United States
Park County, Wyoming
Teton County, Wyoming
Gallatin County, Montana
Park County, Montana
Fremont County, Idaho
Coordinates
44°36′N 110°30′W / 44.600°N 110.500°W / 44.600;
-110.500Coordinates: 44°36′N 110°30′W / 44.600°N
110.500°W / 44.600; -110.500
Area
2,219,791 acres (8,983.18 km2)[1]
Established
March 1, 1872 (1872-March-01)
Visitors
4,116,524 (in 2017)[2]
Governing body
U.S. National Park Service
Website
Official website
UNESCO

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type
Natural
Criteria
vii, viii, ix, x
Designated
1978 (2nd session)
Reference no.
28[3]
Region
The Americas
Endangered
1995–2003
Yellowstone National Park

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.[4][5] Yellowstone was the first national park in the
U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the
world.[6] The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal
features, especially
Old Faithful

Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular
features.[7] It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest
is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests
ecoregion.
Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least
11,000 years.[8] Aside from visits by mountain men during the
early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until
the late 1860s. Management and control of the park originally fell
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, the first
being Columbus Delano. However, the
U.S. Army

U.S. Army was subsequently
commissioned to oversee management of Yellowstone for a 30-year period
between 1886 and 1916.[9] In 1917, administration of the park was
transferred to the National Park Service, which had been created the
previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are
protected for their architectural and historical significance, and
researchers have examined more than a thousand archaeological sites.
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles
(8,983 km2),[1] comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain
ranges.[7]
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-elevation lakes
in
North America

North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the
largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an
active volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in
the last two million years.[10] Half of the world's geothermal
features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism.[11]
Lava

Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land
area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly-intact ecosystem
in the Earth's northern temperate zone.[12] In 1978, Yellowstone was
named a
UNESCO

UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have been
documented, including several that are either endangered or
threatened.[7] The vast forests and grasslands also include unique
species of plants. Yellowstone Park is the largest and most famous
megafauna location in the contiguous United States. Grizzly bears,
wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in the park. The
Yellowstone Park bison herd

Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest and largest public bison
herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the park each year;
in the large forest fires of 1988, nearly one third of the park was
burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including
hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. Paved roads provide
close access to the major geothermal areas as well as some of the
lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the
park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or
snowmobiles.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Park creation
1.2 Later history
1.3 Heritage and Research Center
2 Geography
3 Geology
3.1 History
3.2 Geysers and the hydrothermal system
3.3 Earthquakes
4 Biology and ecology
4.1 Flora
4.2 Fauna
5 Forest fires
6 Climate
7 Recreation
8 Legal jurisdiction
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
History[edit]
Detailed pictorial map from 1904
The park contains the headwaters of the Yellowstone River, from which
it takes its historical name. Near the end of the 18th century, French
trappers named the river Roche Jaune, which is probably a translation
of the
Hidatsa

Hidatsa name Mi tsi a-da-zi ("Yellow Rock River").[13] Later,
American trappers rendered the French name in English as "Yellow
Stone". Although it is commonly believed that the river was named for
the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the
Native American name source is unclear.[14]
The human history of the park begins at least 11,000 years ago when
Native Americans began to hunt and fish in the region. During the
construction of the post office in Gardiner, Montana, in the 1950s, an
obsidian projectile point of Clovis origin was found that dated from
approximately 11,000 years ago.[15] These Paleo-Indians, of the Clovis
culture, used the significant amounts of obsidian found in the park to
make cutting tools and weapons. Arrowheads made of Yellowstone
obsidian have been found as far away as the Mississippi Valley,
indicating that a regular obsidian trade existed between local tribes
and tribes farther east.[16] By the time white explorers first entered
the region during the
Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, they
encountered the Nez Perce, Crow, and
Shoshone

Shoshone tribes. While passing
through present day Montana, the expedition members heard of the
Yellowstone region to the south, but they did not investigate it.[16]
In 1806, John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, left
to join a group of fur trappers. After splitting up with the other
trappers in 1807, Colter passed through a portion of what later became
the park, during the winter of 1807–1808. He observed at least one
geothermal area in the northeastern section of the park, near Tower
Fall.[17] After surviving wounds he suffered in a battle with members
of the Crow and
Blackfoot

Blackfoot tribes in 1809, Colter described a place of
"fire and brimstone" that most people dismissed as delirium; the
supposedly imaginary place was nicknamed "Colter's Hell". Over the
next 40 years, numerous reports from mountain men and trappers told of
boiling mud, steaming rivers, and petrified trees, yet most of these
reports were believed at the time to be myth.[18]
After an 1856 exploration, mountain man
Jim Bridger

Jim Bridger (also believed to
be the first or second European American to have seen the Great Salt
Lake) reported observing boiling springs, spouting water, and a
mountain of glass and yellow rock. These reports were largely ignored
because Bridger was a known "spinner of yarns". In 1859, a U.S. Army
Surveyor named Captain
William F. Raynolds

William F. Raynolds embarked on a two-year
survey of the northern Rockies. After wintering in Wyoming, in May
1860, Raynolds and his party – which included naturalist Ferdinand
Vandeveer Hayden and guide
Jim Bridger

Jim Bridger – attempted to cross the
Continental Divide

Continental Divide over Two Ocean Plateau from the Wind River drainage
in northwest Wyoming. Heavy spring snows prevented their passage, but
had they been able to traverse the divide, the party would have been
the first organized survey to enter the Yellowstone region.[19] The
American Civil War

American Civil War hampered further organized explorations until the
late 1860s.[20]
Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829–1887) American geologist who convinced
Congress to make Yellowstone a National Park in 1872.
The first detailed expedition to the Yellowstone area was the
Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition

Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition of 1869, which consisted of three
privately funded explorers. The Folsom party followed the Yellowstone
River to Yellowstone Lake.[21] The members of the Folsom party kept a
journal and based on the information it reported, a party of Montana
residents organized the
Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition

Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition in
1870. It was headed by the surveyor-general of
Montana

Montana Henry Washburn,
and included
Nathaniel P. Langford

Nathaniel P. Langford (who later became known as
"National Park" Langford) and a
U.S. Army

U.S. Army detachment commanded by
Lt. Gustavus Doane.
The expedition spent about a month exploring the region, collecting
specimens and naming sites of interest. A
Montana

Montana writer and lawyer
named Cornelius Hedges, who had been a member of the Washburn
expedition, proposed that the region should be set aside and protected
as a national park; he wrote detailed articles about his observations
for the Helena Herald newspaper between 1870 and 1871. Hedges
essentially restated comments made in October 1865 by acting Montana
Territorial Governor Thomas Francis Meagher, who had previously
commented that the region should be protected.[22] Others made similar
suggestions. In an 1871 letter from
Jay Cooke

Jay Cooke to Ferdinand V. Hayden,
Cooke wrote that his friend, Congressman
William D. Kelley

William D. Kelley had also
suggested "Congress pass a bill reserving the Great
Geyser

Geyser Basin as a
public park forever".[23]
Park creation[edit]
See also: Expeditions and the protection of Yellowstone (1869–1890)
Ferdinand V. Hayden's map of Yellowstone National Park, 1871
In 1871, eleven years after his failed first effort, Ferdinand V.
Hayden was finally able to explore the region. With government
sponsorship, he returned to the region with a second, larger
expedition, the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. He compiled a
comprehensive report, including large-format photographs by William
Henry Jackson and paintings by Thomas Moran. The report helped to
convince the
U.S. Congress

U.S. Congress to withdraw this region from public
auction. On March 1, 1872, President
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant signed The Act
of Dedication[5] law that created Yellowstone National Park.[24]
Hayden, while not the only person to have thought of creating a park
in the region, was its first and most enthusiastic advocate.[25] He
believed in "setting aside the area as a pleasure ground for the
benefit and enjoyment of the people" and warned that there were those
who would come and "make merchandise of these beautiful
specimens".[25] Worrying the area could face the same fate as Niagara
Falls, he concluded the site should "be as free as the air or
Water."[25] In his report to the Committee on Public Lands, he
concluded that if the bill failed to become law, "the vandals who are
now waiting to enter into this wonder-land, will in a single season
despoil, beyond recovery, these remarkable curiosities, which have
required all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to
prepare".[26][27]
Hayden and his 1871 party recognized Yellowstone as a priceless
treasure that would become rarer with time. He wished for others to
see and experience it as well. Eventually the railroads and, some time
after that, the automobile would make that possible. The Park was not
set aside strictly for ecological purposes; however, the designation
"pleasure ground" was not an invitation to create an amusement park.
Hayden imagined something akin to the scenic resorts and baths in
England, Germany, and Switzerland.[25]
THE ACT OF DEDICATION[27]
AN ACT to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the headwaters
of the
Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River as a public park. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives of the
United States

United States of America in
Congress assembled, That the tract of land in the Territories of
Montana

Montana and Wyoming ... is hereby reserved and withdrawn from
settlement, occupancy, or sale under the laws of the United States,
and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for
the benefit and enjoyment of the people; and all persons who shall
locate, or settle upon, or occupy the same or any part thereof, except
as hereinafter provided, shall be considered trespassers and removed
there from ...
Approved March 1, 1872.
Signed by:
ULYSSES S. GRANT, President of the United States.
SCHUYLER COLFAX, Vice-President of the
United States

United States and President of
the Senate.
JAMES G. BLAINE, Speaker of the House.
(1870) Portrait of Nathaniel P. Langford, the first superintendent of
the park[28]
There was considerable local opposition to the Yellowstone National
Park during its early years. Some of the locals feared that the
regional economy would be unable to thrive if there remained strict
federal prohibitions against resource development or settlement within
park boundaries and local entrepreneurs advocated reducing the size of
the park so that mining, hunting, and logging activities could be
developed.[29] To this end, numerous bills were introduced into
Congress by
Montana

