Livingston, Gardner, and floating the Madison River

In 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park, but only had about 1,000 visitors annually- due to its remote location. The Northern Pacific Railroad reached Livingston, Montana in 1882, and built a spur to Gardiner, adjacent to the north entrance of the park. Tourists boarded stagecoaches in Gardiner to continue their trip through the park. The Lake Lodge Hotel was built in 1889, Mammoth in 1891, and Old Faithful in 1903.