On March 1, 1872,
Yellowstone National Park was declared the first National Park in the world, created
"For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People". Located in
Wyoming,
Montana and
Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is famous for wildlife, geothermal features and the many things to do while visiting the park.
Yellowstone National Park is the centerpiece of the 20 million acre
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which is the largest remaining undeveloped land in the United States. Most of the original species known to inhabit Yellowstone National Park can still be found here including
grizzlies, wolves, buffalo, bison, elk, bighorn sheep and pumas. Eighteen species of
fish lives in Yellowstone, including cutthroat trout.
In addition to wildlife, Yellowstone is famous for its geothermal activity. There are 10,000
geothermal features in Yellowstone including 300
geysers. The most famous of these,
Old Faithful, is located in the Upper Geyser Basin and erupts every 91 minutes. Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest active geyser in the world, the
Steamboat Geyser. These geothermal features exist because of the Yellowstone Caldera, which erupts approximately every million years.
Yellowstone National Park is a great
year round destination with winter, summer and fall being the most popular times to visit. The official tourist season begins the end of June and runs until the beginning of September. With reliably good weather this can be a nice time to visit if you don't mind a few crowds. Winters tend to be cold and snowy in Yellowstone with the Park providing great conditions for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and more.
Bicycling, hiking, camping, boating, fly fishing, horseback riding, llama packing, picnicking, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling are just a sampling of the many outdoor activities available in Yellowstone National Park. Other activities include viewing historic and natural points of interest including Fort Yellowstone and Old Faithful.
Here are a few additional resources for your visit to Yellowstone National Park:
