Yellowstone National Park

Introduction

Yellowstone National Park, established on 1 March 1872, is the oldest national park in the world and one of the most iconic in the United States of America. It covers an area of about 8,983 km², encompassing northwestern Wyoming and bordering Montana to the north and Idaho to the west. It is situated on the Yellowstone Plateau, at an average elevation of about 2,400 metres, and surrounded by the Rocky Mountain ranges, including Eagle Peak (3,462m), the highest elevation within the park.

Description

Yellowstone is famous for its extraordinary geothermal heritage: it is home to more than half of the Earth's active geysers, as well as hot springs, mud wells and fumaroles, the result of an enormous volcanic caldera. The Old Faithful geyser is one of the best known phenomena, but the entire park is dotted with spectacular geothermal areas, colourful rock canyons, waterfalls and large lakes, including Yellowstone Lake, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America. Recent crustal uplift processes and volcanism have shaped deep canyons such as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, while the presence of petrified forests and other fossil deposits testifies to a long geological evolution.
The vegetation cover is about 80 per cent forest (mainly conifers such as twisted pine, white bark pine, Douglas fir), supplemented by grasslands, wetlands, heaths and an extraordinary variety of endemic and rare botanical species. Some 1,700 native species of trees, shrubs and lichens have been identified, as well as numerous herbaceous plants adapted to volcanic and thermal environments. The natural environment varies with altitude and slope exposure.
Yellowstone is home to one of the richest faunas in North America: bison, wapiti, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, grizzly and black bears, wolves, cougars and lynx live here. There are an estimated 67 mammal species, 311 bird species, 18 fish species, six reptile species and four amphibian species. The bison population is the largest free-ranging in the United States, and pioneering grey wolf reintroduction projects have taken place in Yellowstone.
The park has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1978. The network of visitor services is excellent: access is via five main entrances (North, Northeast, South, West, East) - of which only the northern one, near Gardiner, remains open all year round. There is no public transport within the park: visits are mainly by private car or camper van, driving along the scenic roads that pass the main points of interest. The nearest towns, such as West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody and Jackson, have accommodation, visitor centres and tourist services. In winter, access is only possible by special vehicles (snowcoach, snowmobile) and many inland roads are closed due to snow.
Yellowstone offers a wide range of hiking trails, picnic areas, viewpoints, campsites and lodges, as well as environmental education programmes at the Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Grant Village and Canyon visitor centres. When visiting, it is recommended to inquire about wildlife regulations, safety in the hot springs areas and weather conditions, which are often unpredictable even in summer.

Information

Area: 8,983 km²
Altitude: 1,610 - 3,462 m
Year of establishment: 1872
States: Wyoming (mainly), Montana, Idaho
Manager: National Park Service (USA)
Recognition: UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1978)
Admission: fee-based, annual pass and daily access
Official site: www.nps.gov/yell