Gardiner, Montana, an unincorporated town on the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, is the world’s first gateway community to a national park. Gardiner was officially founded in 1880, but has served as the gateway to Yellowstone since the Parks’ creation in 1872. Gardiner is located in the Upper Yellowstone Valley, surrounded by national park and forest lands, and the Yellowstone River flows through the center of town. Residents of Gardiner have catered to, and built a viable tourism economy around the needs of park visitors for over 140 years. The three top images Gardiner residents have of their community is “a friendly community,” “a supportive community,” and “a community with a unique and rich heritage.”