Montana representatives who sought to remove the federal
land-use restrictions.[30]
After the park's official formation, Nathaniel Langford was appointed
as the park's first superintendent in 1872 by Secretary of Interior
Columbus Delano. Langford served for five years but was denied a
salary, funding, and staff. Langford lacked the means to improve the
land or properly protect the park, and without formal policy or
regulations, he had few legal methods to enforce such protection. This
left Yellowstone vulnerable to poachers, vandals, and others seeking
to raid its resources. He addressed the practical problems park
administrators faced in the 1872 Report to the Secretary of the
Interior[31] and correctly predicted that Yellowstone would become a
major international attraction deserving the continuing stewardship of
the government. In 1874, both Langford and Delano advocated the
creation of a federal agency to protect the vast park, but Congress
refused. In 1875, Colonel William Ludlow, who had previously explored
areas of
Montana

Montana under the command of George Armstrong Custer, was
assigned to organize and lead an expedition to
Montana

Montana and the newly
established Yellowstone Park. Observations about the lawlessness and
exploitation of park resources were included in Ludlow's Report of a
Reconnaissance to the Yellowstone National Park. The report included
letters and attachments by other expedition members, including
naturalist and mineralogist George Bird Grinnell.
Great Falls of the Yellowstone", U.S. Geological and Geographic Survey
of the Territories (1874–1879) Photographer: William Henry Jackson
Grinnell documented the poaching of buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope
for hides. "It is estimated that during the winter of 1874–1875, not
less than 3,000 buffalo and mule deer suffer even more severely than
the elk, and the antelope nearly as much."[32]
As a result, Langford was forced to step down in 1877.[33][34] Having
traveled through Yellowstone and witnessed land management problems
first hand,
Philetus Norris

Philetus Norris volunteered for the position following
Langford's exit. Congress finally saw fit to implement a salary for
the position, as well as to provide a minimal funding to operate the
park. Norris used these funds to expand access to the park, building
numerous crude roads and facilities.[34]
In 1880,
Harry Yount was appointed as a gamekeeper to control poaching
and vandalism in the park. Yount had previously spent decades
exploring the mountain country of present-day Wyoming, including the
Grand Tetons, after joining F V. Hayden's Geological Survey in
1873.[35] Yount is the first national park ranger,[36] and Yount's
Peak, at the head of the Yellowstone River, was named in his
honor.[37] However, these measures still proved to be insufficient in
protecting the park, as neither Norris, nor the three superintendents
who followed, were given sufficient manpower or resources.
Fort Yellowstone, formerly a
U.S. Army

U.S. Army post, now serves as park
headquarters.
The
Northern Pacific Railroad

Northern Pacific Railroad built a train station in Livingston,
Montana, connecting to the northern entrance in the early 1880s, which
helped to increase visitation from 300 in 1872 to 5,000 in 1883.[38]
Visitors in these early years faced poor roads and limited services,
and most access into the park was on horse or via stagecoach. By 1908
visitation increased enough to attract a Union Pacific Railroad
connection to West Yellowstone, though rail visitation fell off
considerably by
World War II

World War II and ceased around the 1960s. Much of the
railroad line was converted to nature trails, among them the
Yellowstone Branch Line Trail.
Thomas Moran

Thomas Moran painted Tower Creek, Yellowstone, while on the Hayden
Geological Survey of 1871
During the 1870s and 1880s Native American tribes were effectively
excluded from the national park. Under a half-dozen tribes had made
seasonal use of the Yellowstone area, but the only year-round
residents were small bands of Eastern
Shoshone

Shoshone known as "Sheepeaters".
They left the area under the assurances of a treaty negotiated in
1868, under which the
Sheepeaters

Sheepeaters ceded their lands but retained the
right to hunt in Yellowstone. The
United States

United States never ratified the
treaty and refused to recognize the claims of the
Sheepeaters

Sheepeaters or any
other tribe that had used Yellowstone.[39]
The Nez Perce band associated with Chief Joseph, numbering about 750
people, passed through
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park in thirteen days
during late August 1877. They were being pursued by the U.S. Army
and entered the national park about two weeks after the Battle of the
Big Hole. Some of the Nez Perce were friendly to the tourists and
other people they encountered in the park; some were not. Nine park
visitors were briefly taken captive. Despite Joseph and other chiefs
ordering that no one should be harmed, at least two people were killed
and several wounded.[40][41] One of the areas where encounters
occurred was in Lower
Geyser

Geyser Basin and east along a branch of the
Firehole River

Firehole River to Mary Mountain and beyond.[40] That stream is still
known as Nez Perce Creek.[42] A group of Bannocks entered the park in
1878, alarming park Superintendent Philetus Norris. In the aftermath
of the
Sheepeater Indian War of 1879, Norris built a fort to prevent
Native Americans from entering the national park.[39][41]
Ongoing poaching and destruction of natural resources continued
unabated until the U.S. Army arrived at
Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs in
1886 and built Camp Sheridan. Over the next 22 years the army
constructed permanent structures, and Camp Sheridan was renamed Fort
Yellowstone.[43] On May 7, 1894, the Boone and Crockett Club, acting
through the personality of George G. Vest, Arnold Hague, William
Hallett Phillips, W. A. Wadsworth, Archibald Rogers, Theodore
Roosevelt, and
George Bird Grinnell

George Bird Grinnell were successful in carrying
through the Park Protection Act, which saved the Park.[44] The Lacey
Act of 1900 provided legal support for the officials prosecuting
poachers. With the funding and manpower necessary to keep a diligent
watch, the army developed their own policies and regulations that
permitted public access while protecting park wildlife and natural
resources. When the
National Park Service

National Park Service was created in 1916, many of
the management principles developed by the army were adopted by the
new agency.[43] The army turned control over to the National Park
Service on October 31, 1918.[45]
In 1898, the naturalist
John Muir

John Muir described the park as follows:
"However orderly your excursions or aimless, again and again amid the
calmest, stillest scenery you will be brought to a standstill hushed
and awe-stricken before phenomena wholly new to you. Boiling springs
and huge deep pools of purest green and azure water, thousands of
them, are plashing and heaving in these high, cool mountains as if a
fierce furnace fire were burning beneath each one of them; and a
hundred geysers, white torrents of boiling water and steam, like
inverted waterfalls, are ever and anon rushing up out of the hot,
black underworld."[46]
Later history[edit]
Park Superintendent
Horace M. Albright

Horace M. Albright and dinner guests, 1922. The
feeding of "tame" black bears was popular with tourists in the early
days of the park, but led to 527 injuries between 1931 and 1939.[47]
By 1915, 1,000 automobiles per year were entering the park, resulting
in conflicts with horses and horse-drawn transportation. Horse travel
on roads was eventually prohibited.[48]
The
Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a
New Deal

New Deal relief agency for
young men, played a major role between 1933 and 1942 in developing
Yellowstone facilities. CCC projects included reforestation,
campground development of many of the park's trails and campgrounds,
trail construction, fire hazard reduction, and fire-fighting work. The
CCC built the majority of the early visitor centers, campgrounds and
the current system of park roads.[49]
During World War II, tourist travel fell sharply, staffing was
cut, and many facilities fell into disrepair.[50] By the 1950s,
visitation increased tremendously in Yellowstone and other national
parks. To accommodate the increased visitation, park officials
implemented Mission 66, an effort to modernize and expand park
service facilities. Planned to be completed by 1966, in honor of the
50th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service,
Mission 66 construction diverged from the traditional log cabin
style with design features of a modern style.[51] During the late
1980s, most construction styles in Yellowstone reverted to the more
traditional designs. After the enormous forest fires of 1988 damaged
much of Grant Village, structures there were rebuilt in the
traditional style. The visitor center at Canyon Village, which opened
in 2006, incorporates a more traditional design as well.[52]
The
Roosevelt Arch

Roosevelt Arch is located in Gardiner,
Montana

Montana at the North
Entrance
The
1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake

1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake just west of Yellowstone at Hebgen
Lake damaged roads and some structures in the park. In the northwest
section of the park, new geysers were found, and many existing hot
springs became turbid.[53] It was the most powerful earthquake to hit
the region in recorded history.
In 1963, after several years of public controversy regarding the
forced reduction of the elk population in Yellowstone, United States
Secretary of the Interior
Stewart Udall

Stewart Udall appointed an advisory board to
collect scientific data to inform future wildlife management of the
national parks. In a paper known as the Leopold Report, the committee
observed that culling programs at other national parks had been
ineffective, and recommended management of Yellowstone's elk
population.[54]
The wildfires during the summer of 1988 were the largest in the
history of the park. Approximately 793,880 acres (321,272 ha;
1,240 sq mi) or 36% of the parkland was impacted by the
fires, leading to a systematic re-evaluation of fire management
policies. The fire season of 1988 was considered normal until a
combination of drought and heat by mid-July contributed to an extreme
fire danger. On "Black Saturday", August 20, 1988, strong winds
expanded the fires rapidly, and more than 150,000 acres
(61,000 ha; 230 sq mi) burned.[55]
The expansive cultural history of the park has been documented by the
1,000 archeological sites that have been discovered. The park has
1,106 historic structures and features, and of these
Obsidian

Obsidian Cliff
and five buildings have been designated National Historic
Landmarks.[7] Yellowstone was designated an International Biosphere
Reserve on October 26, 1976, and a UN
World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site on September
8, 1978. The park was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
from 1995 to 2003 due to the effects of tourism, infection of
wildlife, and issues with invasive species.[56] In 2010, Yellowstone
National Park was honored with its own quarter under the America the
Beautiful Quarters Program.[57]
Justin Ferrell explores three moral sensibilities that motivated
activists in dealing with Yellowstone. First came the utilitarian
vision of maximum exploitation of natural resources, characteristic of
developers in the late 19th century. Second was the spiritual vision
of nature inspired by the Romanticism and the transcendentalists in
the mid-19th century. The twentieth century saw the biocentric moral
vision that focuses on the health of the ecosystem as theorized by
Aldo Leopold, which led to the expansion of federally protected areas
and to the surrounding ecosystems.[58]
Heritage and Research Center[edit]
The Heritage and Research Center is located at Gardiner, Montana, near
the north entrance to the park.[59] The center is home to the
Yellowstone National Park's museum collection, archives, research
library, historian, archeology lab, and herbarium. The Yellowstone
National Park Archives maintain collections of historical records of
Yellowstone and the National Park Service. The collection includes the
administrative records of Yellowstone, as well as resource management
records, records from major projects, and donated manuscripts and
personal papers. The archives are affiliated with the National
Archives and Records Administration.[60][61]
Geography[edit]
See also: Mountains and mountain ranges of Yellowstone National Park,
Waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park, and Plateaus of Yellowstone
National Park
Official Park Map
Approximately 96 percent of the land area of Yellowstone National Park
is located within the state of Wyoming.[7] Another three percent is
within Montana, with the remaining one percent in Idaho. The park is
63 miles (101 km) north to south, and 54 miles (87 km) west
to east by air. Yellowstone is 2,219,789 acres (898,317 ha;
3,468.420 sq mi)[1] in area, larger than the states of Rhode
Island or Delaware. Rivers and lakes cover five percent of the land
area, with the largest water body being
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake at 87,040
acres (35,220 ha; 136.00 sq mi).
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is up
to 400 feet (120 m) deep and has 110 miles (180 km) of
shoreline. At an elevation of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea
level,
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high altitude lake in North
America. Forests comprise 80 percent of the land area of the park;
most of the rest is grassland.[7]
The
Continental Divide

