the park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest
and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the
park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988, nearly one third of the park
was burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including
hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. Paved roads provide close
access to the major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and
waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided
tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobiles