What is Yellowstone so famous for?

Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a dormant volcano and is home to more geysers and hot springs than any other place on earth. Wonders abound at this truly unique national park, from sites like the Yellowstone Grand Canyon to wildlife like America's largest buffalo herd, grizzly bears, and wolves.



People Also Ask

Yellowstone contains half of all the world's known geothermal features, with more than 10,000 examples. It also has the world's largest concentration of geysers (more than 300 geyers, or two thirds of all those on the planet).

MORE DETAILS

The world's most famous geyser, Old Faithful in Yellowstone, currently erupts around 20 times a day.

MORE DETAILS

More videos on YouTube
  • Yellowstone is home to more than 500 active geysers (more than half the world's geysers). ...
  • Yellowstone Lake has 131.7 sq. ...
  • Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states (67 species). ...
  • 285 species of birds can be found in Yellowstone (150 nesting).


MORE DETAILS

Yellowstone Top of Seven Natural Wonders of North America It shouldn't be a surprise. When you consider that Yellowstone has a supervolcano, 300 geysers, and an ecosystem that includes grizzly bears and wolves, you have to admit that it's pretty wonderful.

MORE DETAILS

Old Faithful's fame is well deserved. The geyser has been erupting at regular intervals for as long as records exist, and it delights visitors from around the world with its eruptions of boiling water. These eruptions regularly reach more than 130 feet (40 meters) and typically last for several minutes.

MORE DETAILS

Seven Wonders of the World to See in the USA
  • Grand Canyon, Arizona. The Grand Canyon is one of America's most recognizable natural wonders. ...
  • Niagara Falls, New York. ...
  • Sequoias and Redwoods, California. ...
  • Death Valley, Nevada. ...
  • Cliff Palace, Colorado. ...
  • Grotto of Atonement, Iowa. ...
  • Hubbard Glacier, Alaska.


MORE DETAILS

But Yellowstone's thermal features don't flow cold water like you're used to. Don't touch any water in or around thermal features. Never swim, soak, or wade in thermal features. More than 20 people have died from intentionally entering or falling into hot springs.

MORE DETAILS

Yellowstone's greatest geological threat isn't a supervolcano. It's a magnitude-7 earthquake. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake.

MORE DETAILS

Elk. Elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis) are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, when market hunting of all large grazing animals was rampant.

MORE DETAILS

The Yellowstone supervolcano last erupted about 640,000 years ago. A sleeping giant is nestled in the western part of the United States. Though it stirs occasionally, it has not risen from slumber in nearly 70,000 years.

MORE DETAILS

Instead, the name was attributed as early as 1805 to Native Americans who were referring to yellow sandstones along the banks of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana, several hundred miles downstream and northeast of the Park.

MORE DETAILS

As of January 2023, there are at least 108 wolves in the park. Ten packs were noted. Wolves in Yellowstone sit at the core of a larger population connected throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In general, wolf numbers have fluctuated between 83 and 123 wolves since 2009.

MORE DETAILS