Probably the best known story of early travel to Yellowstone Park is Truman Everts’ account of being lost and alone there for 37 days. During the famous Washburn Expedition of 1870, Everts became separated from his companions as they made their way through heavy timber east of Lake Yellowstone. Everts was extremely nearsighted, so he got off his horse to look for tracks. While he was scrutinizing a path, the horse ran away, leaving him with little but the clothing on his back.
Everts was a clever and tenacious man. He built a nest between two hot springs to survive a snow storm, made fire with the lens from an opera glass, and lived mostly on a diet of thistle roots.
He told about his adventures in a magazine article that helped win support for creation of Yellowstone Park. Here’s one of those adventures: