America's largest land mammal still moves in wild herds across Yellowstone's Montana borderlands. The northern Rockies hold an abundance of wildlife that has vanished from much of the country.

Yellowstone holds one of the last continuously wild bison herds.

What sets it apart

The animals migrate toward Montana's lower elevations in hard winters. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on Montanans and visitors alike.

Management of the herd remains a long-running point of debate.

Why it matters

What ties it all together is a distinctly Montana balance between wildness and self-reliance. Give these animals room, and the reward is a glimpse of a wilder, older America.