- Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872.
- Yellowstone is the world’s first national park.
No area figures have been scientifically verified. Efforts to confirm the park’s total area continue.
- 3,472 square miles (8,991 km2)
- 2,221,766 acres or 899,116 hectares.
- 63 air miles north to south (102 km)
- 54 air miles east to west (87 km)
- 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho
- Highest Point: 11,358 feet (3,462 m; Eagle Peak)
- Lowest Point: 5,282 feet (1,610 m; Reese Creek)
- Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
- About 5% covered by water; 15% by grassland; and 80% by forests
Annual precipitation ranges from 10 inches (26 cm) at the north boundary to 80 inches (205 cm) in the southwest corner. Learn more about weather in Yellowstone.
- Record High: 99ºF (37ºC), 2002 (Mammoth Hot Springs)
- Record Low: -66ºF (-54ºC), 1933 (West Entrance, Riverside Station).
- Average daily at Mammoth Hot Springs: January: 9ºF (-13ºC); July: 80ºF (27ºC)
- Learn more about weather in Yellowstone.
- Elevation: 7,733 feet above sea level
- 131.7 square miles of surface area (341.1 km2)
- 141 miles of shoreline (227 km)
- 20 miles north to south (32 km)
- 14 miles east to west (22 km)
- Average depth: 138 feet (42 m)
- Maximum depth: 430 feet (131 m)
- Learn more about Yellowstone Lake
- The park sits on top of an active volcano.
- One of the world’s largest calderas at 45 x 30 miles (72 x 48 km)
- 1,000–3,000 earthquakes annually
- More than 10,000 hydrothermal features
- More than 500 active geysers (more than half the world's geysers)
- About 290 waterfalls
- Tallest waterfall near a road: Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at 308 feet (94 m)
- 67 species of mammals, including seven species of native ungulates and two species of bear
- 285 species of birds (150 nesting)
- 16 species of fish (five nonnative)
- More than seven aquatic invasive species (three having significant detrimental effect)
- Five species of amphibians
- Six species of reptiles
- Two threatened species: Canada lynx, grizzly bears
- 27 associated Native American tribes
- More than 1,800 known archeological sites
- More than 300 ethnographic resources (animals, plants, sites)
- 25 sites, landmarks, and districts on the National Register of Historic Places; many more eligible for listing
- One National Historic Trail (Nez Perce)
- More than 840 historic buildings
- More than 1,000,000 museum items, including 30 historic vehicles
- Millions of archived documents
- More than 20,000 books (many rare), manuscripts, periodicals
National Park Service (January 2023)
- Total during summer: 750
- Full-time equivalent (FTE): 512
- Permanent: 308
- Term (variable duration): 2
- Seasonal: 202
Concessioners
About 3,200 people work for concessioners in Yellowstone at summer peak.
- Five park entrances
- 452 miles (727 km) of roads (310 miles [499 km] paved)
- More than 15 miles (24 km) of boardwalk, including 13 self-guiding trails
- Approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of backcountry hiking trails
- 92 trailheads
- 299 backcountry campsites
Fiscal Year 2022 (in millions)
Total: $132.2
Federal Funding: $94.5
- Operations and staff (base): $37.9
- Wildland Fire: $1.9
- Other Appropriations: $0.9
Other Funding: $28.7
- Donations and Grants: $1.6
- Fees: $21.6
- Utilities & Agreements (Reimbursable): $5.5
Distribution of Budget
Park Support: 13% Includes human resources, contracting, budget and finance, partnerships, telecommunications, and information technology.
Facility Operations and Maintenance: 60% Includes utilities, roads, trails, structures, historic preservation coordination, construction management.
Park Protection: 12% Includes law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, entrance station operations, structural fre activities.
Resource Stewardship: 9% Includes management operations and monitoring of natural and cultural resources, invasive species management, research coordination.
Visitor Services: 7% Includes interpretation and education, and park concessions management.
The park recorded 3.3 million visits in 2022, down 32% from 2021, which was the busiest year on record. Historic floods closed public access to the park on June 13. The south loop reopened on June 22 and additional sections of road opened throughout the summer. Detailed park visitation information is available at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/
Top 10 Visitation Years
1. 2021: 4,860,242
2. 2016: 4,257,177
3. 2017: 4,116,524
4. 2018: 4,115,000
5. 2015: 4,097,710
6. 2019: 4,020,287
7. 2020: 3,806,306
8. 2010: 3,640,185
9. 2014: 3,513,484
10. 2012: 3,447,729
FAQs
Read answers to many frequently asked questions.
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