Yellowstone National Park History

Established in 1872 as the first US National Park, Yellowstone National Park history fascinates millions of visitors exploring the Park's geothermal features, wild animals, and 2.2 million acres of spectacular wilderness.

1806

John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is credited as the first non-Native American to visit this area when he joins a group of fur trappers traveling in Yellowstone Country.

1807

After a year of exploring, trapping, and surviving capture by unfriendly Indians, Colter makes his way back to Missouri. No one believes his adventurous stories or tales of boiling mud and steaming water rising from the ground.

1857

Likewise, no one believes Jim Bridger’s similar “tall tales” when he returns to the Midwest after leading an expedition through Yellowstone.

1871

The U.S. Geological Survey sponsors a trip to Yellowstone that includes naturalists, geologists, a landscape artist and two photographers. Shown pictures and photographs, the public finally believes the wild stories about Yellowstone.

1872

The U.S. Congress declares the Yellowstone area a National Park.

Yellowstone is the most popular national park in the United States. It remains unique due to its stunning natural wilderness encompassing forests, lakes, and rivers, and a variety of wildlife as well as geological wonders like hot springs, geysers, and canyons