Episode Details

Wendy Corr:

Well, hey there, folks, welcome to the Roundup. We are a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and we focus on interesting people in the Cowboy state. And there is not a more interesting subject in all of the cowboy state than Yellowstone National Park - and we have, the guy we are talking to, Cam Sholly, superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, who's in his seventh year of being that guy at the head of all of the great things that are happening in America's first national park.

Before we start our conversation with Cam, though, I want to make sure that you know about another fantastic podcast that's called the "Business From the Basement" podcast. It's put on by the Wyoming Business Alliance. So check out the Wyoming "Business From the Basement" podcast, if you're a business person in Wyoming and you have questions, you want to connect, you want to network, you want to find out who's the movers and shakers, the "Business From the Basement" podcast will tell you that.

But don't go there yet, because first we're going to have a chat with Cam Sholly. I have not had a chance to talk to Cam Sholly - I used to do interviews with him every once while when I was doing the reporting, but I tell you what, this whole, you know, doing the news, Daily News takes me away from talking with people like you until today.

Cam, Hello. How have you been?

Cam Sholly: 01:25

I'm good. Wendy, it's good to see you. We miss you, and your podcast is coming to an end, I understand. So wish you the best as you move on to bigger and better things.

Wendy Corr: 01:36

It's going to be a transition. It is, but it's going to be great, and I'm still going to get a chance to talk to you every once in a while, and that's going to be a really good thing.

But Cam, let's talk about your favorite subject, I'm sure, which is this amazing place that's been preserved and set aside for the enjoyment of the people, Yellowstone National Park. And you have had the privilege of being the head guy, if you want to call it that, you are the point person for everything Yellowstone. And what a privilege that has to be for you, especially for the last seven years now.

Cam Sholly:

Yeah, it's, it's incredible. It's been seven years. It seems like yesterday on the one hand, and it seems like it's I've been here for 30 years on the other. You know, we had a terrific year this year, I'll knock on wood. We didn't have any calamities, so no floods or hydrothermal explosions or shootings or anything like that.

But it was really busy. It's going to be a near record year. I know we'll talk about visitation, but the team did a terrific job. We've had a lot of support and been out in the communities quite a bit talking with folks. I think the businesses in the surrounding communities had a really good year overall.

And you know, like I said, hard to believe it's mid September already. The Summer flew by, but everybody can be really proud of the team and everything that we did to facilitate what'll be close to 5 million visitors this year. I don't think we're going to quite get to that, but it'll probably be right in that area, that 4.8 million range.

Wendy Corr:

Cam, do you think, getting straight into some of the heavy stuff, do you think that the national policies, with tariffs and kind of, there's some bad blood internationally, obviously, now. Do you think, did that make a difference with international visitors this year? Do you guys keep those metrics?

Cam Sholly:

We don't have, I don't have those immediately available. You know, our international numbers have fluctuated somewhere between 18 to 25%, I think it's going to be in that ran