Continental Divide of
North America

North America runs diagonally through the
southwestern part of the park. The divide is a topographic feature
that separates Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean water drainages. About
one third of the park lies on the west side of the divide. The origins
of the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers are near each other but on
opposite sides of the divide. As a result, the waters of the Snake
River flow to the Pacific Ocean, while those of the Yellowstone find
their way to the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico.
Aerial view, 3D computer generated image
The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, at an average elevation of
8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level. The plateau is bounded on
nearly all sides by mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains,
which range from 9,000 to 11,000 feet (2,700 to 3,400 m) in
elevation. The highest point in the park is atop Eagle Peak (11,358
feet or 3,462 metres) and the lowest is along Reese Creek (5,282 feet
or 1,610 metres).[7] Nearby mountain ranges include the Gallatin Range
to the northwest, the
Beartooth Mountains

Beartooth Mountains in the north, the Absaroka
Range to the east, and the
Teton Range

Teton Range and the
Madison Range

Madison Range to the
southwest and west. The most prominent summit on the Yellowstone
Plateau is
Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn at 10,243 feet (3,122 m).
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has one of the world's largest petrified
forests, trees which were long ago buried by ash and soil and
transformed from wood to mineral materials. This ash and other
volcanic debris are believed to have come from the park area itself.
This is largely because Yellowstone is actually a massive caldera of a
supervolcano. There are 290 waterfalls of at least 15 feet
(4.6 m) in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the
Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River at 308 feet (94 m).[7]
Three deep canyons are located in the park, cut through the volcanic
tuff of the
Yellowstone Plateau by rivers over the last
640,000 years. The Lewis River flows through
Lewis Canyon

Lewis Canyon in the
south, and the
Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River has carved two colorful canyons, the
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Black Canyon of the
Yellowstone in its journey north.
Geology[edit]
Main articles: Geothermal areas of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Caldera,
and Supervolcano
History[edit]
Columnar basalt near Tower Falls; large floods of basalt and other
lava types preceded mega-eruptions of superheated ash and pumice
Yellowstone is at the northeastern end of the
Snake River

Snake River Plain, a
great U-shaped arc through the mountains that extends from Boise,
Idaho

Idaho some 400 miles (640 km) to the west. This feature traces
the route of the
North American Plate

North American Plate over the last 17 million
years as it was transported by plate tectonics across a stationary
mantle hotspot. The landscape of present-day Yellowstone National Park
is the most recent manifestation of this hotspot below the crust of
the Earth.[62]
The
Yellowstone Caldera

Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North
America. It has been termed a "supervolcano" because the caldera was
formed by exceptionally large explosive eruptions. The magma chamber
that lies under Yellowstone is estimated to be a single connected
chamber, about 37 miles (60 km) long, 18 miles (29 km) wide,
and 3 to 7 miles (5 to 12 km) deep.[63] The current caldera was
created by a cataclysmic eruption that occurred 640,000 years
ago, which released more than 240 cubic miles (1,000 km³)
of ash, rock and pyroclastic materials.[64] This eruption was more
than 1,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St.
Helens.[65] It produced a caldera nearly five eighths of a mile
(1 km) deep and 45 by 28 miles (72 by 45 km) in area and
deposited the
Lava

Lava Creek Tuff, a welded tuff geologic formation. The
most violent known eruption, which occurred 2.1 million years
ago, ejected 588 cubic miles (2,450 km³) of volcanic
material and created the rock formation known as the Huckleberry Ridge
Tuff and created the Island Park Caldera.[66] A smaller eruption
ejected 67 cubic miles (280 km³) of material
1.3 million years ago, forming the Henry's Fork
Caldera

Caldera and
depositing the Mesa Falls Tuff.[65]
Each of the three climactic eruptions released vast amounts of ash
that blanketed much of central North America, falling many hundreds of
miles away. The amount of ash and gases released into the atmosphere
probably caused significant impacts to world weather patterns and led
to the extinction of some species, primarily in North America.[67]
Wooden walkways allow visitors to closely approach the Grand Prismatic
Spring.
A subsequent caldera-forming eruption occurred about 160,000 years
ago. It formed the relatively small caldera that contains the West
Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. Since the last supereruption, a series of
smaller eruptive cycles between 640,000 and 70,000 years ago, has
nearly filled in the
Yellowstone Caldera

Yellowstone Caldera with 80 different eruptions
of rhyolitic lavas such as those that can be seen at
Obsidian

Obsidian Cliffs
and basaltic lavas which can be viewed at Sheepeater Cliff. Lava
strata are most easily seen at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,
where the
Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River continues to carve into the ancient lava
flows. The canyon is a classic V-shaped valley, indicative of
river-type erosion rather than erosion caused by glaciation.[66]
Each eruption is part of an eruptive cycle that climaxes with the
partial collapse of the roof of the volcano's partially emptied magma
chamber. This creates a collapsed depression, called a caldera, and
releases vast amounts of volcanic material, usually through fissures
that ring the caldera. The time between the last three cataclysmic
eruptions in the Yellowstone area has ranged from 600,000 to
800,000 years, but the small number of such climactic eruptions
cannot be used to make an accurate prediction for future volcanic
events.[68]
Geysers and the hydrothermal system[edit]
Old Faithful

Old Faithful
Geyser

Geyser erupts approximately every 91 minutes.
The most famous geyser in the park, and perhaps the world, is Old
Faithful geyser, located in Upper
Geyser

Geyser Basin. Castle Geyser, Lion
Geyser

Geyser and Beehive
Geyser

Geyser are in the same basin. The park contains the
largest active geyser in the world—Steamboat
Geyser

Geyser in the Norris
Geyser

Geyser Basin. A study that was completed in 2011 found that at least
1283 geysers have erupted in Yellowstone. Of these, an average of 465
are active in a given year.[69][70] Yellowstone contains at least
10,000 geothermal features altogether. Half the geothermal features
and two-thirds of the world's geysers are concentrated in
Yellowstone.[71]
Steamboat
Geyser

Geyser is the world's largest active geyser.
In May 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, Yellowstone National Park,
and the
University of Utah

University of Utah created the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
(YVO), a partnership for long-term monitoring of the geological
processes of the
Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, for disseminating
information concerning the potential hazards of this geologically
active region.[72]
In 2003, changes at the Norris
Geyser

Geyser Basin resulted in the temporary
closure of some trails in the basin. New fumaroles were observed, and
several geysers showed enhanced activity and increasing water
temperatures. Several geysers became so hot that they were transformed
into purely steaming features; the water had become superheated and
they could no longer erupt normally.[73] This coincided with the
release of reports of a multiple year
United States

United States Geological Survey
research project which mapped the bottom of
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake and
identified a structural dome that had uplifted at some time in the
past. Research indicated that these uplifts posed no immediate threat
of a volcanic eruption, since they may have developed long ago, and
there had been no temperature increase found near the uplifts.[74] On
March 10, 2004, a biologist discovered 5 dead bison which apparently
had inhaled toxic geothermal gases trapped in the Norris
Geyser

Geyser Basin
by a seasonal atmospheric inversion. This was closely followed by an
upsurge of earthquake activity in April 2004.[75] In 2006, it was
reported that the Mallard Lake Dome and the Sour Creek Dome— areas
that have long been known to show significant changes in their ground
movement— had risen at a rate of 1.5 to 2.4 inches (3.8 to
6.1 cm) per year from mid–2004 through 2006. As of late 2007,
the uplift has continued at a reduced rate.[76][77] These events
inspired a great deal of media attention and speculation about the
geologic future of the region. Experts responded to the conjecture by
informing the public that there was no increased risk of a volcanic
eruption in the near future.[78] However, these changes demonstrate
the dynamic nature of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system.
Earthquakes[edit]
Main terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone experiences thousands of small earthquakes every year,
virtually all of which are undetectable to people. There have been six
earthquakes with at least magnitude 6 or greater in historical times,
including the 7.5‑magnitude
Hebgen Lake

Hebgen Lake earthquake which occurred
just outside the northwest boundary of the park in 1959. This quake
triggered a huge landslide, which caused a partial dam collapse on
Hebgen Lake; immediately downstream, the sediment from the landslide
dammed the river and created a new lake, known as Earthquake Lake.
Twenty-eight people were killed, and property damage was extensive in
the immediate region. The earthquake caused some geysers in the
northwestern section of the park to erupt, large cracks in the ground
formed and emitted steam, and some hot springs that normally have
clear water turned muddy.[53] A 6.1‑magnitude earthquake struck
inside the park on June 30, 1975, but damage was minimal.
For three months in 1985, 3,000 minor earthquakes were detected in the
northwestern section of the park, during what has been referred to as
an earthquake swarm, and has been attributed to minor subsidence of
the Yellowstone caldera.[65] Beginning on April 30, 2007, 16 small
earthquakes with magnitudes up to 2.7 occurred in the Yellowstone
Caldera

Caldera for several days. These swarms of earthquakes are common, and
there have been 70 such swarms between 1983 and 2008.[79] In December
2008, over 250 earthquakes were measured over a four-day span under
Yellowstone Lake, the largest measuring a magnitude of 3.9.[80] In
January 2010, more than 250 earthquakes were detected over a two-day
period.[81] Seismic activity in
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park continues
and is reported hourly by the Earthquake Hazards Program of the U.S.
Geological Survey.[82]
On March 30, 2014, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck almost the very
middle of Yellowstone near the Norris Basin at 6:34 am; reports
indicated no damage. This was the largest earthquake to hit the park
since February 22, 1980.[83]
Biology and ecology[edit]
Main articles: Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem

