Yellowstone National Park and its living volcanic landscape

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most striking landscapes in the United States, where steaming ground, broad plateaus and deep canyons sit on top of a vast volcanic caldera. Established as a national park in 1872, it stretches across parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and gathers geothermal basins, rivers and forests into a single, continuous wilderness.

A supervolcano beneath open country

The defining feature of Yellowstone National Park is the Yellowstone Caldera, a volcanic basin created by a cataclysmic eruption about 640,000 years ago. This caldera underlies much of the park’s central plateau and is part of one of the largest volcanic systems in North America, sometimes described as a supervolcano.Yellowstone Caldera Volcanic rocks and lava flows cover large areas of the plateau, giving the ground its muted colours and gently rolling forms.volcanic eruptions that led to the formation

Yellowstone National Park covers roughly 8,983 km² (3,468 sq mi), an expanse larger than some US states, and about ninety-six percent of this area lies in Wyoming, with smaller portions in Montana and Idaho.occupies an area of 8,983.18 km^2 The park sits on a high plateau framed by mountain ranges, where broad river valleys cut through forests and meadows. Elevation and latitude combine to create long winters and short summers, which shape everything from vegetation zones to the timing of snowmelt along the rivers.

Geysers, hot springs and coloured terraces

Yellowstone is renowned for its concentration of hydrothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles scattered across several basins.contains half of all the world's known geothermal features The Upper Geyser Basin is the setting for Old Faithful, the park’s best known geyser, which erupts at regular intervals that park scientists keep updating.Old Faithful Geyser Around it, boardwalks cross a field of steaming vents, patterned sinter and smaller geysers that show how active the ground remains.

Another signature feature is Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, a vast hot spring whose mineral-rich water and microbial mats create vivid bands of colour around a steaming centre.Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone’s largest hot spring To the north, Mammoth Hot Springs forms terraces of pale limestone, where hot water flows over ledges and deposits travertine in constantly shifting formations.Mammoth Hot Springs The combination of rising steam, mineral deposits and pools set into the plateau makes many corners of Yellowstone feel distinctly otherworldly.

Canyons, lakes and wildlife on the plateau

Alongside its thermal basins, Yellowstone National Park is shaped by water and ice. The Yellowstone River cuts a deep gorge through the central plateau, known as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where cliffs display layers of yellow, red and white rock shaped by hydrothermal alteration.Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone The river plunges over the Upper and Lower Falls, sending spray into the canyon while raptors circle on rising air currents along the walls.

Yellowstone Lake spreads across the south-eastern part of the park and ranks among the largest high-elevation lakes in North America.Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America Much of the lake overlies the caldera, linking its glassy surface directly to the volcanic story below. Around the shores and across the wider plateau, forests, meadows and river corridors support animals including bison, elk and grizzly bears, whose presence reinforces Yellowstone’s role as a major wildlife refuge.known for its wildlife, such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and wapitis

Visiting Yellowstone National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Yellowstone National Park lies in the western United States, mainly in north-western Wyoming with smaller sections in southern Montana and eastern Idaho. The nearest sizeable airports are in regional centres such as Bozeman and Jackson.
• The terrain combines high plateaus with river valleys, so many viewpoints and paths involve gentle gradients rather than flat ground. Some areas include boardwalks over thermal ground where walking is confined to marked routes.
• Weather conditions can change quickly at altitude, with cold nights possible even in warmer months. Snow may linger on higher ground when lower areas are already clear.
• English is the official language in this part of the United States and the currency is the US dollar.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Yellowstone National Park

Where is Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park is in the western United States, mainly in north-western Wyoming with portions in southern Montana and eastern Idaho.Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana

What can visitors expect when exploring Yellowstone?

Visitors encounter geysers, hot springs, rivers, canyons and forests across a high plateau underlain by a volcanic caldera, along with wildlife such as bison and elk.geothermal features and wildlife

What makes Yellowstone National Park distinctive?

Yellowstone National Park is widely recognised as the world’s first national park, established on 1 March 1872, and sits directly above a large volcanic caldera.Yellowstone National Park Protection Act