Yellowstone National Park is full of unusual, fun facts that are great for families to share before embarking on their Yellowstone adventures.
- Yellowstone National Park was officially established on March 1, 1872, before Idaho, Wyoming and Montana were granted statehood.
- Yellowstone has more than 40 major waterfalls.
- Yellowstone produces 3.3 million acre-feet of water annually.
- Yellowstone has approximately 300 active geysers and nearly 10,000 geothermal features.
- Twelve major rivers originate within the Greater Yellowstone area.
- The Grand Prismatic Springs pumps more than 4,000 gallons of boiling water every minute, which makes it the largest hot springs in all of North America.
- The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is 20 miles long, 1,500 feet deep and 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide.
- The average life span of a lodge pole pine is nearly 200 years.
- A moose can keep its head underwater for nearly three minutes.
- A grizzly bear can eat nearly 35 pounds of food in an average day.
- Yellowstone’s average year-round temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Yellowstone National Park is larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
- Yellowstone National Park is 54 miles wide and 63 miles long.
- Old Faithful erupts on average every 91 minutes.
- Yellowstone Park’s geography is located as follows: 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho.
- Yellowstone National Park has the largest concentration of free roaming wildlife, more than any other 48 continental U.S. states.
- Yellowstone features 50 mammal species, 18 fish species, 311 bird species, six reptile species, four amphibian species and five endangered or threatened species.
- Yellowstone National Park experiences approximately 2,000 earthquakes yearly.
- Approximately 80% of the park is forested, 15% is grassland and 5% is water.
- The park features five park entrances, 950 miles of backcountry trails, 466 miles of road and 97 trailheads.
- Yellowstone is considered an active super volcano. There are only 30 active super volcanoes worldwide, but Yellowstone is the only one on land.
- Yellowstone National Park has the world’s largest caldera that measures 45 by 30 miles.
Yellowstone Holiday, located outside West Yellowstone, offers superb Yellowstone RV camping and even Hebgen Lake cabins. Hebgen Lake is renowned for featuring some of the best fishing in the area, which draws many anglers. A perfect base camp area for visiting Yellowstone National Park, visitors can also spend time exploring the Hebgen Lake Marina and nearby Montana sites.
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