Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
A Golden Opportunity
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Mission 66 in Yellowstone
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The Mission Continues
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
1. A Golden Opportunity Marker
Privately owned automobiles – the wave of the future – were first permitted in Yellowstone in 1915, but few people owned them then. In 1916, the year the National Park Service was created as a federal agency, nearly 36,000 visitors enjoyed traveling in Yellowstone.
After World War II, new highways stretched across the country and automobiles became affordable for many families, leading vacationers on new adventures. Road trips became a pastime, and national parks grew in popularity as affordable destinations. In 1948, three years after the war ended, the number of visitors to Yellowstone skyrocketed to more than a million.
But during the war years, national parks had suffered from a lack of funds. The visitors who arrived in Yellowstone in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s found structures had fallen into disrepair, and far too few services existed to accommodate growing
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Mission 66 in Yellowstone
The Mission 66 program would eventually be the largest capital investment made in the history of the National Park Service, providing the infrastructure that would serve a generation of visitors and beyond.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
2. Mission 66 in Yellowstone Marker
In addition to modern services and interpretation, the goal of Yellowstone’s Mission 66 program was to move development away from important resources. The scenic area near Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River received rapid attention, and a new village laid out in a convenient complex was quickly constructed. The village, set back from the canyon, replaced buildings scattered along the canyon rim, restoring spectacular scenery.
The Mission Continues
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
3. The Mission Continues Marker
The Loop A and Loop C Canyon Cabins were temporary structures built in the early 1950’s. They were one of the very first Mission 66 projects in the entire National Park Service. Affectionately referred to as “brownies” by staff and visitors, the square, flat-roofed cabins represent earliest attempts to provide modern style accommodations to visitors. The cabins have served their purpose but are being replaced by modern lodges. To mitigate for the loss of these historic cabins, Yellowstone has committed to a multi-year rehabilitation of the Canyon Lodge and Registration buildings to restore them to their 1960’s grandeur; reestablishing the modernist features so characteristic of the post-WWII era in American history.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places.
Location. 44° 44.053′ N, 110° 29.382′ W. Marker is in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in Park
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
4. A Golden Opportunity / Mission 66 in Yellowstone / The Mission Continues Marker
Regionally, this marker is in the Bighorn Basin and in Greater Yellowstone. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mission 66 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grand View (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone (approx. 0.8 miles away); Lookout Point (approx. 0.9 miles away); Waterfall Makers (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (approx. one mile away); Still Venting After All These Years (approx. one mile away); Canyon Colors (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
5. Marker in Canyon Village
More about this marker. Several photographs of Yellowstone in the early years and the Canyon Area facilities appear on the markers.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
6. Three Marker Set
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
7. Canyon Visitor Education Center
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
8. Canyon Lodge Facility
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 18, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
