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Home » Travel » US National Parks

Published: Apr 12, 2019 · Updated: Jul 2, 2022 by JohnTillison · This post may contain affiliate links

Yellowstone National Park Facts

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

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 supervolcano 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 supervolcano. 

 

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

Check out our Yellowstone Wildlife Guide 

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

 

Additional Yellowstone National Park Resources

Things to do in Yellowstone - All of the top things you don't want to miss during a trip to Yellowstone. 

Yellowstone Lodging  -Check out all of the lodges you can stay in while visiting Yellowstone NP.

Yellowstone Camping Guide - Check out all of the campgrounds available within the park.

Yellowstone Waterfalls - There are quite a few amazing waterfalls in the park. 

Montana National Parks - Check out all of the parks you can visit during your vacation. 

Wyoming National Parks - Check out all of the Wyoming parks you can visit. 

Free National Park Days - Check out all of the days the National Park Service waives park entrance fees.

 

Filed Under: US National Parks

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