Yellowstone National Park

State: Wyoming (park spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho; about 96% in Wyoming). Type: national park, established March 1, 1872 as the first national park in the US and, per Wikipedia, widely considered the first in the world. Size: 2,219,791 acres (8,983 km2), measuring 63 miles north-south and 54 miles east-west. Contains over 10,000 geothermal features, including more than half of the world's geysers. About 4.76 million visitors in 2025 per Wikipedia.

Yellowstone National Park is a vast volcanic plateau straddling northwestern Wyoming, southern Montana and eastern Idaho, set aside in 1872 as the world's first national park. It sits atop one of the planet's largest active volcanic systems, which powers an extraordinary concentration of geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles, including the world-famous Old Faithful and the rainbow-colored Grand Prismatic Spring. Beyond the geothermal basins, the park protects nearly 60 mammal species, among them grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk, making it one of the premier wildlife-watching destinations in the contiguous United States. The park's average elevation is around 8,000 feet, with Eagle Peak the highest point at 11,358 feet, and its scale means a visit typically involves substantial driving between geyser basins, canyons, lakes and mountain passes. Five entrance stations, spread across the three states, feed a network of roads that mostly closes to regular vehicles in winter, when snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles take over. Gateway communities such as Gardiner and West Yellowstone, Montana, and Cody and Jackson, Wyoming, anchor the surrounding region.

Yellowstone lies mostly in northwestern Wyoming, with small portions in Montana (about 3%) and Idaho (about 1%). Mailing address for park headquarters is PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. The park has five entrances: North (Gardiner, MT, open year-round), Northeast (via Cooke City, MT), West (West Yellowstone, MT), South (toward Grand Teton National Park and Jackson, WY), and East (toward Cody, WY).

Yellowstone's high plateau elevation (around 8,000 feet average) gives it a cool mountain climate with short summers and long, snowy winters; the NPS notes conditions vary widely and change quickly by season and elevation. Summer days are generally mild with cool nights and possible afternoon thunderstorms, while winter brings heavy snow and most park roads close to regular vehicles from early November to late April.

Summer (June-September) offers the fullest road access and services but is the busiest period. Late spring and early fall bring thinner crowds with most facilities still open. Winter visits (mid-December through mid-March) are possible only via commercially guided snowmobile or snowcoach on groomed roads, per NPS road-access information, and reward visitors with steam-shrouded geyser basins and easier wildlife spotting against snow.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed Yellowstone into existence on March 1, 1872, creating the first national park in the United States, following surveys such as the 1871 Hayden Geological Survey that documented the region's geothermal wonders (including formally naming Grand Prismatic Spring). The park's geothermal features had drawn earlier trappers and expedition members, including the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, which named Old Faithful geyser. Since its founding, Yellowstone has anchored the development of the U.S. National Park System and later the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem conservation efforts.

Visitors explore geyser basins on boardwalks and trails, including the Upper Geyser Basin around Old Faithful and the Midway Geyser Basin at Grand Prismatic Spring; watch wildlife such as bison, elk, wolves and grizzly bears, especially in the Lamar and Hayden valleys; hike some of the park's extensive trail network; and tour features like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. In winter, snowcoach and snowmobile tours access the park's interior when roads are closed to regular cars.

Key sites include the Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful and the Old Faithful Inn), Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic Spring), the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its two waterfalls, Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, and Yellowstone Lake. The park's five distinct entrance regions each open onto different landscapes, from Lamar Valley wildlife country near the Northeast Entrance to the geyser basins along the Grand Loop Road.

Nearest gateway towns with airports include Bozeman, Montana (near the West/North entrances) and Jackson, Wyoming (near the South Entrance, connecting via Grand Teton National Park); Cody, Wyoming serves the East Entrance. The North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana is open to regular vehicles year-round; the other four entrances (West, South, East, Northeast) open seasonally between mid-April and late May and close by late October or mid-October, per NPS road-access data. Most visitors drive in via rental car from a regional airport.

The park itself is open year-round, but road access is highly seasonal: per NPS data, the North Entrance road (Gardiner to Cooke City via Tower Junction) stays open to regular vehicles all year, while other entrance roads open in stages between April 17 and May 22 and close by mid-October to early November each year. From roughly early November to late April, interior roads are closed to regular vehicles and accessible only via guided snowcoach or snowmobile in winter. Confirm current-year opening/closing dates on nps.gov/yell before visiting, since they shift slightly year to year.

Per the National Park Service, a private vehicle pass costs $35 for seven consecutive days (covers all passengers); a motorcycle pass is $30 for seven days; an individual entering on foot or bicycle pays $20 (16 and older). An annual Yellowstone-specific pass costs $70, and the America the Beautiful annual pass is $80 for U.S. residents. Non-U.S. residents aged 16+ must pay an additional $100 per person unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass.

Most visitors plan at least two to three full days to see multiple geyser basins, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; a week or more allows a fuller circuit given the park's size (63 by 54 miles) and long driving distances between sections.

Lodging exists both inside the park (historic lodges and cabins run by the park's concessioner) and in gateway towns just outside each entrance, such as Gardiner and West Yellowstone in Montana, and Cody and Jackson in Wyoming, which offer a broader range of hotels, motels and vacation rentals. Because of the park's size, choosing a gateway town near the entrance you plan to use most reduces daily driving.

In-park dining is concentrated at developed areas like Old Faithful, Canyon Village, Mammoth Hot Springs and Lake Village, run by the park's concessioner, ranging from cafeterias to sit-down dining rooms. Gateway towns such as West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody and Jackson offer a wider mix of casual and sit-down restaurants for visitors staying just outside the park.

Grand Teton National Park lies immediately south of Yellowstone, connected via the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, making the two parks a common combined itinerary. Gateway towns Cody, Jackson, West Yellowstone and Gardiner each offer additional attractions, from Cody's western heritage sites to Jackson's National Elk Refuge.

Regional airports serving Yellowstone include Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (near the North/West entrances), Jackson Hole Airport (near the South Entrance, inside Grand Teton National Park), Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone (seasonal), and Cody Yellowstone Regional Airport (near the East Entrance). Most visitors then drive rental cars into the park, as there is no scheduled public transit within Yellowstone.

The NPS stresses keeping a safe distance from wildlife (at least 25 yards from most animals, 100 yards from bears and wolves) and never approaching bison, which have injured more visitors than any other animal in the park. Stay on marked boardwalks and trails in thermal areas, since the ground can be thin and scalding water lies just beneath the surface. Check current road and weather conditions before driving, particularly in shoulder seasons when snow can close passes unexpectedly.

Layered clothing for rapidly changing mountain weather, sturdy walking shoes for boardwalks and trails, bear spray if hiking backcountry trails, sun protection, and a full tank of gas before entering remote sections of the park, since services are spread far apart.

Book in-park lodging and campsites well in advance, often up to a year ahead for peak summer dates, since demand is high. Check nps.gov/yell for current-year road opening and closing dates before planning a spring or fall trip, as segments open and close on a staggered schedule. Arrive at popular sites like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring early in the day to beat crowds and parking congestion.

For any emergency inside the park, dial 911, which reaches Yellowstone's emergency dispatch. The park's general visitor information line is 307-344-7381.

Yellowstone National Park (National Park Service) - https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.