Yellowstone is America’s First National Park. It has numerous American Icons that brings in millions of tourists each year! For those who have had the pleasure to visit this magnificent park easily understand the importance of this crown jewel and frequently talk about their fond memories and dreams of going back again someday. I hope you enjoy these fun facts about Yellowstone and perhaps inspires you to visit this treasure!
Yellowstone National Park Facts
Contents
History
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest official National Park
Yellowstone National Park became a National Park on March 1, 1872
Yellowstone in the second oldest national park in the world
President Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone as the United States first National Park
Yellowstone National Park is also a designated World Heritage Site and designated Biosphere Reserve.
More than half of the parks 4 million visitors visit during June, July, and August.
Since 2008, annual visitation in Yellowstone has increased by more than 40 percent
4.1 million visitors came to the park in 2018 making it one of the most visited National Park Sites.
Geography and size
96% of Yellowstone is located in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho
The highest point in Yellowstone is Eagle Peak at 11,358 feet.
The lowest point in Yellowstone is Reese Creek at 5,282 feet
Yellowstone National Park is 3,472 square miles and measures 63 miles north to south and 54 miles east to west.
Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
There are 5 park entrances and 466 miles of roads.
Yellowstone is 5% covered by water; 15% by grassland; and 80% by forests.
There are more than 15 miles of boardwalk in the park
Approximately 1,000 miles of hiking trails can be found in Yellowstone with 92 trailheads and 301 backcountry campsites
Geothermal features, volcano, waterfalls and more
The water that erupts from Old Faithful is 204 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most Old Faithful eruptions last 1.5 to 5 minutes and shoot 130 feet into the air.
Old Faithful erupts every 92 minutes on average.
Maximum depth of Yellowstone Lake is 430 feet, on average the lake is 140 feet deep and has 141 miles of shoreline
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River has a depth of 900 feet
Yellowstone has 1000 to 3000 earthquakes annually.
Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the continental U.S. at 692 miles long.
The only active super volcano in the world that is located on land is in Yellowstone.
1,000 to 3,000 earthquakes occur annually in Yellowstone
More than 500 active geysers can be found in Yellowstone (more than half the world’s geysers)
There are at least 290 waterfalls found in the park.
More than 10,000 hydrothermal features can be found in the park.
Old Faithful Geyser was the first named geyser in Yellowstone.
The Yellowstone Caldera is roughly 45 miles across at its widest point.
The Yellowstone Volcano is considered to be a super volcano.
Wildlife and Flora
2 species of bears live in Yellowstone – Black bears and grizzly bears
Yellowstone has the largest, free-roaming herd of bison in the world.
Canadian lynx can be found in the park, which is considered to be threatened species.
67 species of mammals are found in Yellowstone
285 species of birds
16 species of fish
5 species of amphibians
6 species of reptiles
There are 1,000+ species of native flowering species
186 species of lichens can be found in the park
Weather
Yellowstone’s Record High was 99ºF in 2002 (Mammoth Hot Springs)
Yellowstone’s Record Low was -66ºF in 1933 (West Entrance, Riverside Station).
The Average daily temperature at Mammoth Hot Springs: January: 9ºF and in July: 80ºF
Cultural Resources
There are more than 1,800 known archeological sites in the park.
Nez Perce National Historical Trail travels through the park.
26 Native American Tribes are associated with the park.
25 sites, landmarks, and districts on the National Register of Historic Places currently, many more could be listed
National Park Service
There are 11 visitor centers, museums and contact stations within the park.
Over 2,000 rooms are available in Yellowstone National Park Lodging within the park.
2,150+ campsites within seven Yellowstone Campgrounds
There are more than 1,500 buildings within the park
There is 1 marina within the park
There are 52 picnic areas in Yellowstone
The park service budget for 2017 was 67.6 million
Check out all of our Yellowstone NP posts to learn more about this great National Park
Check out all of the National Parks in Wyoming!
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