150 Years of Yellowstone National Park!

Welcome to the World's First National Park!

Back in March 1872 (March 1st to be exact!), Yellowstone became the first ever national park in the entire world for all to visit and witness the spectacular and unique hydrothermal and geologic features.

That means that 2022 marks 150 years since Yellowstone National Park was established! But why is Yellowstone National Park so special?

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

Yellowstone National Park covers 2.2 million acres teeming with incredible wildlife and natural properties you can't see anywhere else in the world.

When you visit you have unparalleled opportunities to witness this wildlife up close (often closer than you intended!) in an intact ecosystem, as well as explore geothermal areas that contain around half the world’s active geysers (which is pretty impressive!), and make sure you take your camera because you will be standing in front of geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

Yellowstone National Park is signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant - the 18th President of the United States - and America's first national park was created in order to preserve and protect the stunning scenery as well as the cultural heritage, beautiful wildlife, and geologic and ecological systems all in their natural conditions so present and future generations can see why our planet really is incredible.

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

Yellowstone National Park also serves as the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem which is one of the last (and largest nearly intact!) natural ecosystems on the entire planet!

 

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

Yellowstone National Park is also incredibly rich in cultural and historical resources throughout 25 sites, landmarks, and regions all found on the National Register of Historic Places.

Yellowstone has the most active, diverse, and intact collections of combined geothermal features with over 10,000 hydrothermal sites and half the world's active geysers.

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

You've head of "Old Faithful" haven't you? Well, Yellowstone National Park is where Old Faithful can be found, spouting from the earth like clockwork that makes for a once in a lifetime experience.

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

Based on the location of Yellowstone National Park (spread across Idaho, Wyoming and Montana) at the convergence of the Great Plains, Great Basin, and Columbia Plateau the region sees 27 Native American Tribes having both historic and modern connections to the land. In fact, for over 10,000 years before Yellowstone even became a national park it was a sacred space where Native Americans lived, fished hunted, fished, gathered plants, and used the now iconic thermal waters for both religious and medicinal purposes.

Image Credit: Public Domain via YNP

A visit to Yellowstone National Park is a must for any travel bucket list. You really can't believe it until you experience it first hand.

Whilst there is a fee for cars, motorbikes and even traveling on foot, the fees are put back into protecting this sacred land. However, NPS do offer "free days" which are worth looking out for if you did want to travel on a budget.

Within the park there are a number of lodges and camping opportunities, with four entrances offering access to the park - with some offering year round but limited access but be careful, it snows!

So celebrate the past 150 years of Yellowstone National Park by looking forward to the next 150 years and how we can protect and support this magical and unique ecosystem in the United States - and the world's first ever national park!