Ecosystem and Ecology of the Rocky
Mountains
Meadow in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is the centerpiece of the 20 million
acre/31,250 square-mile (8,093,712 ha/80,937 km2)
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a region that includes Grand Teton
National Park, adjacent National Forests and expansive wilderness
areas in those forests. The ecosystem is the largest remaining
continuous stretch of mostly undeveloped pristine land in the
contiguous United States, considered the world's largest intact
ecosystem in the northern temperate zone.[12] With the successful wolf
reintroduction program, which began in the 1990s, virtually all the
original faunal species known to inhabit the region when white
explorers first entered the area can still be found there.
Flora[edit]
Over 1,700 species of trees and other vascular plants are native to
the park. Another 170 species are considered to be exotic species and
are non-native. Of the eight conifer tree species documented,
Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole Pine forests cover 80% of the total forested areas.[7] Other
conifers, such as
Subalpine

Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce, Rocky Mountain
Douglas-fir and Whitebark Pine, are found in scattered groves
throughout the park. As of 2007, the whitebark pine is threatened by a
fungus known as white pine blister rust; however, this is mostly
confined to forests well to the north and west. In Yellowstone, about
seven percent of the whitebark pine species have been impacted with
the fungus, compared to nearly complete infestations in northwestern
Montana.[84]
Quaking Aspen

Quaking Aspen and willows are the most common species of
deciduous trees. The aspen forests have declined significantly since
the early 20th century, but scientists at Oregon State University
attribute recent recovery of the aspen to the reintroduction of wolves
which has changed the grazing habits of local elk.[85]
Yellowstone sand verbena are endemic to Yellowstone's lakeshores.
There are dozens of species of flowering plants that have been
identified, most of which bloom between the months of May and
September.[86] The Yellowstone sand verbena is a rare flowering plant
found only in Yellowstone. It is closely related to species usually
found in much warmer climates, making the sand verbena an enigma. The
estimated 8,000 examples of this rare flowering plant all make their
home in the sandy soils on the shores of Yellowstone Lake, well above
the waterline.[87]
In Yellowstone's hot waters, bacteria form mats of bizarre shapes
consisting of trillions of individuals. These bacteria are some of the
most primitive life forms on earth. Flies and other arthropods live on
the mats, even in the middle of the bitterly cold winters. Initially,
scientists thought that microbes there gained sustenance only from
sulfur. In 2005 researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder
discovered that the sustenance for at least some of the diverse
hyperthermophilic species is molecular hydrogen.[88]
Thermus aquaticus

Thermus aquaticus is a bacterium found in the Yellowstone hot springs
that produces an important enzyme (Taq polymerase) that is easily
replicated in the lab and is useful in replicating
DNA
.jpg)
DNA as part of the
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. The retrieval of these
bacteria can be achieved with no impact to the ecosystem. Other
bacteria in the Yellowstone hot springs may also prove useful to
scientists who are searching for cures for various diseases.[89] In
2016, researchers from Uppsala University reported the discovery of a
class of thermophiles, Hadesarchaea, in Yellowstone's Culex Basin.
These organisms are capable of converting carbon monoxide and water to
carbon dioxide and oxygen.[90][91]
Non-native plants sometimes threaten native species by using up
nutrient resources. Though exotic species are most commonly found in
areas with the greatest human visitation, such as near roads and at
major tourist areas, they have also spread into the backcountry.
Generally, most exotic species are controlled by pulling the plants
out of the soil or by spraying, both of which are time consuming and
expensive.[92]
Fauna[edit]
Main articles: Animals of Yellowstone, Birds of Yellowstone National
Park, Wolf reintroduction, History of wolves in Yellowstone,
Yellowstone Park Bison Herd, Small mammals of Yellowstone National
Park, Fishes of Yellowstone National Park, and
Amphibians

Amphibians and reptiles
of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is widely considered to be the finest megafauna wildlife
habitat in the lower 48 states. There are almost 60 species of mammals
in the park, including the gray wolf, coyote, the threatened Canadian
lynx, and grizzly bears.[7] Other large mammals include the bison
(often referred to as buffalo), black bear, elk, moose, mule deer,
white-tailed deer, mountain goat, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and
cougar.
American bison
The
Yellowstone Park bison herd

Yellowstone Park bison herd is the largest public herd of American
bison in the United States. The relatively large bison populations are
a concern for ranchers, who fear that the species can transmit bovine
diseases to their domesticated cousins. In fact, about half of
Yellowstone's bison have been exposed to brucellosis, a bacterial
disease that came to
North America

North America with European cattle that may cause
cattle to miscarry. The disease has little effect on park bison, and
no reported case of transmission from wild bison to domestic livestock
has been filed. However, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) has stated that bison are the "likely source" of the
spread of the disease in cattle in
Wyoming

Wyoming and North Dakota.
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk also
carry the disease and are believed to have transmitted the infection
to horses and cattle.[93] Bison once numbered between 30 and 60
million individuals throughout North America, and Yellowstone remains
one of their last strongholds. Their populations had increased from
less than 50 in the park in 1902 to 4,000 by 2003. The Yellowstone
Park bison herd reached a peak in 2005 with 4,900 animals. Despite a
summer estimated population of 4,700 in 2007, the number dropped to
3,000 in 2008 after a harsh winter and controversial brucellosis
management sending hundreds to slaughter.[94] The Yellowstone Park
bison herd is believed to be one of only four free roaming and
genetically pure herds on public lands in North America. The other
three herds are the
Henry Mountains bison herd

Henry Mountains bison herd of Utah, at Wind Cave
National Park in
South Dakota

South Dakota and in
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk Island National Park in
Alberta.[95]
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk mother nursing her calf.
To combat the perceived threat of brucellosis transmission to cattle,
national park personnel regularly harass bison herds back into the
park when they venture outside of the area's borders. During the
winter of 1996–97, the bison herd was so large that 1,079 bison that
had exited the park were shot or sent to slaughter.[93] Animal rights
activists argue that this is a cruel practice and that the possibility
for disease transmission is not as great as some ranchers maintain.
Ecologists point out that the bison are merely traveling to seasonal
grazing areas that lie within the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem

Ecosystem that
have been converted to cattle grazing, some of which are within
National Forests and are leased to private ranchers. APHIS has stated
that with vaccinations and other means, brucellosis can be eliminated
from the bison and elk herds throughout Yellowstone.[93]
A reintroduced wolf in Yellowstone National Park
Starting in 1914, in an effort to protect elk populations, the U.S.
Congress appropriated funds to be used for the purposes of "destroying
wolves, prairie dogs, and other animals injurious to agriculture and
animal husbandry" on public lands. Park Service hunters carried out
these orders, and by 1926 they had killed 136 wolves, and wolves were
virtually eliminated from Yellowstone.[96] Further exterminations
continued until the
National Park Service

National Park Service ended the practice in 1935.
With the passing of the Endangered
Species

Species Act in 1973, the wolf was
one of the first mammal species listed.[96] After the wolves were
extirpated from Yellowstone, the coyote then became the park's top
canine predator. However, the coyote is not able to bring down large
animals, and the result of this lack of a top predator on these
populations was a marked increase in lame and sick megafauna.
By the 1990s, the Federal government had reversed its views on wolves.
In a controversial decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(which oversees threatened and endangered species), northwestern
wolves imported from Canada were reintroduced into the park.
Reintroduction efforts have been successful with populations remaining
relatively stable. A survey conducted in 2005 reported that there were
13 wolf packs, totaling 118 individuals in Yellowstone and 326 in the
entire ecosystem. These park figures were lower than those reported in
2004 but may be attributable to wolf migration to other nearby areas
as suggested by the substantial increase in the
Montana

Montana population
during that interval.[97] Almost all the wolves documented were
descended from the 66 wolves reintroduced in 1995–96.[97] The
recovery of populations throughout the states of Wyoming,
Montana

Montana and
Idaho

Idaho has been so successful that on February 27, 2008, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service removed the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf
population from the endangered species list.[98]
Black bear and cub in the Tower-Roosevelt area
An estimated 600 grizzly bears live in the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem, with more than half of the population living within
Yellowstone. The grizzly is currently listed as a threatened species,
however the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that they
intend to take it off the endangered species list for the Yellowstone
region but will likely keep it listed in areas where it has not yet
recovered fully. Opponents of delisting the grizzly are concerned that
states might once again allow hunting and that better conservation
measures need to be implemented to ensure a sustainable
population.[99] Black bears are common in the park and were a park
symbol due to visitor interaction with the bears starting in 1910.
Feeding and close contact with bears has not been permitted since the
1960s to reduce their desire for human foods.[100] Yellowstone is one
of the few places in the
United States

United States where black bears can be seen
coexisting with grizzly bears.[100] Black bear observations occur most
often in the park's northern ranges and in the Bechler area which is
in the park's southwestern corner.[101]
Elk
Population figures for elk are in excess of 30,000—the largest
population of any large mammal species in Yellowstone. The northern
herd has decreased enormously since the mid‑1990s; this has been
attributed to wolf predation and causal effects such as elk using more
forested regions to evade predation, consequently making it harder for
researchers to accurately count them.[102] The northern herd migrates
west into southwestern
Montana

Montana in the winter. The southern herd
migrates southward, and the majority of these elk winter on the
National
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk Refuge, immediately southeast of Grand Teton National
Park. The southern herd migration is the largest mammalian migration
remaining in the U.S. outside of Alaska.
Pronghorn

Pronghorn are commonly found on the grasslands in the park.
In 2003 the tracks of one female lynx and her cub were spotted and
followed for over 2 miles (3.2 km). Fecal material and other
evidence obtained were tested and confirmed to be those of a lynx. No
visual confirmation was made, however. Lynx have not been seen in
Yellowstone since 1998, though
DNA
.jpg)
DNA taken from hair samples obtained in
2001 confirmed that lynx were at least transient to the park.[103]
Other less commonly seen mammals include the mountain lion and
wolverine. The mountain lion has an estimated population of only 25
individuals parkwide.[104] The wolverine is another rare park mammal,
and accurate population figures for this species are not known.[105]
These uncommon and rare mammals provide insight into the health of
protected lands such as Yellowstone and help managers make
determinations as to how best to preserve habitats.
Eighteen species of fish live in Yellowstone, including the core range
of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout—a fish highly sought by
anglers.[7][106] The
Yellowstone cutthroat trout

