The definitive Yellowstone history, Haines’ incredibly detailed chronicle is broken into two large volumes. A must read for the Yellowstone completist, though perhaps too in-depth for casual readers.

A potent reminder that wilderness demands attention and respect, or else. Best for reading about the more startling deaths in Yellowstone, including poisonous fumes and boiling hot springs.

Those who can’t tell their Pleistocene from their Miocene will still enjoy this landmark work. McPhee brilliantly weaves thoughts on the region’s geology with the history of a frontier family.

If you can find a used copy of this out of print book, snag it. A collection of journal entries and essays on Yellowstone’s early days by the likes of Muir, T. Roosevelt, and Kipling.