Yellowstone NP

Log cabin we stayed in outside of Yellowstone
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Every National Park refers to the Yellowstone fire of 1988 when warning you of the forest that you are eventually going to burn down while cooking your evening hot dogs.  No doubt, it was an amazing blaze that scorched 36 percent of the park.

The last time I was in Yellowstone was in 1990.  You could see the dramatic effect of forest fires and wondered if it would ever return to normalcy.  Now, 18 years after the inferno, things have not changed much.  Many dead trees still stand on seemingly bare hills and you begin to wonder if you will ever see Yellowstone in its' original form.  Then you look closer.  Signs of recovery are around every turn, even with the building-sized RV's in front of you.  Lodgepole pines begin to carpet the areas that were once devastated beyond belief.  Most of them are five to ten feet tall and show promise for the years to come.

it was an amazing blaze that scorched 36 percent of the park

No swimming please.
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I'm not sure how long it will take to return Yellowstone to her former glory, but it is making substantial progress.  Setting the forest fire aside, this National Park is truly unique and should be visited at least once in your lifetime.  bkh