Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a famous national park in the United States. Most of it is in Wyoming. It was the very first national park in the world, started in 1872. Yellowstone has bubbling hot springs, shooting geysers, and many wild animals.

Geysers and Hot Springs

Yellowstone sits on top of a giant volcano under the ground. The hot rock heats up water deep below. The water shoots up into the air as a geyser. Old Faithful is the most famous geyser and erupts about every 90 minutes.

An old bird's-eye map shows all of Yellowstone Park.
An old bird's-eye map shows all of Yellowstone Park. (Henry Wellge (1850-1917) / Wikimedia Commons)

Wild Animals

Yellowstone is home to bison, grizzly bears, wolves, and elk. It has the largest group of wild bison in the country. Visitors can see animals walking along the roads. People must stay safe and keep their distance.

Fun Facts

  • Yellowstone has more than 500 geysers, over half of all geysers on Earth.
  • The Grand Prismatic Spring has bright rainbow colors from tiny living things.
  • Yellowstone is bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Did You Know?

Yellowstone sits over a super-volcano, but scientists say it is very unlikely to erupt soon.