Wyoming is home to a wide variety of beautiful national parks and monuments. One of these is the Yellowstone National Park, and it draws many tourists from around the world annually due to its unique landscape made up of mountains, forests, rivers and lakes.
YNP offers a lot more than just natural beauty and awe-inspiring vistas: here are some other things you should know about this Wyoming treasure on your next trip:
1. Yellowstone National Park is not just one park, but five
If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone, know that there are actually five national parks and one national monument within the boundaries of this Wyoming attraction.
2. Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world
In 1872, Yellowstone became our first ever national park and it was designated as such by President Ulysses Grant – after being recommended to him by conservationist Ferdinand Hayden. The iconic Old Faithful geyser is situated here as well. For more than 40 years, it remained the only US National Park until another one was established in 1890 (Crater Lake) .
3. The largest volcanic field in any national park
The Great Rift Valley of Yellowstone holds some of the largest concentrations of geothermal features and hot springs on Earth. The most notable is Old Faithful, which was named in 1870 and has been erupting consistently ever since. Scientists are still not exactly sure how long it will continue to work – or predict just when it will go off next.
4. Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in the national park and one of the main reasons why people come here. It consists of a cone-shaped mound of earth (the vent) with a large hollow in the middle. The whole area is around 10 miles long, making it the longest in any national park. Water temperature at Old Faithful stays at around 200 degrees all year round, which is why it takes so long to cool down after an eruption.
The Yellowstone National Park is more than just a place to marvel at natural beauty and awe-inspiring vistas. It also has a huge collection of other interesting things to see and do. And that is why you should add it to your list of travel destinations.
