Yellowstone National Park (21st Century) by NPS / Jacob W. FrankNational Park Service
Experience the park from every angle. These 360-degree views allow you to virtually wander through Yellowstone’s most famous vistas and geothermal wonders.
Fall sunrise at Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone National Park (2018) by National Park Service and Jacob W. FrankNational Park Service
Framing the entrance in Gardiner, Montana, the towering Roosevelt Arch marks where stagecoach travelers first entered the park. Above the gateway, its famous etched motto welcomes all.
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Carved across its top is Yellowstone’s founding vision: "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People."
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Established primarily to protect hydrothermal areas that contain about half the world's active geysers, the park also forms the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. At 28,000 square miles, it is one of the largest, nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth.
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The park has rich human and ecological stories that continue to unfold. People have spent time in the Yellowstone region for more than 11,000 years. Many tribes and bands used the park as their home, hunting grounds, and transportation routes prior to and after European American arrival.
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Yellowstone's colorful spring
Morning Glory Pool is found in the Upper Geyser Basin of the park. The vivid color of the spring is the result of microbes in the mineral-rich waters.
Bison grazing, Yellowstone National Park by NPS / Brett RaeburnNational Park Service
Spotting Yellowstone's animals
Grizzly bear, elk, bison and wolves inhabit the park. Hayden Valley is prime territory for North America’s largest land mammal. Watch herds grazing across the open plains, where these ancient giants gather near water sources and hold right-of-way on the valley roads.
Grizzly Bear, Yellowstone National Park by NPS / Jim PeacoNational Park Service
Keep your distance and scan the meadows—grizzlies often forge through the open valley in search of food. Early mornings in Hayden Valley offer your best chance to spot one roaming its wild habitat.
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The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Falls
As the Yellowstone River leaves Hayden Valley, it tumbles first down 109 feet of the Upper Falls, and then a further 308 feet down the Lower Falls, into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1872) by Thomas MoranU.S. Department of the Interior Museum
Thomas Moran’s majestic painting of Yellowstone didn't just capture nature—it made history. Created after an 1871 expedition, his art was so influential it helped convince Congress to establish Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872.
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Mammoth Hot Springs
A large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine in Yellowstone National Park, was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flow into Mammoth each day in a solution).
Upper Terraces of Mammoth Hot SpringsOriginal Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Upper_Terraces_of_Mammoth_Hot_Springs.jpg
For millennia, the hot, mineral-rich waters of Mammoth Hot Springs have deposited layers of calcium, resulting in the unique travertine terraces.
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Yellowstone's hottest geothermal area
Norris Geyser Basin is the oldest, and most active, geothermal area of the park. The basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the tallest geyser in the world, which reaches a height of 400 ft, as well as rare acidic geysers.
The Constant and the Black Growler, Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Park, 1908-1909 (1908/1909) by Detroit Publishing Co.Original Source: Digital Collections
After a period of dormancy since 2020, Echinus Geyser, a notable acidic geyser, became active again in early 2026.
By Alfred EisenstaedtLIFE Photo Collection
The story of Old Faithful
Old Faithful was named in 1870 for its predictable eruptions. More than 1 million of which have been recorded. The geyser gives its name to the local district and a nearby hotel.
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Erupts roughly 20 times daily, with a 90% accuracy rate within a 10-minute window, it was the first geyser in Yellowstone to receive a name and helped secure Yellowstone's status as the first national park.
Crested Pool, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park (2015-03) by National Park Service and Neal HerbertNational Park Service
As the sun sets over rugged peaks and steaming basins, Yellowstone remains a timeless testament to the raw power of nature. It is a living masterpiece where the earth breathes and the spirit of the American wilderness endures.
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