YELLOWSTONE: The World's First National Park

Patricia Patah has engaged on a Wild-Photography expedition around Yellowstone National Park.

Located in parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone holds the distinction of being the world’s first national park, established on March 1, 1872, by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.

Its history is a rich tapestry woven with geologic marvels, millennia of Indigenous inhabitation, and a pioneering effort in American conservation.

​The park’s dramatic landscape is the product of intense volcanic and seismic activity over millions of years, sitting atop one of the world’s largest active supervolcanoes.

This geologic history is responsible for its most famous features: the greatest concentration of hydrothermal wonders globally, including thousands of hot springs and more than half of the world’s active geysers, such as the iconic Old Faithful.

​For over 10,000 years before its designation as a park, the Yellowstone area was home to numerous Native American peoples. These groups lived, hunted, fished, gathered, and quarried the abundant obsidian for tools and weapons, maintaining a deep cultural and spiritual connection to the land and its thermal waters. They were, in essence, the land’s first conservationists.

​European-American knowledge of the area began in the early 1800s with fur trappers who returned with seemingly unbelievable tales of a land where the earth hissed and bubbled with spouting geysers bringing detailed reports, drawings, and photographs of the awe-inspiring geysers, waterfalls, and canyons.

​These reports fueled national curiosity and convinced political leaders that this extraordinary place should be protected for public enjoyment. The "Yellowstone National Park Protection Act" established the park, setting aside the land "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

With almost none funding, protection efforts were largely unsuccessful until 1886 when the U.S. Army took charge. For over 30 years, the Army administered the park, building infrastructure, enforcing regulations, and guarding key attractions from their headquarters at Fort Yellowstone in Mammoth Hot Springs.

This arrangement continued until the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916. The NPS took over full management of Yellowstone in 1918, instituting the first park rangers and continuing the crucial work of preservation and public access.

​Throughout the 20th century, the park’s boundaries were adjusted to better conform to natural features and provide essential winter range for wildlife. Today, Yellowstone remains a critical ecosystem and a powerful testament to the enduring American commitment to preserve natural and cultural resources for future generations.