soda cans to ancient cliff dwellings tucked into canyon walls, the NPS has spent over a century preserving, protecting, and inviting people to take a hike—literally. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act into law, officially creating the NPS to 'conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects.' Since then, the NPS has grown to oversee more than 400 sites, including national parks, battlefields, monuments, and seashores.

What better spot to toast the occasion than the Calcite Springs Overlook in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming? This thermal-meets-canyon overlook offers front-row views of the Yellowstone River carving its way through a lava-forged canyon. Along the basalt cliffs, white mineral deposits that gave Calcite Springs its name are visible, formed by mineral-rich waters still steaming from underground. You might spot a bald eagle gliding overhead or bison lounging nearby. Yellowstone is more than just a park—it's a supervolcano with a visitor center.