Wyoming is well-known as a place of extreme beauty. We have so many amazing state and national parks to visit in Wyoming, some of which are among the most beautiful places in the entire world. Is it any surprise that the most amazing park in the world is located in Wyoming? Yellowstone National Park is not only the most popular attraction in Wyoming, it's also one of the most-visited national parks in the country. You probably think you know everything there is to know about this national treasure. However, we've gathered up a few lesser-known facts that you may not be familiar with. Here are some fascinating facts about Yellowstone National Park that you might find interesting:
1. President Ulysses S. Grant designated Yellowstone as a national park in 1872.
This was 20 years before Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana all became states. It was actually the first national park to be designated within the United States, and most likely the first in the world. Organized exploration of the area that is now Yellowstone did not begin until the 1860s, but Native Americans had lived in the region for thousands of years.
2. Geysers are surprisingly rare. There are more than 300 active geysers within Yellowstone National Park. That's close to half all the known geysers in the entire world!
3. Yellowstone has its very own Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is about half a mile wide, 900 feet deep, and is thought to be between 10,000 and 14,000 years old.
4. Yellowstone is home to the largest free-roaming herd of bison in the world.
There are anywhere from 2,300 to 5,000 bison roaming free throughout Yellowstone. It's both the oldest and largest public bison herd in the country. The genetic intermixing of bison with domestic cattle have caused most wild bison herds to become diluted. Surprisingly, there is no significant hybridization between the Yellowstone bison and domestic cattle.
5. Lodgepole pines are the most common tree species within Yellowstone National Park.
An amazing 80% of the trees within the park are lodgepole pines. This species has a lifespan of about 100 years.
6. Yellowstone Lake rests on top of the largest super volcano in North America.
There are 30 super volcanoes, also known as caldera, in the world. The Yellowstone caldera is unique in that it is the only one on the planet to be located on land. All the rest are in water. The last major eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano was 174,000 years ago.
7. Yellowstone experiences around 2,000 earthquakes every year.
8. Yellowstone has its own jail, court, magistrate, and even an FBI agent.
Yellowstone also has its own 911 dispatcher. The park's jail was once a U.S. Army guard house and now serves to hold unruly visitors who face trouble with the law while within the park. The only other national park in the country with a jail and court facility is California's Yosemite National Park.
9. Yellowstone is associated with 26 Native American tribes.
10. The highest number of visitors at Yellowstone in any given year was more than 3 million.
11. The Grand Prismatic Spring produces more than 4,000 gallons of boiling water every minute.
12. Thomas Moran was part of the 1871 Hayden Expedition. He sold his canvas painting of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to Congress for $10,000.
Did you know any of these facts about Yellowstone National Park? Have any other interesting tidbits you'd like to share? Feel free to comment!
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