The 1912-1930  route that opened the Northwest  to the automobile tourist.
What is the Yellowstone Trail?  Where is it? (maps) The new Yellowstone Trail Association. What is going on now about the Trail? What publications and items are available for sale?    Order form. Publications about other named highways. YT-related Links     Museums/Libraries     Historic Travel and other routes.     Business Sites     Wisconsin's Hwy 29 Partnership Are you interested?  (Response form.)  See table of contents (site map.) For readers of Country Treasures, March 2008.  Go to map of the YT through the seven cities.	© 2003 John Ridge
Additions/changes are made often to this web site.   Please use the response form to let us know about your interest in the Yellowstone Trail and suggestions for the website.
In 1912, a group of small town businessmen in South Dakota  undertook an ambitious project to create a useful automobile route, the Yellowstone Trail, across America. This was at a time when roads weren't marked, there were few maps and slippery mud was the usual road surface. The Yellowstone Trail Association located a route, motivated road improvements, produced maps and folders to guide the traveler, and promoted tourism along its length. It became a leader in stimulating tourist travel to the Northwest and motivating good roads across America. The Lincoln Highway Association, formed in 1913 by industrialists, created a similar route across the U. S., but used big organizational and public relation budgets.      Today, almost all of the route of the Yellowstone Trail is on slower, less traveled roads. Some sections of the Trail, especially  in the West, have remained little changed and are a delight to visit.