Yellowstone cutthroat trout has faced several
threats since the 1980s, including the suspected illegal introduction
into
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake of lake trout, an invasive species which consume
the smaller cutthroat trout.[107] Although lake trout were established
in
Shoshone

Shoshone and Lewis lakes in the
Snake River

Snake River drainage from U.S.
Government stocking operations in 1890, it was never officially
introduced into the
Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River drainage.[108] The cutthroat
trout has also faced an ongoing drought, as well as the accidental
introduction of a parasite—whirling disease—which causes a
terminal nervous system disease in younger fish. Since 2001, all
native sport fish species caught in Yellowstone waterways are subject
to a catch and release law.[106] Yellowstone is also home to six
species of reptiles, such as the painted turtle and Prairie
rattlesnake, and four species of amphibians, including the Boreal
Chorus Frog.[109]
311 species of birds have been reported, almost half of which nest in
Yellowstone.[7] As of 1999, twenty-six pairs of nesting bald eagles
have been documented. Extremely rare sightings of whooping cranes have
been recorded, however only three examples of this species are known
to live in the Rocky Mountains, out of 385 known worldwide.[110] Other
birds, considered to be species of special concern because of their
rarity in Yellowstone, include the common loon, harlequin duck,
osprey, peregrine falcon and the trumpeter swan.[111]
Forest fires[edit]
See also:
Yellowstone fires of 1988

Yellowstone fires of 1988 and 1988–89 North American
drought
Fire in Yellowstone National Park
As wildfire is a natural part of most ecosystems, plants that are
indigenous to Yellowstone have adapted in a variety of ways.
Douglas-fir have a thick bark which protects the inner section of the
tree from most fires. Lodgepole Pines —the most common tree species
in the park— generally have cones that are only opened by the heat
of fire. Their seeds are held in place by a tough resin, and fire
assists in melting the resin, allowing the seeds to disperse. Fire
clears out dead and downed wood, providing fewer obstacles for
lodgepole pines to flourish.
Subalpine

Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce,
Whitebark Pine, and other species tend to grow in colder and moister
areas, where fire is less likely to occur. Aspen trees sprout new
growth from their roots, and even if a severe fire kills the tree
above ground, the roots often survive unharmed because they are
insulated from the heat by soil.[112] The National Park Service
estimates that in natural conditions, grasslands in Yellowstone burned
an average of every 20 to 25 years, while forests in the park would
experience fire about every 300 years.[112]
About thirty-five natural forest fires are ignited each year by
lightning, while another six to ten are started by people— in most
cases by accident.
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has three fire lookout
towers, each staffed by trained fire fighters. The easiest one to
reach is atop Mount Washburn, which has interpretive exhibits and an
observation deck open to the public.[113] The park also monitors fire
from the air and relies on visitor reports of smoke and/or
flames.[114] Fire towers are staffed almost continuously from late
June to mid-September— the primary fire season. Fires burn with the
greatest intensity in the late afternoon and evening. Few fires burn
more than 100 acres (40 ha), and the vast majority of fires reach
only a little over an acre (0.5 ha) before they burn themselves
out.[115] Fire management focuses on monitoring dead and down wood
quantities, soil and tree moisture, and the weather, to determine
those areas most vulnerable to fire should one ignite. Current policy
is to suppress all human caused fires and to evaluate natural fires,
examining the benefit or detriment they may pose on the ecosystem. If
a fire is considered to be an immediate threat to people and
structures, or will burn out of control, then fire suppression is
performed.[116]
Wildfire

Wildfire in
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park produces a pyrocumulus cloud.
In an effort to minimize the chances of out of control fires and
threats to people and structures, park employees do more than just
monitor the potential for fire. Controlled burns are prescribed fires
which are deliberately started to remove dead timber under conditions
which allow fire fighters an opportunity to carefully control where
and how much wood is consumed. Natural fires are sometimes considered
prescribed fires if they are left to burn. In Yellowstone, unlike some
other parks, there have been very few fires deliberately started by
employees as prescribed burns. However, over the last 30 years, over
300 natural fires have been allowed to burn naturally. In addition,
fire fighters remove dead and down wood and other hazards from areas
where they will be a potential fire threat to lives and property,
reducing the chances of fire danger in these areas.[117] Fire monitors
also regulate fire through educational services to the public and have
been known to temporarily ban campfires from campgrounds during
periods of high fire danger. The common notion in early United States
land management policies was that all forest fires were bad. Fire was
seen as a purely destructive force and there was little understanding
that it was an integral part of the ecosystem. Consequently, until the
1970s, when a better understanding of wildfire was developed, all
fires were suppressed. This led to an increase in dead and dying
forests, which would later provide the fuel load for fires that would
be much harder, and in some cases, impossible to control. Fire
Management Plans were implemented, detailing that natural fires should
be allowed to burn if they posed no immediate threat to lives and
property.
A crown fire approaches the
Old Faithful

Old Faithful complex on September 7, 1988.
1988 started with a wet spring season although by summer, drought
began moving in throughout the northern Rockies, creating the driest
year on record to that point. Grasses and plants which grew well in
the early summer from the abundant spring moisture produced plenty of
grass, which soon turned to dry tinder. The National Park Service
began firefighting efforts to keep the fires under control, but the
extreme drought made suppression difficult. Between July 15 and 21,
1988, fires quickly spread from 8,500 acres (3,400 ha;
13.3 sq mi) throughout the entire Yellowstone region, which
included areas outside the park, to 99,000 acres (40,000 ha;
155 sq mi) on the park land alone. By the end of the month,
the fires were out of control. Large fires burned together, and on
August 20, 1988, the single worst day of the fires, more than 150,000
acres (61,000 ha; 230 sq mi) were consumed. Seven large
fires were responsible for 95% of the 793,000 acres (321,000 ha;
1,239 sq mi) that were burned over the next couple of
months. A total of 25,000 firefighters and U.S. military forces
participated in the suppression efforts, at a cost of 120 million
dollars. By the time winter brought snow that helped extinguish the
last flames, the fires had destroyed 67 structures and caused several
million dollars in damage.[55] Though no civilian lives were lost, two
personnel associated with the firefighting efforts were killed.
Contrary to media reports and speculation at the time, the fires
killed very few park animals— surveys indicated that only about 345
elk (of an estimated 40,000–50,000), 36 deer, 12 moose, 6 black
bears, and 9 bison had perished. Changes in fire management policies
were implemented by land management agencies throughout the United
States, based on knowledge gained from the 1988 fires and the
evaluation of scientists and experts from various fields. By 1992,
Yellowstone had adopted a new fire management plan which observed
stricter guidelines for the management of natural fires.[55]
Climate[edit]
Winter scene in Yellowstone
Yellowstone climate is greatly influenced by altitude, with lower
elevations generally found to be warmer year-round. The record high
temperature was 99 °F (37 °C) in 2002, while the coldest
temperature recorded is −66 °F (−54 °C) in 1933.[7]
During the summer months of June to early September, daytime highs are
normally in the 70 to 80 °F (21 to 27 °C) range, while
night time lows can go to below freezing (0 °C) especially at
higher altitudes. Summer afternoons are frequently accompanied by
thunderstorms. Spring and fall temperatures range between 30 and
60 °F (−1 and 16 °C) with nights in the teens to single
digits (−5 to −20 °C). Winter in Yellowstone is accompanied
by high temperatures usually between zero and 20 °F (−20 to
−5 °C) and nighttime temperatures below 0 °F
(−18 °C) for most of the winter.[118]
Precipitation

Precipitation in Yellowstone is highly variable and ranges from 15
inches (380 mm) annually near Mammoth Hot Springs, to 80 inches
(2,000 mm) in the southwestern sections of the park. The
precipitation of Yellowstone is greatly influenced by the moisture
channel formed by the
Snake River

Snake River Plain to the west that was, in turn,
formed by Yellowstone itself. Snow is possible in any month of the
year, but most common between November and April, with averages of 150
inches (3,800 mm) annually around Yellowstone Lake, to twice that
amount at higher elevations.[118]
Tornadoes in Yellowstone are rare; however, on July 21, 1987, the most
powerful tornado recorded in
Wyoming

