Yellowstone
Yellowstone is the first national park in the world covering an area of almost 900 thousand hectares. He received his official title in 1872. Due to its uniqueness and significance, in 1978 Yellowstone became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Park History
Thanks to archaeological research, it became known that people were already here 11 thousand . years ago. Participants in the expedition of researchers Lewis and Clark became the first modern people to appear in the reserve. They discovered the first geysers, the description of which has long been considered fictitious. In 1869, there was a scientific expedition, which confirmed the incredible find discovered 62 years earlier.
In 1872, the area around Lake Yellowstone became a national park and came under state protection. Then, over the next two decades, roads were laid here, tourist facilities were erected, and railway lines were laid. The youngest tourist complex in Yellowstone Park was built in 2006.
Like any other ecosystem, the reserve is prone to forest fires, which cause about 45 a year. Most of them are the result of a lightning strike, the rest happen through the fault of a person. The largest fires in the history of the park occurred in 1988. They affected almost 40% of the territory and destroyed 610 square meters. km of forest. Traces of this fire are still visible.
Interesting facts about the park
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Yellowstone is located in three states. Most of it falls on the state of Wyoming, as it affects the states of Idaho and Montana.
- The road called the “Big Loop” has the shape of a figure of eight and passes through all the main attractions of the park. Its length is 230 km. In total, 499 km of paved roads are laid here.
- Yellowstone Lake is the largest in North America.
- The reserve is on a plateau surrounded by the ridges of 5 rocky mountains. This composition is a volcano Yellowstone.
- The highest point of the park is located on Eagle Peak, its height is 3462 m. The lowest point is the valley of the Riz stream (1640 m).
- There are 2 deep canyons and 290 waterfalls in the reserve.
- Yellowstone is the place where is one of the world’s largest petrified forests. It was formed during the eruption of the volcano.
Geological facts about the park
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On the territory of the reserve is the largest system of volcanoes in North America – the Yellowstone caldera.
- The last eruption of the volcano in the territory occupied by the park occurred 70 thousand years ago. You can see remains of lava in different parts of the reserve.
- There are 2/3 of the planet’s geysers, about 3 thousand. This number includes the largest geyser in the world, emitting steam to a height of 40 m.
- Yellowstone Park includes 10 thousand geothermal sources.
- The reserve infrastructure includes a volcanic observatory. The main tasks of the observatory are: monitoring volcanic activity and assessing the danger associated with it.
- During the year, several thousand earthquakes occur in Yellowstone Park, most of which are invisible to humans.
- The last major earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 points occurred here in 2014.
Travel Information
The park has 9 hotels, 9 tourist centers and 9 museums, as well as campsites, shops and gas stations. In summer, you must book place in the park in advance due to the large influx of tourists. You can also stay for the night in nearby cities. The park has 1,770 km of hiking trails. Hunting in the park is prohibited. Fishing is possible only with a special license. Almost all roads in winter are closed for travel.
The first Yellowstone National Park is a place where you can fully enjoy the beauty and power of nature.