Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world and covers 3,470 square miles, mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming.
The park is easily accessible and contains 350 miles of road. The Grand Loop, the park's major road, extends for more than 140 miles in a figure eight within the park. There are 1,200 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. Yellowstone, Shoshone, and Lewis lakes offer excellent boating, and fishing is permitted in most of the park's lakes and streams. The park also contains a number of historic districts and national historic landmarks. Yellowstone Park is also unique in that it features multiple natural wonders all in the same park.
You can find geysers, hot springs, the grand canyon of Yellowstone, forests, wilderness, wildlife and even a large lake inside the park. Due to the diversity of the features in the park, the list of activities for visitors is nearly endless. From backpacking to mountaineering, from kayaking to fishing, from sightseeing to watching bison, moose, and elk wandering into the parking lot of the visitor centers, most visitors enjoy a memorable experience in nature.
Yellowstone Park Officials advise visitors not to approach dangerous animals and to stay on designated safe trails to avoid falling into boiling liquids and inhaling toxic gas.
The geysers of Yellowstone are grouped in basins located in the western half of the park. These include Norris, West Thumb, Lower, Midway, and Upper geyser basins. The most famous geyser is Old Faithful, which erupts on the average of every 75 minutes for up to 5 minutes, shooting a column of steam and hot water as high as 170 feet. About 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of water are expelled at each eruption.
Other geysers include the Giant, which erupts at irregular intervals, throwing out a jet of hot water up to 200 feet high; and the Giantess, which erupts for more than four hours, about twice a year. Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest geyser, erupts infrequently but as high as 380 feet. Riverside Geyser is one of the most dependable and unusual of the park's geysers. It sends an arching spray of water over the Firehole River every six to nine hours. Sapphire Geyser, formerly a hot pool, erupted violently after the 1959 earthquake but gradually became dormant and has not experienced a true eruption since 1971. Other notable geysers include Daisy, Grand, Porkchop, and Great Fountain.
Due to the geothermal activities of the park, the odor of sulfur is common around the park.
The various visitor centers in Yellowstone Park feature exhibits on the park's history, wildlife, and natural phenomena. The park headquarters at Mammoth Springs is the location of Fort Yellowstone, from which the U.S. Army administered the park from 1886 to 1916.
Visitors may stay right in the park, with a clear view of Old Faithful Geyser, at the park's Old Faithful Inn or in any of the many designated camping areas.
You can find additional Yellowstone Park information by clicking on the links below. Enjoy all that Yellowstone has to offer!
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