Wyoming touched down in the Teton
Wilderness

Wilderness of
Bridger-Teton National Forest

Bridger-Teton National Forest and hit Yellowstone
National Park. Called the Teton–Yellowstone tornado, it was
classified as an F4, with wind speeds estimated at between 207 and 260
miles per hour (333 and 418 km/h). The tornado left a path of
destruction 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) wide, and 24 miles
(39 km) long, and leveled 15,000 acres (6,100 ha;
23 sq mi) of mature pine forest.[119]
The climate at
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is classified as subarctic (Dfc),
according to Köppen-Geiger climate classification, while at the park
headquarters the classification is humid continental (Dfb).
Climate data for Yellowstone Lake, elev. 7,870 feet (2,399 m)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °F (°C)
46
(8)
56
(13)
61
(16)
65
(18)
78
(26)
83
(28)
92
(33)
91
(33)
83
(28)
72
(22)
63
(17)
48
(9)
92
(33)
Average high °F (°C)
24.4
(−4.2)
28.0
(−2.2)
36.2
(2.3)
43.3
(6.3)
51.9
(11.1)
61.6
(16.4)
71.6
(22)
71.4
(21.9)
61.6
(16.4)
47.8
(8.8)
33.5
(0.8)
24.3
(−4.3)
46.4
(8)
Average low °F (°C)
1.2
(−17.1)
1.2
(−17.1)
9.2
(−12.7)
18.0
(−7.8)
28.0
(−2.2)
35.4
(1.9)
41.6
(5.3)
39.9
(4.4)
31.8
(−0.1)
23.7
(−4.6)
13.8
(−10.1)
5.0
(−15)
20.8
(−6.2)
Record low °F (°C)
−50
(−46)
−50
(−46)
−42
(−41)
−26
(−32)
−2
(−19)
14
(−10)
20
(−7)
17
(−8)
−5
(−21)
−13
(−25)
−30
(−34)
−43
(−42)
−50
(−46)
Average precipitation inches (mm)
1.65
(41.9)
1.61
(40.9)
1.80
(45.7)
1.78
(45.2)
2.47
(62.7)
2.25
(57.2)
1.62
(41.1)
1.60
(40.6)
1.46
(37.1)
1.18
(30)
1.85
(47)
1.63
(41.4)
20.90
(530.9)
Average snowfall inches (cm)
34.3
(87.1)
30.4
(77.2)
25.6
(65)
21.4
(54.4)
8.1
(20.6)
1.3
(3.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1.3
(3.3)
9.9
(25.1)
30.9
(78.5)
30.5
(77.5)
193.7
(492)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)
16.8
14.0
13.7
11.6
11.5
14.4
11.0
10.8
9.7
8.8
13.1
15.6
151
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)
16.2
13.4
12.6
9.5
4.4
0.9
0
0
1.1
5.8
12.6
14.9
91.4
Source #1: NOAA (normals, 1981–2010)[120]
Source #2:
The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel (Records)[121]
Climate data for Yellowstone Park Headquarters, elev. 6,230 feet
(1,899 m)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °F (°C)
52
(11)
56
(13)
66
(19)
78
(26)
86
(30)
92
(33)
99
(37)
97
(36)
92
(33)
82
(28)
66
(19)
52
(11)
99
(37)
Average high °F (°C)
30.2
(−1)
33.4
(0.8)
40.8
(4.9)
48.9
(9.4)
59.0
(15)
68.6
(20.3)
79.3
(26.3)
78.6
(25.9)
67.4
(19.7)
52.8
(11.6)
37.7
(3.2)
28.7
(−1.8)
52.1
(11.2)
Average low °F (°C)
12.0
(−11.1)
13.0
(−10.6)
20.1
(−6.6)
26.7
(−2.9)
34.8
(1.6)
42.3
(5.7)
48.3
(9.1)
46.7
(8.2)
38.4
(3.6)
29.4
(−1.4)
19.8
(−6.8)
11.3
(−11.5)
28.6
(−1.9)
Record low °F (°C)
−36
(−38)
−35
(−37)
−25
(−32)
−4
(−20)
6
(−14)
20
(−7)
21
(−6)
24
(−4)
0
(−18)
−8
(−22)
−27
(−33)
−35
(−37)
−36
(−38)
Average precipitation inches (mm)
0.73
(18.5)
0.64
(16.3)
0.95
(24.1)
1.30
(33)
2.06
(52.3)
1.95
(49.5)
1.46
(37.1)
1.06
(26.9)
1.14
(29)
1.28
(32.5)
1.03
(26.2)
0.81
(20.6)
14.41
(366)
Average snowfall inches (cm)
11.1
(28.2)
8.5
(21.6)
10.4
(26.4)
8.0
(20.3)
2.2
(5.6)
0.3
(0.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.3
(0.8)
4.0
(10.2)
9.4
(23.9)
10.2
(25.9)
64.4
(163.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)
9.8
9.0
9.1
9.7
12.8
13.3
9.9
8.9
8.2
8.4
9.8
10.2
119.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)
8.0
7.1
6.4
4.8
1.2
0.1
0
0
0.2
2.6
7.2
8.3
45.9
Source #1: NOAA (normals, 1981–2010)[122]
Source #2: Western Regional Climate Center (extremes
1894–present)[123]
Recreation[edit]
Main articles:
Trails of Yellowstone National Park

Trails of Yellowstone National Park and Angling in
Yellowstone National Park
Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad brochure promoting travel to park (1921)
Yellowstone ranks among the most popular national parks in the United
States. Since the mid-1960s, at least 2 million tourists have visited
the park almost every year.[124] Average annual visitation increased
to 3.5 million during the ten-year period from 2007 to 2016, with a
record of 4,257,177 recreational visitors in 2016.[2] July is the
busiest month for Yellowstone National Park.[125] At peak summer
levels, 3,700 employees work for Yellowstone National Park
concessionaires. Concessionaires manage nine hotels and lodges, with a
total of 2,238 hotel rooms and cabins available. They also oversee gas
stations, stores and most of the campgrounds. Another 800 employees
work either permanently or seasonally for the National Park
Service.[7]
Park service roads lead to major features; however, road
reconstruction has produced temporary road closures. Yellowstone is in
the midst of a long term road reconstruction effort, which is hampered
by a short repair season. In the winter, all roads aside from the one
which enters from Gardiner, Montana, and extends to Cooke City,
Montana, are closed to wheeled vehicles.[126] Park roads are closed to
wheeled vehicles from early November to mid April, but some park roads
remain closed until mid-May.[127] The park has 310 miles (500 km)
of paved roads which can be accessed from five different entrances.[7]
There is no public transportation available inside the park, but
several tour companies can be contacted for guided motorized
transport. In the winter, concessionaires operate guided snowmobile
and snow coach tours, though their numbers and access are based on
quotas established by the National Park Service.[128] Facilities in
the Old Faithful, Canyon and
Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs areas of the park are
very busy during the summer months. Traffic jams created by road
construction or by people observing wildlife can result in long
delays.
Old Faithful

Old Faithful Inn
The
National Park Service

National Park Service maintains 9 visitor centers and museums and
is responsible for maintenance of historical structures and many of
the other 2,000 buildings. These structures include National
Historical Landmarks such as the
Old Faithful

Old Faithful Inn built from 1903 to
1904 and the entire
Fort Yellowstone

Fort Yellowstone –
Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs Historic
District. An historical and educational tour is available at Fort
Yellowstone which details the history of the
National Park Service

National Park Service and
the development of the park. Campfire programs, guided walks and other
interpretive presentations are available at numerous locations in the
summer, and on a limited basis during other seasons.
Camping

Camping is available at a dozen campgrounds with more than 2,000
campsites.[7]
Camping

Camping is also available in surrounding National
Forests, as well as in
Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park to the south.
Backcountry

Backcountry campsites are accessible only by foot or by horseback and
require a permit. There are 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of hiking
trails available.[129] The park is not considered to be a good
destination for mountaineering because of the instability of volcanic
rock which predominates. Visitors with pets are required to keep them
on a leash at all times and are limited to areas near roadways and in
"frontcountry" zones such as drive in campgrounds.[130] Around thermal
features, wooden and paved trails have been constructed to ensure
visitor safety, and most of these areas are handicapped accessible.
The
National Park Service

National Park Service maintains a year-round clinic at Mammoth Hot
Springs and provides emergency services throughout the year.[131]
Hunting is not permitted, though it is allowed in the surrounding
national forests during open season.
Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity,
and a Yellowstone Park fishing license is required to fish in park
waters.[132] Many park waters are fly fishing only and all native fish
species are catch and release only.[133]
Boating

Boating is prohibited on
rivers and creeks except for a 5 miles (8.0 km) stretch of the
Lewis River between Lewis and
Shoshone

Shoshone Lake, and it is open to
non-motorized use only.
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake has a marina, and the lake is
the most popular boating destination.[134]
Vintage photo of human-habituated bears seeking food from visitors.
In the early history of the park, visitors were allowed, and sometimes
even encouraged, to feed the bears. Visitors welcomed the chance to
get their pictures taken with the bears, who had learned to beg for
food. This led to numerous injuries to humans each year. In 1970, park
officials changed their policy and started a vigorous program to
educate the public on the dangers of close contact with bears, and to
try to eliminate opportunities for bears to find food in campgrounds
and trash collection areas. Although it has become more difficult to
observe bears in recent years, the number of human injuries and deaths
has taken a significant drop and visitors are in less danger.[135] The
eighth recorded bear-related death in the park's history occurred in
August 2015.[136]
Other protected lands in the region include Caribou-Targhee, Gallatin,
Custer,
Shoshone

Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests. The National Park
Service's John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway is to the
south and leads to Grand Teton National Park. The famed Beartooth
Highway provides access from the northeast and has spectacular high
altitude scenery. Nearby communities include West Yellowstone,
Montana; Cody, Wyoming; Red Lodge, Montana; Ashton, Idaho; and
Gardiner, Montana. The closest air transport is available by way of
Bozeman, Montana; Billings, Montana; Jackson; Cody, Wyoming, or Idaho
Falls, Idaho.[137] Salt Lake City, 320 miles (510 km) to the
south, is the closest large metropolitan area.
Legal jurisdiction[edit]
Street map of
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park at the northwest corner of
Wyoming
The entire park is within the jurisdiction of the United States
District Court for the District of Wyoming, making it the only federal
court district that includes portions of more than one state (Idaho,
Montana, and Wyoming). Law professor
Brian C. Kalt has argued that it
may be impossible to impanel a jury in compliance with the Vicinage
Clause of the Sixth Amendment for a crime committed solely in the
unpopulated
Idaho

Idaho portion of the park (and that it would be difficult
to do so for a crime committed solely in the lightly populated Montana
portion).[138] One defendant, who was accused of a wildlife-related
crime in the
Montana

Montana portion of the park, attempted to raise this
argument but eventually pleaded guilty, with the plea deal including
his specific agreement not to raise the issue in his
appeal.[139][140][141]
See also[edit]
North America

North America portal
Bibliography of Yellowstone National Park
List of national parks of the United States
List of Yellowstone National Park-related articles
Making
North America

North America (2015 PBS film)
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition
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^ "Earthquake Swarms at Yellowstone Continue". Inland Park News.
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Retrieved August 24, 2011.
^ Smith, Robert B.; Wu-Lung Chang; Lee Siegel (November 8, 2007).
"Yellowstone rising: Volcano inflating with molten rock at record
rate". Press release,
University of Utah

