GENERAL
World’s First National Park
A designated World Heritage Site
3,472 square miles or 8,987 square km
2,221,773 acres or 899,139 hectares
63 air miles north to south (102 km)
54 air miles east to west (87 km)
91.0% in Wyoming
7.6% in Montana
1.4% in Idaho
Highest Point: 11,358 ft. (Eagle Peak)
Lowest Point: 5,282 ft. (Reese Creek)
Larger than the states of Rhode Island
and Delaware combined
Approximately 5% of park is covered by
water; 15% is meadow and range; and
80% is forested
Precipitation ranges from 10 inches (26
cm) at the north boundary to 80 inches
(205cm) in the southwest corner
Temperatures (average) range from 9� F
in January to 80� F in July at Mammoth Hot
Springs
Record High Temp: 98� F (Lamar 1936)
Record Low Temp: -66� F (Madison
1933)
FLORA
8 species of conifers
Approximately 80% of forest is
comprised of lodgepole pine
Approximately 1,100 species of native
vascular plants
170 species of exotic (non-native) plants
186 species of lichens
ROADS AND TRAILS
5 park entrances
466 miles of roads (310 paved/primary
miles)
At least 1,000 miles of backcountry trails
97 trailheads
287 backcountry campsites
FACILITIES
8 visitor centers and museums
9 hotels/lodges (2,238 hotel
rooms/cabins)
7 NPS-operated campgrounds (454 sites)
5 concession-operated campgrounds
(1,747 sites)
2,000+ buildings (NPS and concessions)
49 picnic areas
EMPLOYEES
During the summer:
Approximately 800 National Park
Service (about 350 year-round)
Approximately 3,400 concessions
CULTURAL RESOURCES
1,000+ documented archeological sites
1,106 historic structures
6 National Historic Landmarks (Obsidian
Cliff and 5 buildings)
Nearly 200,000 museum objects
20,000 titles in Park Research Library
2,500 linear feet of historic documents
About 90,000 photographic prints and
negatives
21 Affiliated American Indian tribes
WILDLIFE
7 species of native ungulates
2 species of bears
Approximately 50 species of other
mammals
309 recorded species of birds (160 nesting
species)
18 species of fish (5 non-native)
6 species of reptiles
4 species of amphibians
5 species protected as "threatened or
endangered"
Threatened: bald eagle, grizzly bear, lynx
Endangered: whooping crane, gray wolf
GEOLOGY
Approximately 10,000 thermal features
Approximately 200-250 active geysers
One of the world’s largest calderas,
measuring
28 by 47 miles (45 by 75 km)
Approximately 230 waterfalls, 15 ft. or
higher, flowing year-round
Highest waterfall: Lower Falls of the
Yellowstone River at 308 ft. (94 m)
YELLOWSTONE LAKE
136 sq. miles (35,400 hectares) of surface
area
110 miles (177 km) of shoreline
20 miles (32 km) north to south
14 miles (23 km) east to west
Average depth: 139 feet (42 km)
Maximum depth: 390 feet (119 m)
VISITATION
1998 - 3,120,830 visitors
Record year: 1992 – 3,144,405 visitors
Winter visitors: Approximately 200,000
By Act of Congress on March 1, 1872,
Yellowstone National Park was "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring
ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "for the preservation,
from injury or spoilation, of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or
wonders. . . and their retention in their natural condition." Yellowstone is the
first and oldest national park in the world.
The commanding features that initially attracted interest, and led to the preservation of
Yellowstone as a national park, were geological: the geothermal phenomena (there are more
geysers and hot springs here than in the rest of the world combined), the colorful Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone River, fossil forests, and the size and elevation of Yellowstone
Lake.
The human history of the park is evidenced by cultural sites dating back 12,000 years.
More recent history can be seen in the historic structures and sites that represent the
various periods of park administration and visitor facilities development.
Ninety-nine percent of the park's 3,400 square miles (2.2 million acres) remains
undeveloped, providing a wide range of habitat types that support one of the continent's
largest and most varied large mammal populations. Yellowstone is a true wilderness, one of
the few large, natural areas remaining in the lower 48 states of the United States. Here,
you meet nature on its terms, not yours. Park regulations exist for your safety and for
the protection of natural and cultural resources. Please obey all park rules and
regulations