Yellowstone National Park, established on March 1, 1872, is the world's oldest National Park.
Yellowstone is famous for hosting more than 10,000-plus hot springs and geysers, the majority of the planet's total. Yellowstone's geothermal wonders are created by one of the world's largest active volcanoes; its last eruption caused a crater or caldera that spans almost half of the parks size.
We can't forget about Yellowstone's most famous geyser, Old Faithful. Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers and is still as spectacular as it was a century ago.
Experience Old Faithful, the most popular geyser in the world, and hundreds of other geysers and hot springs. Look for bears and wolves, elk and buffalo in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys. Hiking, camping, fishing, enjoying exhibits and films, and attending Ranger-led programs are among the many ways to experience Yellowstone.
The best times to see wild animals in summer are early morning and late evening. The Hayden Valley between Fishing Bridge and Canyon, and Pelican Creek east of Fishing Bridge are prime moose territory. Watch for bison in Hayden Valley, and waterfowl along its Yellowstone River. Watch for elk, bison, pronghorn, and coyotes in Lamar Valley, and for pronghorn in sagebrush flats near the North Entrance. Bighorn sheep frequent Mount Washburn in summer. More About Wildlife
Yellowstone's vast collection of thermal features provides a constant reminder of the
park's recent volcanic past. Indeed, the caldera provides the setting that allows such
features as Old Faithful to exist and to exist in such great concentrations. More
Tower
Roosevelt
Lake
Bridge
West
Thumb
Old
Faithful
Canyon
Norris
Mammoth
Geysers
Mudpots
Fumaroles
Hot
Spring Terraces
Yellowstone National Park, encompassing 2.2 million acres, is one of America's premier
wilderness areas. Most of the park is backcountry and managed as wilderness. Over 1,100 miles
(1770 km) of trails are available for hiking. However, there are dangers inherent in
wilderness: unpredictable wildlife, changing weather conditions, remote thermal areas, cold
water lakes, turbulent streams, and rugged mountains with loose, rotten rock. Hiking in
Yellowstone
Trails
near Lake Village
Trails
near Norris
Day
Hikes in Canyon Area
Trails
near Old Faithful
Trails
near Madison
Roosevelt
Trails
Mammoth
Trails
Trails
Near Grant Village
Expanding steam bubbles generated from the rising hot water build up behind these constrictions, ultimately squeezing through the narrow passageways and forcing the water above to overflow from the geyser. The release of water at the surface prompts a sudden decline in pressure of the hotter waters at great depth, triggering a violent chain reaction of tremendous steam explosions in which the volume of rising, now boiling, water expands 1,500 times or more. This expanding body of boiling superheated water bursts into the sky as one of Yellowstone's many famous geysers. More
The distribution of rocks and sediments in the park also influences the distributions of flora and fauna. The volcanic rhyolites and tuffs of the Yellowstone Caldera are rich in quartz and potassium feldspar, which form nutrient-poor soils. Thus, areas of the park underlain by rhyolites and tuffs generally are characterized by extensive, monotypic stands of lodgepole pine, which are drought tolerant and have shallow roots that take advantage of the nutrients in the soil. In contrast, andesitic volcanic rocks that underlie the Absaroka Mountains are rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron. More
Yellowstone Tags: Yellowstone Road Trip, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Travel Planning
Private, Non-commercial Vehicle - $25 - 7 Days
Tower Roosevelt, Lake Bridge, West Thumb, Old Faithful, Canyon, Norris, Mammoth, Geysers, Mudpots, Fumaroles, Hot Spring Terraces
Fishing
Horseback
Riding
Boating
Crosscountry
Skiing
Spring
Bicycling
Wildlife
Viewing
Bison are the largest mammals in Yellowstone National Park. They
are strictly vegetarian, a grazer of grasslands and sedges in the meadows, the foothills, and
even the high-elevation, forested plateaus of Yellowstone. Bison males, called bulls, can
weigh upwards of 1,800 pounds. Females (cows) average about 1,000 pounds. Both stand
approximately six feet tall at the shoulder, and can move with surprising speed to defend
their young or when approached too closely by people. More About
Bison
Jackson WY
Lodging
West Yellowstone MT
Lodging
Cody WY Lodging
Red Lodge MT
Lodging
Gardiner MT
Lodging
Lodging
inside Yellowstone
There are 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park. Seven of these campgrounds are operated by the National Park Service at Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Fall.