With its turbulent thermal features, rock formations, sulfuric gases, volcanic events, and seismic activity, it’s no wonder some early visitors to the park fancied Yellowstone full of fire, brimstone, and bizarre creatures. Yellowstone is in many ways the ideal environment for dragons. Particularly in thermal areas, Yellowstone has a kind of dangerous beauty, and for many visitors the thermal features appear to be something out of a fantasy story.

Dragons do exist here in Yellowstone. Well, in spirit that is. Some of the thermal features near the Mud Volcano now bear names inspired by the fantastical early impressions of the park. Dragon’s Mouth Spring and Black Dragon’s Caldron are remarkably different kinds of thermal features.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring is located just down the boardwalk from Mud Volcano. Gases and steam are released deep in its cave, creating pressure bubbles that explode against the roof of the cavern. As this occurs, it creates a kind of booming and gurgling noise that is echoed through the cave and can be heard from the boardwalk. The sound resembles the growling of an animal. Due to the high temperature of the water, large amounts of steam rise from the mouth of the cave, giving the impression of smoke billowing from the mouth of a dragon. Dragon’s Mouth has captured the attention and imagination of travelers since the early days of the park and continues to do so today.

Black Dragon’s Cauldron is a boiling mud pot similar to Mud Volcano. While Mud Volcano is now just a pool, having blown away its volcano top in 1872, Black Dragon’s Caldron did not exist before 1948. It exploded into existence sometime before June of 1948, knocking trees down and showering the surrounding forest with mud.

Black Dragon’s Caldron, NPS / Addy Falgoust

I know what you’re thinking, those aren’t real dragons in Yellowstone. I concede, the only dragons with wings that exist in Yellowstone exist in works of fiction. One such story is a book by Kimberly Loth, titled Obsidian: The Dragon Kings. The story follows a young girl studying the dragons that live near her home in Yellowstone. In a world where all national parks are the homes of dragons, Yellowstone rises supreme.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring and Black Dragon’s Caldron can both be found along short boardwalk hikes near Mud Volcano. Obsidian: The Dragon Kings can be found at the Yellowstone Research Library housed in the Heritage and Research Center in Gardiner, Montana.

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1917 Touring Vehicle used in Yellowstone National Park in storage in Yellowstone’s Museum Collection, YELL106383

The vehicle pictured here is a 1917 touring car that was modified into a two-seat general-purpose utility vehicle. Several modifications have been made to this truck; the original body was removed, the chassis shortened, and several parts were cannibalized for use with a 11-passenger open touring bus while being operated by TW Services. One of our staff’s favorite details is the sticker on the windshield that reads “Talking to driver prohibited”.

From December to January 2023-24, our team worked tirelessly to clean the grease, dirt, and dust from the truck. We used a variety of products to carefully clean away excess grime, but not the history of the vehicle.

Starting out, the grille was already disconnected from the vehicle, so it was cleaned separately by one determined staff member. She spent several days working solely on cleaning each individual hole with a small cotton swab and some mineral spirits.

While the grille was being deep cleaned, other staff started cleaning the body of the vehicle with a vacuum and small attachments designed specifically for conservation cleaning. When addressing the dust on the seats and other areas with fabric/vinyl, a mesh mat was used to ensure the integrity of the material while still pulling dust particles. This part of the cleaning process is incredibly important, as these vehicles are comprised of more wood parts than one might imagine, and we were only treating the wood with the vacuums.

Once that was completed, we addressed the metal components. For most of the parts we used a two-step cleaning process; we gently rubbed away dirt and dust with a mixture of vulpex and mineral spirits, followed by a round of just mineral spirits to remove any residue and remaining dirt. The engine hood was removed to allow for internal cleaning of that piece and the engine itself. What the team found was a great deal of grease on the metal which required a different solution.

Engine hood laying open, halfway through cleaning, YELL 106383

We used small brushes, rags, and many rounds of simple green to remove as much grease as possible. This part of the project took several days to complete.

The tire area required a combination of cleaning materials. The rubber parts were scrubbed with a small brush, simple green, and a cloth, the wooden spokes were dusted with rags and gentle brushes, and the connecting metal bits were scrubbed with simple green.

We saved the glass for last, which was quickly cleaned with ethanol and a cloth.

Lastly, as with all vehicles in this project, a newly sewn Tyvek cover was placed on top with a layer of plastic sheet over that to help protect the car.

Thank you to the Jane Learner Fund from Yellowstone Forever for making this project possible.

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The park’s museum collection houses over 40 vehicles, both horse-drawn and motorized. Currently, the majority reside in off-site storage, and were recently treated under our cyclical cleaning program. Visitors are encouraged to come see two of our historic vehicles on display in the Heritage and Research Center; a 1974 Vespa Model 125 Primavera Scooter and a 1964 Cushman Model 765 Eagle Motor scooter.

In the early days of the park, people arrived by train and would ride up and through the park on stagecoaches. The crossover between horse-drawn vehicles and automobiles was short, as the horses would get spooked by vehicles. This safety concern led to a ban on horse-drawn vehicles in 1917. Motorized vehicles were welcomed, and allowed both employees and visitors to get around more difficult terrain or areas where horses and coaches couldn’t go.

Heritage & Research Center just north of the Roosevelt Arch at Yellowstone’s north entrance

Although they were used in the park earlier, it was around the 1950s that smaller vehicles such as motorcycles and scooters gained popularity. They were incredibly useful in traveling short distances quickly, like campground to campground or underdeveloped areas unfit for cars.

These scooters are on display at the Heritage and Research Center as part of the museum’s new in-person exhibit, Yellowstone National Park: Travel Through Time. Visitors are also welcome to explore the transportation exhibit virtually.

This exhibit was developed by Yellowstone National Park staff and made possible by the generous support of the Jane Lerner Fund of Yellowstone Forever, Yellowstone National Park’s official non-profit partner.

Yellowstone Forever supports various aspects of the Heritage & Research Center. With several million items, HRC has one of the largest collections in the National Park Service, housed within an archive, a library, and numerous museum collections. Find out how you can support and get involved at www.yellowstone.org/hrc. 

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