By 1926, Yellowstone National Park boasted five women rangers. That was pretty progressive considering the United States had only granted women the right to vote six years earlier. These women were more than capable, some having grown up hiking, camping and horseback riding inside the park and others with advanced college degrees in geology and botany. Despite this, the National Park Service decided that rangering was a man’s job and set about removing women from ranger positions. All these years later, women are now well represented in management positions in Yellowstone, as well as throughout the park’s employment ranks. This summer, visitors to Gardiner can tour the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center, by appointment on Wednesdays, to learn more about some of these women and the park in its early years.

To learn more, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/yellowstone-national-park-yellowstone-heritage-and-resource-center/article_220e757e-1c6f-11ef-9c50-5b93b275a63e.html

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor for Billings Gazette Communications