University of Utah Public Relations. EurekAlert!
(American Association for the Advancement of Science). Archived from
the original on November 15, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
^ Lowenstern, Jake (June 2005). "Truth, fiction and everything in
between at Yellowstone". Geotimes. American Geologic Institute.
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^ "More Than A Dozen Earthquakes Shake Yellowstone". KUTV News. May 6,
2007. Archived from the original on May 26, 2007. Retrieved May 7,
2007.
^ "Archive of Yellowstone Updates for 2008". Yellowstone Volcanic
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^ "Yellowstone hit by swarm of earthquakes". Denver Post. January 18,
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^ "Latest Earthquakes – US » Yellowstone Region". United
States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on December 6,
2008.
^ "4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Yellowstone National Park". Liberty
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^ Kendall, Katherine. "Whitebark Pine". Our Living Resources. U.S.
Geological Survey. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006.
Retrieved March 13, 2007.
^ "Presence Of Wolves Allows Aspen Recovery In Yellowstone". Archived
from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
^ "Where Are the Bloomin' Wildflowers?" (PDF). National Park Service.
February 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 16, 2007.
Retrieved March 13, 2007.
^ "Yellowstone Sand Verbena". Nature and Science. National Park
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^ "Microbes In Colorful Yellowstone Hot Springs Fueled By Hydrogen,
CU-Boulder Researchers Say". University of Colorado at Boulder.
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^ "The Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project". World
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^ Baker, Brett J.; Saw, Jimmy H.; Lind, Anders E.; Lazar, Cassandra
Sara; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe; Teske, Andreas P.; Ettema, Thijs J.G.
(February 16, 2016). "Genomic inference of the metabolism of
cosmopolitan subsurface Archaea, Hadesarchaea". Nature Microbiology. 1
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Hadesarchaea discovered living on toxic gas deep below Yellowstone hot
springs". IB Times. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016.
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2007.
^ a b c "
Brucellosis

Brucellosis and Yellowstone Bison". Brucellosis. Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service. Archived from the original on
February 28, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Bison". Nature and Science.
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October 13, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
^ Prettyman, Brett (January 10, 2008). "Moving Bison". Salt Lake
Tribune. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved
January 12, 2008.
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the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^ a b "Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2005 Interagency Annual Report"
(PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nez Perce Tribe, National Park
Service,
Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks,
Idaho

Idaho Fish and Game, and
USDA Wildlife Services. 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on June
16, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^ "Final Rule Designating the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of
Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and Removing This Distinct
Population Segment From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. February 27, 2008. Archived
from the original on January 21, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
^ Mott, Maryann (July 2, 2004). "Bald Eagle, Grizzly: U.S. Icons
Endangered No More?". National Geographic News. Archived from the
original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
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from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
^ "Black Bear Information Continued". National Park Service. April 3,
2014. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved April
16, 2014.
^ "2006–2007 Winter Count of Northern Yellowstone Elk". National
Park Service. January 16, 2007. Archived from the original on May 20,
2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^ Potter, Tiffany (April 13, 2004). "Reproduction of Canada Lynx
Discovered in Yellowstone". Nature: Year in Review. National Park
Service. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved March
19, 2007.
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from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved March 19,
2007.
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National Parks. National Parks Conservation Association. 80 (3):
20–21.
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Fishing

Fishing in Yellowstone National Park". National Park Service.
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Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^ "The
Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake Crisis: Confronting a Lake Trout Invasion"
(PDF). National Park Service. 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original
on June 12, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^ Kendall, W. C. (1915). The Fishes of the Yellowstone National Park.
Washington D.C.: Department of Commerce, Bureau of Fisheries.
pp. 22–23.
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Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 16, 2007. Retrieved
March 19, 2007.
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2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved March
19, 2007.
^ "
Species

Species of
Special

Special Concern". National Park Service. July 28, 2006.
Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved March 19,
2007.
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2007. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ "Yellowstone National Park: Mount Washburn". Backpacker Magazine.
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2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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2006. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
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Retrieved March 21, 2007.
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Retrieved March 21, 2007.
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from the original on March 15, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
^ "Severe Weather".
Wyoming

Wyoming Climate Office. March 14, 2007. Archived
from the original on February 19, 2007. Retrieved March 20,
2007.
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Administration. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
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Channel. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved
January 16, 2011.
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Administration. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
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2013.
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the original on October 14, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
^ "Cool Yellowstone becoming hotter vacation spot". CNN Travel. August
4, 2010. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010.
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Retrieved April 23, 2007.
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2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved
March 21, 2007.
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2007.
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2007.
^ "Information Every Visitor Needs to Know". National Park Service.
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Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ "
Fishing

Fishing in Yellowstone National Park". National Park Service. April
4, 2007. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved
March 21, 2007.
^ 2007
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park
Fishing

Fishing Regulations Archived January
17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
^ "
Boating

Boating in Yellowstone National Park". National Park Service.
September 18, 2006. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013.
Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^
National Park Service

National Park Service Archived February 5, 2011, at the Wayback
Machine.
^ "Bear Inflicted Human Injuries and Fatalities in Yellowstone". U.S.
National Park Service. January 5, 2015. Archived from the original on
December 24, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
^ "Directions". National Park Service. January 4, 2007. Archived from
the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
^ Brian C. Kalt, The Perfect Crime, 93 Geo. L.J. 675 (2005).
^ "The perfect place for the perfect crime". trib.com. Archived from
the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
^
United States

United States v. Belderrain, 309 F. App'x 259 (10th Cir. 2009).
^ Brian C. Kalt, Tabloid Constitutionalism, 96 Geo. L.J. 1971 (2008).
External links[edit]
Find more aboutYellowstone National Parkat's sister projects
Media from Wikimedia Commons
Texts from Wikisource
Travel guide from Wikivoyage
U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park Official site
Act Establishing
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park from the Library of
Congress
The short film A Visit to
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park (c. 1932) is
available for free download at the Internet Archive
The short film Four Seasons of Yellowstone (1970) is available for
free download at the Internet Archive
The short film Fantastic Yellowstone (1997) is available for free
download at the Internet Archive
The Yellowstone magmatic system from the mantle plume to the upper
crust (46,000 km3 magma reservoir below chamber)
Yellowstone 360 degree panoramic video National Geographic Channel
The Act of Dedication
BYU Larsen Yellowstone collection, one of the largest libraries of
Yellowstone materials, at L. Tom Perry
Special

Special Collections Library,
Brigham Young University
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Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park – History and people
Historic events and personalities from Yellowstone National Park
Expeditions
Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition
Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition
Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
Explorers
Robert Adams Jr.
Jim Bridger
John Colter
Lt.Gustavus C. Doane
Truman C. Everts
Warren Angus Ferris
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden
Nathaniel P. Langford
Alexander Ross (fur trader)
Osborne Russell
Cyrus Thomas
Henry D. Washburn
Photographers, artists
and illustrators
Heinrich C. Berann
Albert Bierstadt
Frank Jay Haynes
William Henry Jackson
Thomas Moran
Park management
Mission 66
Horace M. Albright
Harry W. Child
Harry W. Frantz
Harlan Kredit
Herbert Maier
John W. Meldrum
Philetus Norris
Robert Reamer
Harry Yount
Military administration
Henry Tureman Allen
Lloyd Milton Brett
Frazier Boutelle
Dan Christie Kingman
Hiram M. Chittenden
Samuel Baldwin Marks Young
Wilber Elliott Wilder
Fort Yellowstone
Events
History of the National Park Service
History of wolves in Yellowstone
Teton–Yellowstone tornado
1959
Hebgen Lake

Hebgen Lake earthquake
Yellowstone fires of 1988
List of
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park related articles
Media related to People associated with
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park at
Wikimedia Commons
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Protected areas of Wyoming
Federal
National Parks:
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
National Monuments:
Devils Tower
Fossil Butte
National Historic Sites:
Fort Laramie
National Historic Trails:
California Trail
Mormon Trail
Oregon Trail
Pony Express
National Wildlife Refuges:
Bamforth
Cokeville Meadows
Hutton Lake
Mortenson Lake
Pathfinder
Seedskadee
National
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk Refuge
Jackson National Fish Hatchery
National Recreation Areas:
Bighorn Canyon
Flaming Gorge (USFS)
National Forests:
Ashley
Bighorn
Bridger-Teton
Medicine Bow - Routt
Shoshone
Caribou-Targhee
National Grasslands:
Thunder Basin
Wilderness

Wilderness Areas:
Absaroka-Beartooth
Bridger
Cloud Peak
Encampment River
Fitzpatrick
Gros Ventre
Huston Park
Jedediah Smith
North Absaroka
Platte River
Popo Agie
Savage Run
Teton
Washakie
Winegar Hole
State
State Parks:
Bear River
Boysen
Buffalo Bill
Curt Gowdy
Edness K. Wilkins
Glendo
Guernsey
Hawk Springs
Hot Springs
Keyhole
Seminoe
Sinks Canyon
State Historical Sites:
Ames Monument
Connor Battlefield
Fort Bridger
Fort Fetterman
Fort Fred Steele
Fort Phil Kearny
Granger Stage Station
Governors' Mansion
Independence Rock
Legend Rock
Medicine Lodge
Names Hill
Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail Ruts
Piedmont Charcoal Kilns
Point of Rocks Stage Station
Register Cliff
South Pass City
Trail End
Pioneer Memorial Museum
Territorial Park
County
County Parks:
Ayres Natural Bridge
Wyoming

Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites (web)
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Protected areas of Montana
Federal
National Parks
Glacier
Yellowstone
National Monuments
Little Bighorn Battlefield
Pompeys Pillar (BLM)
Upper
Missouri River

Missouri River Breaks (BLM)
National Battlefield
Big Hole
National Historical Parks
& Historic Sites
Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS
Nez Perce NHP
National Historic & Scenic Trails
Lewis and Clark NHT
Nez Perce NHT
Continental Divide

