Facts About Yellowstone National Park

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Explore the wonders of Yellowstone National Park with our concise guide, featuring key facts about its geysers, wildlife, and history. These facts about Yellowstone National Park are ideal for nature lovers and learners of all ages, this overview offers a glimpse into one of America’s most iconic natural treasures.

Discover the natural wonders of America’s first national park with our engaging facts about Yellowstone National Park. This informative guide takes you on a journey through Yellowstone’s unique geothermal features, diverse wildlife, and stunning landscapes. Learn about its famous geysers like Old Faithful, the vast array of wildlife from bison to grizzly bears, and the park’s rich history and role in conservation. Ideal for nature enthusiasts, students, and anyone interested in the great outdoors, our Yellowstone facts are designed to educate and inspire awe in readers of all ages.

Explore the beauty and significance of this iconic national treasure and gain a deeper appreciation for one of the world’s most extraordinary natural wonders.

Facts About Yellowstone National Park

  • Yellowstone is home to 67 species of mammals, the largest concentrations of mammals in the lower 48 states.
  • The U.S. Army ran the park for over 30 years.
  • In 1901 William F Cody, more popularly known as ‘Buffalo Bill’, founded the town of Cody in Wyoming reputedly because it was close to Yellowstone.
  • Yellowstone was originally nicknamed ‘Wonderland.
  • Yellowstone has more than 1800 archaeological sites.
  • Yellowstone is home to hundreds of waterfalls and at least 900 miles of hiking trails.
  • Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872.
  • It contains 3,472 square miles (2,221,766 acres) larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
  • There are more than 10,000 hydrothermal features
  • NASA astronaut and geologist Bob Christiansen discovered the massive caldera that Yellowstone sits on using high-altitude photos.
  • In 1995 Gray Wolves Returned to Yellowstone
  • It got its name from Native Americans, who were referring to the yellow sandstone along the Yellowstone River.
  • The park covers 3,500 square miles. It’s in parts of three states: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
  • Yellowstone is bigger than two U.S. states; Rhode Island and Delaware. 
  • Every year, between 700 and 3,000 earthquakes occur in Yellowstone — but most are too small to feel.
  • One of Yellowstone’s earliest explorers was stranded there for 37 days.
  • In the park’s early days, visitors came to watch bears eat garbage.
  • A painter played a crucial role in Yellowstone’s creation.
  • The vibrant colors you see in the park come from trillions of microorganisms called thermophiles.
  • Yellowstone includes the nation’s oldest herd of bison.
  • The highest point in the park is 11,358′ at Eagle Peak and the lowest point in the park is 5,282′ at Reese Creek
  • There are five park entrances and 466 miles of roads.
  • All of Yellowstone is one massive active volcano. (It hasn’t erupted in half a million years!) 
  • The supervolcano is capable of a magnitude 8 eruption.
  • Yellowstone Contains More Than 10,000 Hydrothermal Features
  • In Terms of Size, Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic is the Country’s Largest Hot Spring.
  • There are 15 miles of boardwalk.
  • The park’s temperature swings from below freezing to burning hot.
  • Yellowstone is home to natural phenomena like geysers, fumaroles and hotsprings. 
  • Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the country.
  • Yellowstone is home to The Most Famous Geyser On Earth!
  • There are 290 waterfalls in the park!
  • Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.
  • Yellowstone has an inn that is a century old!! 
  • The park once featured a ‘bear lunch counter.’
  • The earliest known photograph of Old Faithful, while it was erupting, was taken by William Henry Jackson during an 1872 survey of the park.
  • The oldest building that still stands in Yellowstone is the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. It is painted a bright buttercup yellow color and dates back to 1891.
  • Yellowstone is home to half of the world’s hydrothermal features — from hot springs to geysers.
  • Yellowstone’s hot springs are so hot and acidic that they can dissolve a human body in a single day.
  • Yellowstone has
  •  the largest high-alpine lake in North America! 
  • There are more than 500 active geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
  • Yellowstone has the 3rd largest hot spring in the world! 
  • A veteran of the Lewis and Clark expedition may have been the first American to see Yellowstone.
  •  Yellowstone Lake is the Largest High-Elevation Lake in North America.

Are you looking for more fun and engaging facts to share with your family? Check out these other posts for more facts!

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