Yellowstone National Park

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Yellowstone National Park

Image credit

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mitchell and Nancy Steir, 1898, CC0

Protected since

1872

Size · acres

2,221,766

State

MONTANA

Nearest town

West Yellowstone, MT

The wildlife this land supports

Not Just Made for You and Me

Grizzly Bear

Gray Wolf

Bison

Trumpeter Swan

Drawn here for generations

Art Inspired by this Land

The Juniata, Evening

The Juniata, Evening

1864 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Hot Springs of Gardiner's River, Yellowstone

Hot Springs of Gardiner's River, Yellowstone

1873 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Yellowstone National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service

ca. 1938 Powell, C. Don (Chester), designer Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Green River Cliffs, Wyoming

Green River Cliffs, Wyoming

1881 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Tower Falls, 110 Feet. Yellowstone National Park

Tower Falls, 110 Feet. Yellowstone National Park

Toll Gate Rock on Lincoln Highway, Western Wyoming

Sanborn Souvenir Co. 929 (1846-30)

The Juniata, Evening

1864 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Green River Cliffs, Wyoming

1881 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Hot Springs of Gardiner's River, Yellowstone

1873 Thomas Moran Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Yellowstone National Park, Ranger Naturalist Service

ca. 1938 Powell, C. Don (Chester), designer Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Toll Gate Rock on Lincoln Highway, Western Wyoming

Sanborn Souvenir Co. 929 (1846-30)

MONTANA

West Yellowstone, MT

Yellowstone is a living, breathing geologic wonder where the Earth actively shows itself—boiling, steaming, erupting, and reshaping the landscape in real time. Since its establishment in 1872 as the first national park in the world, it has captivated visitors with its surreal mix of geysers, wild bison herds, deep canyons, and vast alpine wilderness that feels both ancient and alive. Standing here feels less like visiting a place and more like witnessing a planet in motion.

Plan your visit

Conditions on the ground

Travel conditions

under threat

Why this land is at risk

Budget Cuts; Staffing Reductions

Proposed NPS funding reductions and staffing losses could affect visitor services, resource protection, and maintenance.

Yellowstone is not at risk of closure, but it is under increasing pressure from staffing shortages, aging infrastructure, and growing visitation that strains trail systems, wildlife management, and emergency response capacity. These challenges can reduce ranger presence, delay maintenance, and impact long-term ecosystem protection.

More info: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/index.htm

Take action

Stand up for Yellowstone National Park.

Stand up for Yellowstone National Park.

Stand up for Yellowstone National Park.

Public lands belong to all of us — and they stay protected only when people pay attention. Plan a visit, share this place, and add your voice to the people working to keep it wild.

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