Yellowstone National Park is a United States National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the world's first national park, set aside in 1872 to preserve the vast number of geysers, hot springs, and other thermal areas, as well as to protect the incredible wildlife and rugged beauty of the area. The park is principally contained within the north-west corner of Wyoming, but also extends into the states of Idaho and Montana. Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world and covers 3,472 square miles (8,987 km), mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming. The park is famous for its various geysers, hot springs, and other geothermal features and is home to grizzly bears and wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk.

History

Long before any recorded human history in Yellowstone, a massive volcanic eruption spewed an immense volume of ash that covered all of the western U.S., much of the Midwest, northern Mexico and some areas of the eastern Pacific Coast. The eruption dwarfed that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and left a huge caldera. Yellowstone typically erupts every 600,000 years with the last event occurring 640,000 years ago. Its eruptions are the largest known to have ever occurred on Earth, producing drastic climate change in the aftermath. The park was named for the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - a deep gash in the Yellowstone Plateau that was formed by floods during previous ice ages and by river erosion from the Yellowstone River. In 1872, Yellowstone became the first National Park reserve declared anywhere in the world, by President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1978 it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO .

Landscape

Geological characteristics form the foundation of an ecosystem. In Yellowstone, the interplay between volcanic, hydrothermal, and glacial processes and the distribution of flora and fauna are intricate and unique. The topography of the land from southern Idaho northeast to Yellowstone results from millions of years of hotspot influence. Some scientists believe the Yellowstone Plateau itself is a result of uplift due to hotspot volcanism.

Get in

The park has 5 entrances. The nearest cities to each entrance are given. Most are within 5 miles of the park boundary.

 • North - Accessed from Gardiner (which is reached via route 89 from Livingston) - This entrance leads to the park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs, 5 miles inside the park boundary. This entrance road is open all year.
 • Northeast - Accessed from Silver Gate and Cooke City via route 212. This entrance road is open all year, though you cannot use route 212 in winter.
 • East - Accessed from Cody, East Yellowstone and Wapiti Valley. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to early May).
 • South - Accessed via Grand Teton National Park. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to early May).
 • West - Accessed via route 20 from West Yellowstone. This entrance is closed in winter (early November to late April).

Shopping

Every major village within the park offers food, camping supplies, and an embarrassing number of souvenirs for sale, although these stores all close during the winter months.

Gasoline and automotive services are available in the following locations:

 • Canyon (late April to early November). Gasoline, diesel and auto repair.
 • Fishing Bridge (mid May to late September). Gasoline, diesel, propane and auto repair.
 • Grant Village (mid April to mid October). Gasoline, diesel, propane, and auto repair.
 • Mammoth (early May to mid October). Gasoline and diesel.
 • Old Faithful (Lower) (mid April to early November). Gasoline and diesel.
 • Old Faithful (Upper) (late May to late September). Gasoline and auto repair.
 • Tower Junction (early June to early September). Gasoline.

Dining

Most of the villages sell food supplies and may offer snack bars. The following restaurants and cafeterias are also available:

 • Old Faithful Inn Dining Room.
 • Old Faithful Snow Lodge Restaurant.
 • Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria.
 • Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room.
 • Lake Lodge Cafeteria.
 • Grant Village Restaurant.
 • Grant Village Lakehouse Restaurant.
 • Canyon Lodge Cafeteria.
 • Canyon Lodge Dining Room.
 • Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel Dining Room.
 • Roosevelt Lodge Dining Room.