The road to Mount Washburn (now called Chittenden Road) was one of Engineer Hiram Chittenden’s achievements.

Chittenden had a lasting effect on the appearance of our national parks through his role in designing Yellowstone’s roads, bridges, and other structures. The development of a road system was essential in making Yellowstone more accessible to the public.

Even after Yellowstone could be reached by train in 1883, the difficulty of traveling and completing road construction across challenging terrain in a harsh climate enormous labor and innovative engineering.

Over the years, advances in road standards and construction technology have led to changes in the roads’ appearance. Chittenden’s overall design has remained largely intact, along with many historical features such as bridges, culverts, and guardrails.