Yellowstone National Park

Basic Facts

Yellowstone National Park is a national park located in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first National Park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular features. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.

Things to Do

Yellowstone has something for everyone. Whether you delight in the challenge of a strenuous hike or prefer to sit quietly and watch the sunset, the park offers a great diversity of activities for you to enjoy. With so many adventures to choose from, you’ll have some tough decisions to make.

Ranger Programs

One of the best ways to experience a national park is participating in a ranger program. Yellowstone National Park offers a variety of ranger programs throughout the park, and throughout the year.

Experience a National Park Service tradition and join a ranger for a presentation exploring one of the many fascinating stories of Yellowstone National Park.

Guided Tours and Services

The National Park Service requires specific authorizations for commercial businesses to operate in national parks.

Services and tours provided:

  • Backpacking
  • Transportation and Road Tours
  • Day Hiking
  • Painting and Photography Tours
  • Boating
  • Stock Outfitters
  • Fishing
  • Bicycling
  • Snowmobile and Snowcoach Tours

Fishing

About 50,000 of the park’s four million visitors fish each year. Fishing has been a popular recreation activity for visitors here for more than 100 years, and many people come to Yellowstone just to fish. Though angling is an anomaly in a park where the primary purpose is to preserve natural environments and native species in ways that maintain natural conditions, fishing in Yellowstone can help support preservation of native species.

Boating

Exploring Yellowstone’s lakes by boat offers a great way to see the park from a different perspective. However, boating in the Northern Rockies presents significant risks. Water temperatures on park lakes are in the 40s (Fahrenheit) in June, and may reach the 60s by late summer. In addition, sudden strong winds can produce three to five foot waves, making open-water crossings very dangerous. Boaters in canoes, kayaks, and other small craft must be aware of these hazards and plan accordingly.

Wildlife Watching

Yellowstone offers amazing wildlife viewing opportunities any time of day or year. Animals tend to feed during early morning and evening and may be more visible at these times because they're up and moving around. Bears begin emerging from hibernation in March and April and can often be seen grazing in roadside meadows until the heat of summer pushes them to higher elevations (and away from roads). Winter is a great time to watch wolves because they're out of their dens (pups usually emerge in May) and easier to see on a snowy landscape.

Camping

Yellowstone offers 12 campgrounds with over 2,000 sites. Yellowstone National Park Lodges takes reservations for five of these campgrounds: the rest are first-come, first-served. For details and links to more information, check out the table below. Yellowstone also offers a network of backcountry campsites for people who prefer to explore and camp along less traveled routes.

Skiing and Snowshoeing

Yellowstone has miles of trails for the adventurous skier and snowshoer. Though track is set only on a few trails, all unplowed roads and trails are open to cross country skiing and showshoeing. Whether you are skiing a groomed trail in a developed area or venturing into the backcountry, remember that you are traveling in wilderness with all its dangers: unpredictable wildlife, changing weather conditions, hydrothermal areas, deep snow, open streams, and avalanches. Your safety is not guaranteed. Be prepared for any situation and know the limits of your ability.

To find out more about the Yellowstone National Park, visit the offical website.

Yellowstone National Park