Worlds first national park — Dedicated in 1872; President U. S. Grant
A designated World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve
3,472 square miles
2,221,766 acres
63 air miles north to south
54 air miles east to west
96% of the park in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho
Highest Point: 11,358 feet —Eagle Peak
Lowest Point: 5,282 feet—Reese Creek
Approximately 5% of park is covered by water; 15% is grassland; and 80% forested (80% of total forest is comprised of lodgepole pine)
Roads and Trails
5 park entrances
466 miles of roads
950 miles of backcountry trails
97 trailheads
287 backcountry campsites (permit required for use)
Facilities/h2>
9 visitor centers, museums, and contact stations
9 hotels/lodges (2,238 hotel rooms / cabins)
Oldest hotel: Lake Hotel……..1891
Most famous and rustic hotel: Old Faithful Inn…….1904
7 NPS- operated campgrounds (454 sites)
5 concession-operated campgrounds (1,747 sites)
49 picnic areas
1 marina
1 jail
Employees/h2>
Approximately 800 people work for the National Park Service at peak summer levels; about 300 year round.
Approximately 3,500 people work for concessionaires at peak summer months
Federal judges: 1
F.B.I. agents: 1
Geology/h2>
An active super volcano. (Only 30 exist in the world, the Yellowstone super volcano is the only one on land.)
Approximately 2,000 earthquakes annually
More than 10,000 hydrothermal features
More than 300 geysers
On of the world’s largest calderas, measuring 45 X 30 miles
Approximately 400 waterfalls, 15 ft or higher, flowing year-round
Tallest waterfall in lower 48 states; Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River — 308 feet
Yellowstone Lake/h2>
Largest high elevation lake in North America
136 square miles
110 miles of shoreline
20 miles north to south
14 miles east to west
Average depth: 140 feet
Maximum depth: 400 feet
Average water temperature: 35 degree’s F
Visitation/h2>
Record year: 1992——3,144,405 visitors
Winter visitors: more than 140,000
Wildlife/h2>
7 species of native ungulates (grass eaters)
2 species of bears (black and grizzly)
Approximately 50 species of other mammals
315 recorded species of birds (148 nesting species)
18 species of fish (6 non-native)
6 species of reptiles
4 species of amphibians
3 threatened species: bald eagle, grizzly bear, lynx
2 endangered species: whooping crane. gray wolf
Submit your review | |
