Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park
IUCN category II (national park)[1]
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Location	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; -110.500
Area	2,219,791 acres (8,983.18 km2)[2]
Established	March 1, 1872 (1872-March-01)
Visitors	4,115,000 (in 2018)[3]
Governing body	U.S. National Park Service
Website	Official website
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Natural
Criteria	vii, viii, ix, x
Designated	1978 (2nd session)
Reference no.	28[4]
Region	The Americas
Endangered	1995–2003

Yellowstone National Park is a national park in the United States. It was the world's first national park.^[5] United States President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law to create it in 1872.

The name comes from the Yellowstone River, which flows through the park. Yellowstone became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Yellowstone National Park is famous for its geysers and hot springs. About half the world's geysers are in the park.^[5] The world's most famous geyser is the Old Faithful Geyser. It is in Yellowstone National Park. Large animals such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk live in Yellowstone. Many tourists visit the park each year to see the geysers and animals.

The park is the main part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This is the largest, almost complete ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone. It has many regions; the subalpine forest covers the largest area.

1. ↑ "Yellowstone in United States of America". protectedplanet.net. IUCN. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
2. ↑ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 8, 2012. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
3. ↑ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
4. ↑ "Yellowstone National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "UNESCO, Yellowstone National Park". UNESCO. Retrieved April 19, 2012.