Yellowstone National Park

CONTENTS

Yellowstone National Park

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. The eruption dwarfed that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and left a caldera 30 miles wide by 45 miles long. That climactic event occurred about 640,000 years ago, and was one of many processes that shaped Yellowstone National Park--a region once rumored to be "the place where hell bubbles up." Geothermal wonders, such as Old Faithful, are evidence of one of the world's largest active volcanoes. These spectacular features bemused and befuddled the park's earliest visitors, and helped lead to the creation of the world's first national park. Fur trappers' fantastic tales of cauldrons of bubbling mud and roaring geysers sending steaming plumes skyward made their way back east. Several expeditions were sent to investigate, opening the West to further exploration and exploitation. In 1871, Ferdinand Hayden led an expedition that included artist Thomas Moran and photographer William H. Jackson. They brought back images that helped convince Congress that the area known as Yellowstone needed to be protected and preserved. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law declaring that Yellowstone would forever be "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

IN DEPTH

Welcome to Yellowstone 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...read more

Who's Who at Yellowstone National Park Service The NPS is the federal custodian of Yellowstone National Park. As an agency of the Department of the Interior, the NPS has the responsibility of preserving...read more

William Jackson This celebrated photographer of the West gained fame when his 1871 Hayden Expedition photos helped persuade Congress to establish Yellowstone as a national park. Jackson's career began in...read more

Winter Activities A WINTER VISIT TO YELLOWSTONE Come to Yellowstone in winter and enjoy a truly spectacular landscape. The contrast with the park in summer is astonishing: While snow blankets the park,...read more

Wolves Following an absence of more than 70 years, the wolf once again runs beneath the ample skies of Yellowstone National Park. In March of 1995 and again in 1996, a...read more

Work In Yellowstone Enjoy a season in Yellow-stone, the world's first national park. Each summer and winter, Xanterra Parks & Resorts® hires employees to live and work in Yellowstone. A wide variety...read more

Yellowstone Park Foundation Yellowstone National Park is one of America's greatest treasures. Every year, millions of visitors like you come to experience Yellowstone's beauty and mystery. They come to wonder at the...read more

Lodging & Dining DINING Xanterra Parks & Resorts® offers visitors dining options throughout the park, ranging from historic, full-service dining rooms to casual cafeterias and quick-service outlets. Children's menus are always available and...read more

Oh, Ranger! Yellowstone is a magical place! Those were my thoughts as my parents took me through Yellowstone National Park when I was six years old. The geysers, mudpots, hot springs, and...read more

Old Faithful Inn Millions of guests have been awed by the Old Faithful Inn—the play of light through the seven-storied lobby's windows mimics sunlight dappling the forest floor. Conceived by an ingenious...read more