Blowing hot: The Grand Prismatic Spring is the face of Yellowstone on postcards. You tread on a wooden boardwalk that seems to disappear beneath layers of steam. At the very end lies a scene you will never forget, with the most vivid colours: blue, green, brown, orange, yellow. The flowing springs are hottest at the centre and cool off further from the underground chamber. Bacteria that thrive around the cooler areas change the colour of the water and create this piece of art. Photo: Brand USA

Walk in the wild: Mule deer are very common in the forests and grasslands of the park; close to 30,000 elk visit in the summer; grey wolves were once killed off as part of an effort to control predators, but they have now been reintroduced. Photo: Kiran Mehta

Blast from the past: It’s hard to imagine that something so breathtaking came from a violent eruption. Some 600,000 years ago, an area which lies in the centre of Yellowstone National Park exploded, ravaging the landscape for hundreds of miles. As the super-volcano erupted, ash covered the region; at the centre remained a smouldering caldera. This was just one of many eruptions; new geothermal features were born with each one. Half of the world’s geothermal features — mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles — can be found here. Photo: Brand USA

Man and nature: As you walk through the different sections of Yellowstone, the scenery changes dramatically from arid land to running waters; from hot springs to snow-peaked mountains. Little wonder that Native Americans, who revere nature, called the region home for thousands of years. John Colter, a fierce hunter, was among the first white Americans to explore Yellowstone. His stories attracted fur traders who relied on mountain men to trap animals; Osborn Russell was among the few mountain men who could read and write. His were the earliest accounts of Yellowstone. With time, the interest in protecting the area from destruction grew. On March 1, 1872, it was declared a national park—the first in the US and the world. Forty four years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service. Photo: Brand USA

To see is to believe: The park is spread across three States: Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Close to four million people visited the Park in 2015. Photo: Brand USA

Photo: Patrick Orton

Fire and ice: As many as 45 waterfalls and cascades in Yellowstone have been named. And there are many more that are yet to be christened. It doesn’t end here; explorers are convinced there are many more falls waiting to be discovered. Photo: Brand USA

Bear with me: Remember Yogi Bear? The plot for most of the fictional bear’s antics was Jellystone Park, which was inspired by Yellowstone. It’s not uncommon to spot a sleeping grizzly here. Photo: Kiran Mehta

Published on October 14, 2016