Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is the world's first national park and one of the largest in the contiguous United States. Sprawling across volcanic plateaus in the northwest corner of Wyoming, Yellowstone contains more than 2 million acres of steaming geysers, crystalline lakes, thundering waterfalls and panoramic vistas.
At A Glance
In The Park
Superintendent: Suzanne LewisPhone Number: 307-344-7381
Entrance Fees: Individual Pass (valid for 7 days): $12; Motorcycle or Snowmobile Pass (valid for 7 days): $20; Vehicle Pass (valid for 7 days): $25; Annual Park Pass: $50
Sights: Mammoth Hot Springs; Old Faithful; Norris and Firehole River Geyser Basins; Grand Prismatic Sping; Morning Glory Pool; Yellowstone Lake; West Thumb Geyser Basin; Tower Fall; Petrified Forest; Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; Hayden Valley
Endangered Species: Grizzly Bear; Bald Eagle (threatened); Canada Lynx; Gray Wolf
Important Dates
Established as Park: March 1, 1872By The Numbers
Acres: 2,221,770.00Highest Point: Eagle Peak (11367 feet)
Annual Visitation: 2,870,295 (2006)
Location
Latitude / Longitude :44.771240 / -110.550370 (map it)
State: WY
Nearby Big City: Yellowstone National Park, WY
Gateway Communities: West Yellowstone, MT; Gardiner, MT; Silver Gate, MT; Cooke City, MT; Macks Inn, ID; Island Park, ID; Moran, WY; Emigrant, MT; Wapiti, WY; Pray, MT; Moose, WY; Squirrel, ID; Roscoe, MT; Big Sky, MT; Felt, ID; Tetonia, ID; Nye, MT
Nearby Airports: Billings Logan International Airport (BIL); Gallatin Field Airport (BZN); Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD); Jackson Hole Airport (JAC); Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA); Yellowstone Airport (WYS)
Green Features
Has Recycling? : YesHas Shuttle System? : No
Has Volunteer Program? : Yes
Upcoming Events
- Aug 18 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 18 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 20 2008 - 10:00am - Jun 20 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 20 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 20 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 21 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 21 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 22 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 22 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 23 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 23 2008 - 7:00pm
- Aug 24 2008 - 10:00am - Aug 24 2008 - 7:00pm
Park Photos
Bison Herd Geyser
Robynrg
Coyote Sitting
Sascha Burkard
Emerald Pool
Sascha Burkard
View More Yellowstone Photos
In Detail
Activities & Programs SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL Listen to the sound of long summer days calling you to experience adventure in Yellowstone's mountain wilderness. The backcountry beckons anglers to streams shimmering with fis ... read more.
At Your Fingertips Emergency 911 NPS General Information (307) 344-7381 NPS TDD (307) 344-2386 NPS Camping Information (recorded message) (307) 344-2114 NPS Special Services - (307) 344-2017 Sign Language Interpreters ... read more.
Bears at Yellowstone The grizzly bear once claimed much of the North American continent as its territory, roaming as far east as the Mississippi River and south into Mexico. With the influx of settlers in the mid to late ... read more.
Campgrounds at Yellowstone YELLOWSTONE CAMPGROUNDS Fee Number of Sites Firewood Sold Flush Toilets ... read more.
Camping at Yellowstone Of Yellowstone's 12 campgrounds, seven are operated on a first-come, first-served basis by the National Park Service. Five of the campgrounds, encompassing more than 1,400 sites, may be reserved one ... read more.
Continental Divide Trail The construction of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is one of the most significant conservation initiatives ever undertaken. Designated by Congress in 1978, a focused effort to complete the trail ... read more.
Drive to Yellowstone Driving to Yellowstone Cody, Wyoming -- 52 miles East Jackson, Wyoming -- 57 miles South Bozeman, Montana -- 77 miles North Billings, Montana -- 129 miles Northeast Salt Lake City, Utah -- 320 miles W ... read more.
Five Countries For convenience purposes, Xanterra Parks & Resorts® divides the park into different regions, or "countries." Locations of park features and facilities in the countries are indicated by these ... read more.
Flora & Fauna A greater number and variety of plants and wild animals live here, in their natural habitat, than anywhere else in the 48 contiguous states. Some of these are described below. Plants The following ... read more.
Further Reading Yellowstone — The Official Guide to Touring America's First National Park. Yellowstone Association, 2006. It Happened in Yellowstone: Turner.Globe Pequot, 2001. For information, go to: www.Yel ... read more.
Geology of Yellowstone Hydrothermal activity results when surface water seeps down to meet the heat of the earth's molten rock. Because molten rock may be as close as three to eight miles below the surface in Yellowstone, ... read more.
Geology Timeline 2.7 billion to 570 million years ago Precambrian History: The most ancient rocks in North America form during the Precambrian era. Huge mountain ranges form and erode away, until Yellowstone is a re ... read more.
Green Practicies of Yellowstone In recent years, Yellowstone has adopted innovative and effective sustainability practices. As the world's first national park, Yellowstone is still making history by introducing creative initiatives ... read more.
Harry Yount In 1880, Yellowstone's superintendent set Lamar Valley aside as a game reserve to protect the remaining herds of deer, elk, antelope and bighorn sheep, whose numbers had been devastated by market hun ... read more.
Hayden Expedition Dr. Ferdinand V. Hayden, director of the U.S. Geological & Geographical Survey of the Territories, decided to explore the Yellowstone area at the urging of Nathaniel P. Langford and his cohorts. ... read more.
Highlights of Yellowstone Established: In 1872, legislation was passed making Yellowstone the world's first national park. Land Area: 2.2 million acres of forests (80 percent), grassland (15 percent) and water (five percent). ... read more.
History of Yellowstone Throughout its dynamic history, Yellowstone has inspired awe in all its visitors—American Indians, mountain men, explorers and modern- day adventurers. The Earliest Humans in Yellowstone The ... read more.
Hydro Thermal Features Yellowstone has the largest and most varied collection of hydrothermal features on Earth. Geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles bubble, gurgle, hiss and spout throughout the area. The presence ... read more.
In A Nutshell PLANNING YOUR STAY General Park Information The road from Gardiner, MT at the North Entrance to Cooke City, MT is open year-round. Park interior roads close to the public at 8 a.m. on Monday after th ... read more.
Just For Kids A host of ranger-led activities are especially designed for young visitors to Yellowstone. Fun, educational films are also shown daily at several visitor centers. For more information about National ... read more.
Recent News
- Wyoming Will Be First with Yellowstone Commemorative Quarter July 10, 2008, 10:38 am
- Yellowstone Moves Sign July 7, 2008, 10:58 am
- Yellowstone Fires 20 Years Later: National Attention Brought Sensational Coverage July 7, 2008, 10:54 am
- Yellowstone Makes for a Great Vacation July 7, 2008, 10:09 am
- Best National Park Lodges July 2, 2008, 10:34 am
- Summer in Montana’s Spectacular National Parks May 7, 2008, 1:31 pm
- Off endangered list, wolves face new pressure from hunters April 29, 2008, 6:23 pm
Yellowstone In Depth
News from the Parks
Denali National Park Goes Greener With New Hybrid Commercial Bus From IC Bus
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
Canyoneering Heaven At Zion National Park
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
Shenandoah National Park Launches Multimedia Tour Inviting Visitors to Experience the Blue Ridge Mountains Like Never Before
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
Hiker tackles every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
Rabid bat in Olympic National Park puts visitor, three employees in treatment
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
