James Longmire first came here in 1883 and noticed the hot mineral springs that bubbled up in a lovely meadow opposite the present-day National Park Inn. The next year he established Longmire's Medicinal Springs, and in 1890 he built the Longmire Springs Hotel. Since 1917 the National Park Inn has stood on this site – built in classic 'parkitecture' style – and is complemented by a small store, some park offices, the tiny, free Longmire Museum and a number of important trailheads.
