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Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 as the world's
first national park. It is a magical park, and many consider it
to be the worlds finest. It offers unique geothermal features in
high numbers, rare wildlife in high numbers, excellent hiking, camping
and excellent water based activities such as rafting, kayaking,
motor boating or fly fishing. The Yellowstone ecosystem is widely
considered to be the finest inland trout fishing in the world. Yellowstone
National Park is 2.2 million acres in size, with 96% of that in
Wyoming, 3% in Montana, and 1% in Idaho. The variation of the scenery
in Yellowstone National Park is something to behold. One minute
you can be high up in the snowcapped peaks that surround Yellowstone
National Park, and the next you can be viewing majestic wildlife
in alpine meadows, and the next watching Old Faithful with the family.
It truly offers something for everyone. The wildlife enthusiast
will be satisfied driving to the geothermal areas, and the geothermal
enthusiast will be satisfied touring the park for wildlife. Yellowstone
National Park is also a great place for kids who are not easily
entertained. The massive collection of wildlife, pools, falls, rivers
and geothermal features are simply too much to resist.
You really can't say enough about this great national park. Words
do it no justice. You have to see it for yourself.
Check
out our new Yellowstone forum! Also, be sure to take
a look at our new Yellowstone
FAQ page.
Park facts:
Total acreage: 2,219,789
Square Miles: 3,472
63 air miles north to south
54 air miles east to west
Highest point: 11,358 feet (Eagle Peak)
Lowest Point: 5,282 feet
Water: 5%
Grassland: 15%
Forest: 80%
Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
Flora: 1700 native species
8 species of conifers, 80% lodgepole
Mammal: 59 species
Birds: 311 species
Active volcano
2000 earthquakes a year
10,000 geothermal features
Geysers: 300
Waterfalls: 290
One of world's largest petrified forests
One of worlds largest calderas
Lodges/Hotels: 9
Picnic areas: 49
Boat access points: 6
Drive-in campgrounds: 12
Backcountry campgrounds: 287
Marina: 1
Trails: 97 , 950 miles
Visitation in 2006: 3,553,671
Contacts:
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168
Visitor Information
(307) 344-7381
Information for the Hearing Impaired (TDD)
(307) 344-2386
Fax(307) 344-2005
A lone bison grazes in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone
Getting There
Yellowstone National Park is tucked into the far northwestern
corner of Wyoming, with small slices crossing over into Montana
and Idaho. Yellowstone has five major entrances. They are West
Yellowstone on the west, Gardiner on the north, Cooke city on
the northeast, Cody on the east and the southern border with Grand
Teton.
Yellowstone National Park is serviced by several major airports.
Billings Logan Airport in Billings, Montana is 110 miles from
the Cooke City entrance over the rugged Beartooth Pass, and 160
miles from the northern Gardiner entrance. Gallatin Field Airport
near Bozeman, Montana is 85 miles from the West Yellowstone entrance
of the park. Jackson Hole Airport is located right next to Grand
Teton National Park, 48 miles from the southern entrance of Yellowstone.
Salt Like City airport in Utah is 320 miles from Yellowstone,
so expect a 5 hour drive. All of the drives from these airports
to Yellowstone are breathtaking, and another great part of the
trip. The most breathtaking drives from airport to Yellowstone
are the Billings to Cooke City via Beartooth Pass and Jackson
Hole to southern Yellowstone routes. The others have their own
charm but don't quite achieve the same heights. All of these towns
offer rental car service.
Sunset over the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone
If you are big on driving instead of flying, there are several
routes from major cities we can recommend from experience. Click
the link to receive the directions. New York City to Mammoth,
Yellowstone is 2,200
miles. From Chicago, Mammoth Yellowstone is 1400
miles. We recommend the I-94 route through North Dakota when traveling
from Chicago. This is the same route we recommend when traveling
from Minneapolis. While it's not the shortest distance, it is
the shortest time. The trip from Los Angeles to West Yellowstone
is 1008
miles. From Seattle, expect 744
miles to West Yellowstone. From Denver, you are looking at 520
miles to the southern Yellowstone entrance. Finally, if you are
crazy enough to drive from Miami, you are looking at 2,516
miles to the southern Yellowstone entrance.
There is no train service to Yellowstone National Park. The closest
is Salt Lake City, Utah. The closest bus line is Salt Lake city
to Bozeman.
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