Yellowstone National Park Travel Guide
Yellowstone National Park is the world's first national park, established on March 1, 1872. It is a huge park, spanning 63 miles north to south, and 54 miles east to west, and totaling 3,472 square miles in three states.
Annual precipitation ranges from 10 inches at the north boundary to 80 inches in the southwest corner. Winters are cold, with a record low of -66 degrees F.
The Park is one of the world's most popular natural attractions, with attendance exceeding 4 million visitors a year.
We have made multiple trips to Yellowstone over the years, during all seasons, and share some of our photos and trip experiences in this review.
Floods in Yellowstone National Park in 2022 have limited access to some areas of the park. Be to check the latest advisories from the National Park Service regarding roads and lodging.
The 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone
Hotels & Lodging |
Location, Entrances & Access |
Things to See and Do |
Maps |
March 1, 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. Signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, America's first national park was set aside to preserve and protect the scenery, cultural heritage, wildlife, geologic and ecological systems and processes in their natural condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
To help commemorate the anniversary, the park will host a wide variety of virtual and in-person activities.
Yellowstone National Park Attractions
Yellowstone Lake covers over 131 square miles of area, reaching a maximum depth of 138 feet.
Visitors to the park marvel at a supervolcano's hidden power under the earth, rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers.
The park has thousands of acres of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes, and endless species of wildlife to watch.
Hiking, camping, fishing, photography, bicycling, boating, horseback riding, snowmobiling, snowcoach tours, and ranger programs are available.
The park sits atop one of the world's largest calderas at 45 x 30 miles and experiences up to 3,000 earthquakes every year. It features more than 10,000 hydrothermal features and 500 geysers.
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Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser erupts about every 74 minutes. But intervals are not constant, and can in fact range from 60-110 minutes.
The next eruption time is posted around the park. Old Faithful can vary in height from 100-180 feet with an average of about 130-140 feet. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes.
One of the main attractions in the park is its wildlife, including bears, fox, elk, bison, lynx, 285 species of birds and more.
The National Park Service provides numerous visitor centers, geyser viewing areas, trails, lookouts, museums, and contact stations.
While in the Yellowstone area, you might want to drive the popular Beartooth Highway and visit the Buffalo Bill Museum of the West in nearby Cody, Wyoming.
Lodging Options In and Near Yellowstone National Park
Lodging in Yellowstone National Park
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A beautiful bison at full speed in
Yellowstone National Park (Staff Photo)![]() |
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Explorer Cabins at West Yellowstone![]() |
Yellowstone Park Location, Entrances and Access
Yellowstone is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small parts of the park also in southern Montana and eastern Idaho. Only 3% of the park is in Montana and 1% in Idaho.
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There are five entrances to the park ... we have been through all of them in our trips to Yellowstone over the years:
- North entrance, via US 89, near Gardiner, Montana ... close to Mammoth Hot Springs
- Northeast entrance, near Roosevelt, Wyoming, via US 212, the Beartooth Highway ... closed in the winter
- East entrance, on US20, close to Yellowstone Lake, west of Cody, Wyoming
- South entrance, on US 89, close to West Thumb and Grant, north of Grand Teton National Park
- West entrance, on US20, near West Yellowstone, Montana
The Old Faithful Lodge, a must-see attraction for visitors, is located:
- 113 miles west of Cody, Wyoming
- 137 miles south of Bozeman, Montana
- 98 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming
- 50 miles southeast of West Yellowstone, Montana
Floods in Yellowstone National Park in 2022 have limited access to some areas of the park. Be to check the latest advisories from the National Park Service regarding roads and lodging.
Yellowstone National Park MapOfficial mao of Yellowstone courtesy of the National Park Service Click for a large image of the map at the Yellowstone National Park official website at NPS |
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Interactive Map of the Yellowstone National Park Area
View toward the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park
For More Information about Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park official website at NPS
Phone 307.344.7381 for recorded information. For road and weather information, phone 307.344.2117.