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MNN.COM › ECO-GLOSSARY

Yellowstone National Park News

Yellowstone National Park

 
Yellowstone National Park, located in Yellowstone Wyoming, is the oldest national park in the United States. It was established by Congress and signed into law by Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. The park is home to Old Faithful Geyser, the continent’s largest supervolcano and a range of animals from grizzly bears, elks and gray wolves.
 
The human history of Yellowstone National park dates back more than 11,000 years. Various tribes of Native Americans, such as the Blackfeet, Bannock, Kiowa and Shoshone, have all conducted ceremonies, gathered plants and minerals and conducted trade with other tribes at Yellowstone. In 1807, John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was the first European-American to enter the Yellowstone area in an effort to find new customers for fur trading.
 

Read more about 'Yellowstone National Park'

 
Yellowstone’s fur trade eventually dried up, and while it was a minor site during the American gold rush in the 1860s, the land became the country’s first national park after a series of military and scientific expeditions were presented to Congress in 1872.
 
Today, Yellowstone National Park sees millions of visitors a year from all over the world. Visitors can hike, bike, fish, camp, boat, picnic and see wildlife while at the park. In addition to these tourist activities, the park also has around 1,600 archeological sites with more than 379,000 cultural objects and natural science specimens, many of which are housed in the park’s museums.
 
The park grounds are home to 67 species of mammals, 322 recorded species of birds, 16 species of fish, 6 species of reptiles and 4 species of amphibians. While the animal life is a major attraction of Yellowstone National Park, its geological traits also drive visitors to the park.
 
With more than 300 geysers and hot springs, Yellowstone National Park’s geothermal features highlight its position as one of the world’s largest supervolcanoes. The Yellowstone Caldera was responsible for the formation of the Snake Plain River prior to being covered by the Yellowstone Plateau. Now the volcanic activity heats mud and allows geysers to spout with regularity.
 
For more information on Yellowstone National Park, visit the park’s official Web site.
 
(Text by Noel Kirkpatrick)
(Photo: Wiki Commons)

Articles about Yellowstone National Park

  • Yellowstone's volcano bigger than thought

    Thu, Apr 18 2013 at 9:50 AM

    Knowing the volume of molten magma beneath Yellowstone is important for estimating the size of future eruptions.

  • Old Faithful's underground cavern discovered

    Fri, Apr 12 2013 at 6:10 PM

    Tiny tremors extracted from seismic records collected in the 1990s revealed the shape of the cavern and geyser conduit.

  • Infrared photos reveal Yellowstone's dark side

    Mon, Jan 28 2013 at 9:42 AM

    Using high-res heat vision, a scientist and a photographer are shedding new light on Yellowstone — and hoping to inspire new scientists in the process.

  • EV charging stations at national parks

    Thu, Nov 08 2012 at 2:14 PM

    The great outdoors might be the last place you'd expect to find an electric-vehicle charging station, but the National Park Service is home to an expanding green fleet.

  • Top 8 U.S. safari destinations

    Thu, Oct 11 2012 at 7:58 PM

    Before you decide to cut into your life savings for an African safari, consider the options available much closer to home.

  • Where Yellowstone's supervolcano is likely to erupt

    Fri, Sep 14 2012 at 12:20 PM

    Scientists suspect that Yellowstone is capable of an eruption covering half the U.S. in 3 feet of ash, there are no signs of imminent outbursts.

  • Interview: Scott Downing's summer job in Yellowstone

    Mon, Aug 06 2012 at 8:00 AM

    Although Downing's official job involved cleaning toilets, his unofficial job included trips to the far reaches of Yellowstone National Park.

  • I want to be a park ranger

    Fri, Jul 27 2012 at 12:52 PM

    A conversation with my son led us both to the USAJobs.gov website.

  • Forget Disneyland, we're going back to Yellowstone

    Tue, Jul 17 2012 at 8:00 AM

    Survey reveals that 75% of Americans would prefer to vacation at a national park instead of a trendy tourist spot.

  • America's most patriotic national parks

    Mon, Jul 02 2012 at 5:48 PM

    Want to come face to face with the history of the United States? Here’s where to look.

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