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Yellowstone National Park

Near West Yellowstone · United States of America

Background

World Heritage since
1978
Type of site
Natural
First national park
1872

The vast natural forest of Yellowstone covers nearly 9,000 km2, 96% of it in Wyoming. UNESCO says the park contains half of all the world's known geothermal features, more than 10,000, and the largest concentration of geysers, over 300, two thirds of all those on the planet. Established in 1872, it is equally known for grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.

Signed into law by President Grant on 1 March 1872, Yellowstone was the first national park in the world; the US Army ran it from 1886 to 1916 before the Park Service took over. It sits on the Yellowstone Caldera, a dormant supervolcano that has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Wikivoyage lays the roads out as a figure of eight, the lower loop about 140 km round and the upper 110 km, and warns to stay 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 from everything else.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 11,000 years agoNative Americans are living in the Yellowstone region
  2. Late 1860sOrganised exploration begins
  3. 1872President Grant signs the park into law on 1 March
  4. 1886–1916The US Army manages the park
  5. 1917The National Park Service takes over
  6. 1978Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Old Faithful
    The best-known of more than 300 geysers.
  2. 2
    Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
    The yellow-walled canyon of the river that named the park.
  3. 3
    Hayden Valley
    Wildlife country 6 miles north of Fishing Bridge.
  4. 4
    Yellowstone Lake
    The largest high-elevation lake in North America, frozen nearly half the year.
  5. 5
    Mammoth and Norris
    Hot springs and geyser basins on the upper loop.
  6. 6
    Bison and Wolves
    With grizzlies and elk, the animals the park is equally known for.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Keep Your Distance
Wikivoyage: at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other animals, however docile they look.
Fly to Jackson or Bozeman
Jackson Hole airport is in Grand Teton National Park; Bozeman and Cody also have flights.
Leave the Road
Many visitors try to see 2.2 million acres from the car; get off the paved paths to appreciate it.
Car-Free Week
One week each spring, usually April, the roads open to cyclists and walkers before cars return.

The Lower Loop

Not yet in a GoGo guide

  1. 08:00
    Old Faithful90 min
    The geyser and the basin around it.
  2. 11:00
    Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone90 min
    The falls and the yellow canyon walls.
  3. 14:00
    Hayden Valley90 min
    Bison and other wildlife from the road.
  4. 16:00
    Yellowstone Lake1 hr
    The great lake at 2,357 m.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun–Sep. Freezing days in Nov–Apr.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Dec (86 mm), driest Jul (36 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 28 · Wikipedia: Yellowstone National Park · Wikivoyage: Yellowstone National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0) · UNESCO listing