Where Is Yellowstone National Park Located?

Yellowstone National Park sits primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming (96%), with slivers extending into Montana (3%) and Idaho (1%).

Key Geographic Context

• Established: March 1, 1872 — world’s first national park.
• Size: 2.2 million acres (8,991 km²) — larger than Rhode Island + Delaware combined.
• Elevation: 5,300–11,358 ft (1,615–3,462 m); mostly high plateau (7,500 ft avg).
• Geology: Supervolcano caldera (640,000 yr old eruption) — drives geothermal features.

Iconic Features

• Geysers: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Steamboat (world’s tallest active).
• Hot springs: Grand Prismatic (largest in US), Morning Glory.
• Wildlife: Bison, elk, grizzlies, wolves (reintroduced 1995), bighorn sheep.
• Landforms: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake (high-elevation), petrified forests.

Access

Five entrances: West (West Yellowstone, MT), North (Gardiner, MT), Northeast (Cooke City, MT), East (Cody, WY), South (Grand Teton NP, WY). No public transport inside — car essential.

Yellowstone isn’t just a park — it’s a continental ecological core and geologic wonder.