Continental Divide NST
Pacific Northwest NST
National Recreation Area
Bighorn Canyon
National Wildlife Refuges
Benton Lake
Black Coulee
Bowdoin
Charles M. Russell
Creedman Coulee
Hailstone
Halfbreed Lake
Hewitt Lake
Lake Mason
Lake Thibadeau
Lamesteer
Lee Metcalf
Lost Trail
Medicine Lake
National Bison Range
Ninepipe
Pablo
Red Rock Lakes
Swan River
UL Bend
War Horse
National Forests
Beaverhead
Bitterroot
Custer
Flathead
Gallatin
Helena
Kootenai
Lewis and Clark
Lolo
National Wilderness
Absaroka-Beartooth
Anaconda-Pintler
Bear Trap Canyon
Bob Marshall
Cabinet Mountains
Gates of the Mountains
Great Bear
Lee Metcalf
Medicine Lake
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Rattlesnake
Red Rock Lakes
Scapegoat
Selway-Bitterroot
UL Bend
Welcome Creek
National Wild & Scenic Rivers
Flathead
Missouri
State
State Parks
Ackley Lake
Anaconda Smoke Stack
Bannack
Beaverhead Rock
Beavertail Hill
Big Arm
Black Sandy
Brush Lake
Chief Plenty Coups
Clark's Lookout
Cooney
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Elkhorn
Finley
First Peoples Buffalo Jump
Fort Owen
Frenchtown Pond
Giant Springs
Granite Ghost Town
Greycliff
Prairie

Prairie Dog Town
Hell Creek
Lake Elmo
Lake Mary Ronan
Lewis and Clark
Logan
Lone Pine
Lost Creek
Madison Buffalo Jump
Makoshika
Medicine Rocks
Missouri Headwaters
Painted Rocks
Parker Homestead
Pictograph Cave
Pirogue Island
Placid Lake
Rosebud Battlefield
Salmon Lake
Sluice Boxes
Smith River
Spring Meadow Lake
Thompson Falls
Tongue River Reservoir
Tower Rock
Travelers' Rest
Wayfarers
West Shore
Whitefish Lake
Wild Horse Island
Yellow Bay
State Forests
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Coal Creek
Lincoln
Lubrecht Experimental Forest
Stillwater
Sula
Swan River
Thompson River
Wildlife
Management
Areas
Amelia Island
Aunt Molly
Badlands
Beartooth
Beckman
Big Lake
Blackfoot-Clearwater
Blackleaf
Blue Eyed Nellie
Bowdoin
Buffalo Head Park
Bull River
Calf Creek
Canyon Creek
Canyon Ferry
Dodson Creek
Dodson Dam
Dome Mountain
Ear Mountain
Elk
.jpg/1800px-Elk_Lake_-_Panorama_(8508492059).jpg)
Elk Island
F Island
Flathead Lake
Flathead River
Fleecer Mountain
Fox Lake
Freezout Lake
Fresno Reservoir
Fresno Tailwater
Gallatin
Garrity Mountain
Grant Marsh
Gravelly-Blacktail
Haymaker
Hinsdale
Horseshoe Lake
Howard Valley
Isaac Homestead
Judith River
Kootenai/Falls
Kootenai/West
Kootenai/Woods Ranch
Lake Helena
Lost Creek
Lower Stillwater Lake
Madison-Bear Creek
Madison-Wall Creek
Milk River
Mount Haggin
Mount Jumbo
Mount Silcox
Nevada Lake
Ninepipe
North Swan Valley CE
Pablo
Ray Kuhns
Robb-Ledford
Rookery
Roundhom
Sanders
Seven Sisters
Silver Gate
Silver Run
Smith River
Sun River
Swan Lake
Thompson-Fisher CE
Three Mile
Threemile
Vandalia
War Dance Island
Warm Springs
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Protected areas of Idaho
Federal
National Parks
Yellowstone
National Historic Sites & Historical Parks
Minidoka NHS
Nez Perce NHP
National Monuments
Craters of the Moon
Hagerman Fossil Beds
National Forests
Bitterroot
Boise
Caribou-Targhee
Clearwater
Coeur d'Alene
Idaho

Idaho Panhandle
Kaniksu
Kootenai
Nez Perce
Payette
Salmon-Challis
Sawtooth
St. Joe
Wallowa–Whitman
Wasatch-Cache
National Grasslands
Curlew
National Recreation Areas
Hells Canyon
Sawtooth
National Wildlife Refuges
Bear Lake
Camas
Deer Flat
Grays Lake
Kootenai
Minidoka
Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area
National Conservation Areas
Snake River

Snake River Birds of Prey
Wilderness

Wilderness Areas
Big Jacks Creek
Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers
Craters of the Moon
Frank Church–River of No Return
Gospel Hump
Hells Canyon
Hemingway–Boulders
Jim McClure–Jerry Peak
Little Jacks Creek
North Fork Owyhee
Owyhee River
Pole Creek
Sawtooth
Selway-Bitterroot
Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds
State
State Parks
Bear Lake
Bruneau Dunes
Castle Rocks
City of Rocks
Coeur d'Alene Parkway
Dworshak
Eagle Island
Farragut
Harriman
Hells Gate
Henrys Lake
Heyburn
Lake Cascade
Lake Walcott
Land of the Yankee Fork
Lucky Peak
Massacre Rocks
McCroskey
Old Mission
Ponderosa
Priest Lake
Round Lake
Thousand Springs
Three Island Crossing
Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
Winchester Lake
Wildlife Management Areas
Big Cottonwood
Billingsley Creek
Blackfoot

Blackfoot River
Boise River
Boundary Creek
Camas
Prairie

Prairie Centennial Marsh
Carey Lake
Cartier Slough
Cecil D. Andrus
C.J. Strike
Coeur d'Alene River
Craig Mountain
Deer Parks
Farragut
Fort Boise
Georgetown Summit
Hagerman
Market Lake
McArthur Lake
Montour
Montpelier
Mud Lake
Niagara Springs
Payette River
Pend Oreille
Portneuf
Red River
St. Maries
Sand Creek
Snow Peak
Sterling
Tex Creek
Other
Central
Idaho

Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
Idaho

Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation (website)
v
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National parks of the United States
Acadia
American Samoa
Arches
Badlands
Big Bend
Biscayne
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capitol Reef
Carlsbad Caverns
Channel Islands
Congaree
Crater Lake
Cuyahoga Valley
Death Valley
Denali
Dry Tortugas
Everglades
Gates of the Arctic
Gateway Arch
Glacier
Glacier

Glacier Bay
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Great Basin
Great Sand Dunes
Great Smoky Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains
Haleakalā
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
Hot Springs
Isle Royale
Joshua Tree
Katmai
Kenai Fjords
Kings Canyon
Kobuk Valley
Lake Clark
Lassen Volcanic
Mammoth Cave
Mesa Verde
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Petrified Forest
Pinnacles
Redwood
Rocky Mountain
Saguaro
Sequoia
Shenandoah
Theodore Roosevelt
Virgin Islands
Voyageurs
Wind Cave
Wrangell–St. Elias
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Zion
List of national parks of the
United States

United States (by elevation)
v
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World Heritage Sites in the United States
Northeast
Independence Hall
Statue of Liberty
Midwest
Cahokia
South
Everglades
Great Smoky Mountains
Mammoth Cave
Monticello

Monticello and the University of Virginia
Poverty Point
San Antonio Missions
West
Carlsbad Caverns
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Kluane-Wrangell–St. Elias-
Glacier

Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek1
Mesa Verde
Olympic National Park
Pueblo de Taos
Papahānaumokuākea
Redwood
Waterton-
Glacier

Glacier International Peace Park1
Yellowstone National Park
Yosemite National Park
Territories
La Fortaleza

La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
1 Shared with Canada
v
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State of Idaho
Boise (capital)
Topics
Index
Bibliography
Geography
Government
Delegations
Governors
History
Images
People
Symbols
Tourist attractions
Seal of Idaho
Society
Crime
Culture
Demographics
Economy
Education
Politics
Regions
Boise metropolitan area
Cache Valley
Central Idaho
Columbia River Plateau
Eastern Idaho
Great Basin
Inland Empire
Magic Valley
North Central Idaho
Idaho

Idaho Panhandle
Palouse
Southern Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
Treasure Valley
Wasatch Range
Wood River Valley
Yellowstone
Larger
cities
Boise
Nampa
Meridian
Idaho

Idaho Falls
Pocatello
Caldwell
Coeur d'Alene
Twin Falls
Lewiston
Post Falls
Rexburg
Moscow
Eagle
Smaller
cities
Kuna
Ammon
Chubbuck
Mountain Home
Hayden
Blackfoot
Garden City
Jerome
Burley
Counties
Ada
Adams
Bannock
Bear Lake
Benewah
Bingham
Blaine
Boise
Bonner
Bonneville
Boundary
Butte
Camas
Canyon
Caribou
Cassia
Clark
Clearwater
Custer
Elmore
Franklin
Fremont
Gem
Gooding
Idaho
Jefferson
Jerome
Kootenai
Latah
Lemhi
Lewis
Lincoln
Madison
Minidoka
Nez Perce
Oneida
Owyhee
Payette
Power
Shoshone
Teton
Twin Falls
Valley
Washington
v
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State of Montana
Helena (capital)
Topics
Index
Congressional delegations
Geography
Government
Governors
History
bibliography
People
Protected areas
Sports
State symbols
Transportation
Tourist attractions
Seal of Montana
Society
Crime
Culture
Demographics
Economy
Education
Politics
LGBT rights
Regions
Eastern Montana
The Flathead
Glacier

Glacier National Park
Regional designations of Montana
Western Montana
Yellowstone
Largest cities
Anaconda
Belgrade
Billings
Bozeman
Butte
Columbia Falls
Dillon
Glendive
Great Falls
Hamilton
Havre
Helena
Kalispell
Laurel
Lewistown
Livingston
Miles City
Missoula
Polson
Sidney
Whitefish
Counties
Beaverhead
Big Horn
Blaine
Broadwater
Carbon
Carter
Cascade
Chouteau
Custer
Daniels
Dawson
Deer Lodge
Fallon
Fergus
Flathead
Gallatin
Garfield
Glacier
Golden Valley
Granite
Hill
Jefferson
Judith Basin
Lake
Lewis and Clark
Liberty
Lincoln
Madison
McCone
Meagher
Mineral
Missoula
Musselshell
Park
Petroleum
Phillips
Pondera
Powder River
Powell
Prairie
Ravalli
Richland
Roosevelt
Rosebud
Sanders
Sheridan
Silver Bow
Stillwater
Sweet Grass
Teton
Toole
Treasure
Valley
Wheatland
Wibaux
Yellowstone
v
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State of Wyoming
Cheyenne (capital)
Topics
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WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 137822900
ISNI: 0000 0001 2166 7865
GND: 4119196-1
SUDOC: 03581523X
BNF: