Colter, John (1775?-1813), an American explorer, was the first white person to visit the area that is now Yellowstone National Park. Colter joined the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803. In 1806, he left the expedition early and spent an additional four years in the Western wilderness. In 1807, he traveled through the Yellowstone region. His reports of hot springs and geysers there led people to call the area “Colter’s Hell.”
In the wilderness, Colter led trappers to rich new sources of fur-bearing animals. In 1808, he explored the area around the headwaters of the Missouri River, near what is now Three Forks, Montana. The area was a good source of beaver, but it was guarded by the Blackfeet Indians. The Blackfeet captured Colter, stripped him naked, and told him to run for his life. He escaped, and the story of his run became famous.
In 1810, Colter settled in Missouri. He was born near Staunton, Virginia.
