Things to do nearYellowstone National Park

Established in 1872 as the world's first national park, Yellowstone sits atop one of the planet's most active volcanic hotspots, a fact that explains the extraordinary concentration of geothermal features found nowhere else in comparable density. The park holds roughly half of the world's active geysers, including the iconic Old Faithful, which erupts with reliable regularity and draws visitors to the Upper Geyser Basin throughout the day. Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the United States, stuns with concentric rings of vivid color produced by heat-loving microbial mats.

Beyond the geothermal spectacle, Yellowstone encompasses more than two million acres of forest, alpine meadow, river canyon, and high-elevation lake. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone cuts dramatically through rhyolite rock, exposing yellow and orange walls that gave the park its name, with the Lower Falls dropping nearly twice the height of Niagara.

Wildlife viewing here is among the finest in North America, with bison, elk, wolves, grizzly bears, and trumpeter swans all present in recoverable numbers. The Lamar Valley is often called the American Serengeti for the density and variety of large mammals visible from the road. Dining and lodging options range from the historic Old Faithful Inn, a century-old log structure considered a masterpiece of rustic architecture, to campgrounds scattered across the park's five main districts.

Whether exploring by car, on foot along maintained boardwalks above thermal features, or deeper into the backcountry on multi-day trails, Yellowstone National Park offers a scale and authenticity of wilderness experience that continues to define what a national park can be.