"Bearman's" Yellowstone Park Facts

(the bottom line)

Worlds first national park -- Dedicated in 1872; President U. S. Grant

A designated World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve

3,472 square miles

2,221,766 acres

63 air miles north to south

54 air miles east to west

96% of the park in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho

Highest Point: 11,358 feet ---Eagle Peak

Lowest Point: 5,282 feet---Reese Creek

Approximately 5% of park is covered by water; 15% is grassland; and 80% forested (80% of total forest is comprised of lodgepole pine)
 

Roads and Trails

5 park entrances

466 miles of roads

950 miles of backcountry trails

97 trailheads

287 backcountry campsites (permit required for use)

 

Facilities

9 visitor centers, museums, and contact stations

9 hotels/lodges (2,238 hotel rooms / cabins)

Oldest hotel: Lake Hotel........1891

Most famous and rustic hotel: Old Faithful Inn.......1904

7 NPS- operated campgrounds (454 sites)

5 concession-operated campgrounds (1,747 sites)

49 picnic areas

1 marina

1 jail

Employees

Approximately 800 people work for the National Park Service at peak summer levels; about 300 year round.

Approximately 3,500 people work for concessionaires at peak summer months

Federal judges: 1

F.B.I. agents: 1

Geology

An active super volcano. (Only 30 exist in the world, the Yellowstone super volcano is the only one on land.)

Approximately 2,000 earthquakes annually

More than 10,000 hydrothermal features

More than 300 geysers

On of the world's largest calderas, measuring 45 X 30 miles

Approximately 400 waterfalls, 15 ft or higher, flowing year-round

Tallest waterfall in lower 48 states; Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River -- 308 feet

 

Yellowstone Lake

Largest high elevation lake in North America

136 square miles

110 miles of shoreline

20 miles north to south

14 miles east to west

Average depth: 140 feet

Maximum depth: 400 feet

Average water temperature: 35 degree's F
 
 

Visitation

Record year: 1992------3,144,405 visitors

Winter visitors: more than 140,000
 
 
 

Wildlife

7 species of native ungulates (grass eaters)

2 species of bears (black and grizzly)

Approximately 50 species of other mammals

315 recorded species of birds (148 nesting species)

18 species of fish (6 non-native)

6 species of reptiles

4 species of amphibians

3 threatened species: bald eagle, grizzly bear, lynx

2 endangered species: whooping crane. gray wolf