5 Things You May Not Know About Yellowstone Park
Did you know that Yellowstone is as big as two whole states.
Published March 12 2026, 9:40 a.m. ET
You don't have to be an outdoor enthusiast to have heard of Yellowstone National Park. The park is just about as famous as it gets when it comes to the National Park Service's (NPS) amazing spaces. In fact, it's so well-known that there was even a super-popular show named after it.
However, it doesn't matter whether you are the park's No. 1 fan or just someone who is familiar with the space; there are a few fun facts about Yellowstone National Park that everyone can enjoy.
From its interesting history to the fact that the park is home to some of the most unique landmarks in the world, Yellowstone is full of natural wonder, beauty, and awe-inspiring details.
Keep reading to learn more about the park.
1. Yellowstone was the first national park.
According to the NPS, Yellowstone was the first place in the world to be designated as a national park. Established in March 1872, it's the oldest of the NPS's properties.
And, who do we have to thank for that? Ulysses S. Grant, who signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law after it was passed by the 42nd Congress of the United States.
2. Yellowstone is as big as two whole states.
It may be hard to imagine just how big the park is when you hear that it's made up of 2,221,766 (or 3,472 square miles), but according to the NPS, it may be easier to visualize how big that space is when you look at a U.S. map.
That's because the park takes up about as much room as Delaware and Rhode Island combined. That should come as no surprise when you consider that the park spans three states, including Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
3. Yellowstone's landscape is mixed.
When you think of Yellowstone, you may imagine the more popular points of reference, like the geysers and thermal ponds. But, according to the NPS, the park is only about 5 percent water. Instead, most of the park consists of forest, which makes up 80 percent of its landscape.
In those forests, you'll find nine different species of conifers and more than 1,000 species of flowering plants.
4. The park is teeming with wildlife.
More than just plants call Yellowstone's massive forests home. The park is also teeming with animals, including badgers, bears, bobcats, lynx, cougar, coyote, wolves, weasel, martens, red fox, bison, and so much more.
In fact, many people head to the park in the hope that they'll get a chance to see one of these animals, especially the more unique kind that you don't often see in other preserved spaces.
5. Yellowstone sits on top of a supervolcano.
There are three calderas under the park. Pools of magma flow just under the surface, which heat the thermal pools in Yellowstone. The unique temperature variations here help create the geysers, thermal pools, and geothermal features that people flock to the park for.
However, people who fear that Yellowstone is getting ready to erupt have nothing to worry about, since experts believe that the supervolcano won't have another major eruption for thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of years.