Credits

Thank you.

This site stands on other people's work: the photographers and park staff who share their pictures, the recordists, the researchers who count things carefully, and the 4 people who wrote "Sustaining Paradise." Every photo of our own is from Wild Livelihoods members and friends.

Sounds

• Sounds of Yellowstone (stereo). Recording © Jeffrey T. Reed.
• Elk Bugle One. NPS/Neal Herbert. Public domain · source
• Footstep in the Snow. Joseph SARDIN. CC0 1.0 · source
• Splash, Small. Joseph SARDIN. CC0 1.0 · source
• Grizzly roar. Grizzly Systems (GrizCam design assets, griz.wav). Used with permission

Report

"Sustaining Paradise," Tourism business survey, September 2025, by Whitney Tilt, Jeff Reed, Evan Stout, Rhiana Peck. Initiated by Wild Livelihoods with the financial support of the Spruance Foundation II and the technical and administrative support of the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC).

Data

• University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR)
• Headwaters Economics
• National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park and Visitor Spending Effects
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account
• Montana Department of Commerce, lodging tax data
• Montana Department of Labor and Industry
• USDA Census of Agriculture

Open-license photos

Used under their licenses. Public domain photos are from U.S. federal agencies, most of them the National Park Service. Creative Commons photos are shared under the license named, and their licenses apply to them here too.

1. Grizzly bear in Lamar Valley NPS / Neal Herbert · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
2. Grizzly bear foraging Eric Kilby · between Norris and Mammoth, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
3. Grizzly sow and cubs NPS/Eric Johnston · Roaring Mountain, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
4. Grizzly family crossing a snowfield NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Agate Creek, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
5. Junction Butte pack wolf Gregory Smith · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
6. Black wolf in the snow NPS / Jim Peaco · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
7. Wolves chasing an elk Supercarwaar · Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
8. Bull elk bugling at Mammoth NPS / Neal Herbert · Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
9. Bull elk bugling in Arch Park NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Arch Park, Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
10. Bull elk on a frosty morning NPS/Eric Johnston · Canyon area, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
11. Bull elk with his harem NPS / Neal Herbert · Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
12. Bull moose in the snow NPS / Addy Falgoust · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
13. Cow and calf moose NPS / Jim Peaco · Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
14. Four bull moose NPS / Jim Peaco · Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
15. Bison below Electric Peak Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
16. Bison herd at sunrise NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
17. Bison cow and newborn calf NPS / Neal Herbert · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
18. Pronghorn buck Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
19. Pronghorn on the Northeast Entrance Road Wikipedia / Tobias Klenze · Northeast Entrance Road, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
20. Bighorn ram in Gardiner NPS / Ashton Hooker · Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
21. Bighorn sheep pair NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
22. Mountain goats on Sepulcher Mountain NPS / Diane Renkin · Sepulcher Mountain, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
23. Mule deer buck in velvet Rhododendrites · Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
24. Black bear in spring grass NPS / Neal Herbert · Blacktail Deer Plateau, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
25. Black bear and cub NPS / A. Falgoust · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
26. Bald eagle fishing NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
27. Osprey bringing a fish to the nest NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
28. Trumpeter swans on the riverbank Neal Herbert · Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
29. Yellowstone cutthroat trout NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
30. Beaver on the Yellowstone River NPS / Neal Herbert · Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
31. Red fox in the snow NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
32. Coyote howling NPS / Jim Peaco · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
33. River otters on the ice NPS / A. Falgoust · Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
34. Roosevelt Arch Acroterion · Gardiner, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
35. Gardiner, Montana Acroterion · Gardiner, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
36. Park Street, Gardiner Zeist85 at en.wikipedia · Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
37. Gardiner from Sepulcher Mountain NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
38. Blue Goose Saloon Zeist85 · Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
39. Cooke City in winter Mike Cline · Cooke City, Montana · Public domain · source
40. Comet over Cooke City Larry Lamsa · Cooke City, Montana · CC BY 2.0 · source
41. Miners Saloon, Cooke City Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) · Cooke City, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
42. Beartooth Highway Acroterion · Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
43. Emigrant Peak from Dome Mountain NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Paradise Valley, Montana · Public domain · source
44. Emigrant Peak from East River Road Mike Cline · Paradise Valley, Montana · Public domain · source
45. Absaroka Range near Emigrant Mike · Absaroka Range, Montana · Public domain · source
46. Chico Hot Springs Mamalodon · Pray, Montana · CC0 · source
47. Downtown Livingston from above Quintin Soloviev · Livingston, Montana · CC BY 4.0 · source
48. Livingston commercial district David Coats · Livingston, Montana · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
49. Teslow grain elevator Montanabw · Livingston, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
50. Lamar Valley Neal Herbert · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
51. Soda Butte Creek HaSt · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
52. Yankee Jim Canyon Mike Cline · Yankee Jim Canyon, Montana · Public domain · source
53. Yellowstone River near Yankee Jim Canyon Mike Cline · Yankee Jim Canyon, Montana · Public domain · source
54. Morning light on Electric Peak Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
55. Yellowstone River and Electric Peak NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana · Public domain · source
56. Mammoth Hot Springs terrace Rhododendrites · Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
57. Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs Brocken Inaglory · Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
58. Illuminated teepees under the Milky Way NPS / Jacob W. Frank · North Entrance, Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
59. Milky Way over a beaver pond NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
60. Washburn fire lookout at night NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Mount Washburn, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
61. Sunset in Lamar Valley NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
62. Drift boat on the Yellowstone Lumpytrout · Yellowstone River · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
63. Fly fishing at Grebe Lake NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Grebe Lake, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
64. Fly fishing on the Madison River Neal Herbert · Madison River, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
65. Rafting a Montana river GlacierNPS · Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Montana · Public domain · source
66. Hiking the Yellowstone River Trail NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone River Trail, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
67. Looking for goats on Sepulcher Mountain NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Sepulcher Mountain, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
68. Spotting scope in Lamar Valley NPS / Ashton Hooker · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
69. Watching a grizzly with spotting scopes NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
70. Give wildlife room, use a zoom NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
71. Cow and calf on a Paradise Valley ranch USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres · Livingston, Montana · Public domain · source
72. Moving electric fence USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres · Livingston, Montana · Public domain · source
73. Forest Service packer at Buffalo Fork USDA Forest Service photo by Brad Bolte · Buffalo Fork Ranger Station, Gardiner Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana · Public domain · source
74. Trail ride near Tower Junction NPS / Jacob W. Frank · Tower Junction, Yellowstone National Park · Public domain · source
75. Bronc riding at a Montana rodeo Mike Cline · Ennis, Montana · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
76. Rodeo parade flag bearers Thayne Tuason, user name:Biscuitroot · Wolf Point, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
77. Teepees at the North Entrance NPS / Ashton Hooker · North Entrance, Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
78. Gathering on the Gardiner school field NPS / Neal Herbert · Gardiner, Montana · Public domain · source
79. Gardiner Community Library Steven Pavlov · Gardiner, Montana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
80. Montana farmers market Dsetay · Missoula, Montana · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source