Yellowstone National Park
An independent guide. This site is not affiliated with the National Park Service.
Established: March 1, 1872 — the first national park. Size: about 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Wyoming (WY)
Montana (MT)
Idaho (ID)State flags: whole flags from Wikimedia Commons, current versions.
Overview
Yellowstone spreads across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, and is known for a remarkable mix of geysers, hot springs, a large lake, a deep river canyon and wide wildlife country. Its best-known places include Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs.
This page gives the shape of a full park guide: short facts, practical tabs and clear links to official sources.
黃石國家公園（Yellowstone National Park）於 1872 年 3 月 1 日成立，是世界上第一座國家公園，面積約 220 萬英畝，橫跨懷俄明州、蒙大拿州和愛達荷州，以老忠實間歇泉、大稜鏡溫泉、黃石湖、黃石大峽谷和猛獁溫泉等聞名。
Source: nps.gov/yell, checked October 25, 2026. Check official information before travel, because details can change.
State flag credits: Flag of Wyoming, Flag of Montana and Flag of Idaho — Wikimedia Commons, whole current flags shown above. The Wyoming flag file is released under CC0 / public domain on its Commons page.
Trails — template structure
Trail distances, elevation change and difficulty are not filled in here unless verified in this session. Each unverified value is marked for verification at bulk import, so no figure is guessed.
| Trail / area | Distance | Elevation | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairy Falls Trail | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | Easy (NPS easy-hike tag) |
| Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Lone Star Geyser Trail | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk area | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone — rim viewpoints | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Mammoth Hot Springs terraces boardwalks | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Yellowstone Lake shoreline area | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
| Lamar Valley viewing area | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import | To be verified at bulk import |
Verified in this session from NPS: Fairy Falls Trail — duration 3–5 hours, Midway Geyser Basin; Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail — duration 1–2 hours, Midway Geyser Basin; Lone Star Geyser Trail — duration 2–3 hours, Upper Geyser Basin. Distances and elevation for these trails were not stated on the NPS pages checked, so they remain “To be verified at bulk import”.
Camping & Lodging
Yellowstone has 11 campgrounds and over 2,000 sites in total. Dates and fees below are 2026 figures supplied for this sample and are subject to change — check before travel.
| Campground | 2026 season / note | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | May 1–Oct 17 | $38 |
| Canyon | May 29–Sep 19 | $45 |
| Grant Village | Jun 26–Sep 26 | $45 |
| Bridge Bay | May 15–Sep 13 | $38 |
| Mammoth | Year-round | $25 |
| Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Slough Creek, Tower Fall | See official campground pages | $20 each |
Reservations: in 2026, reservations were split between Yellowstone National Park Lodges and Recreation.gov. Check Recreation.gov for 2027 reservation arrangements, as these can change.
Activities
Activity labels only — no listings or prices are claimed here.
HikingCampingWildlife viewingGeyser / thermal viewingFishingBoatingPhotographyWinter oversnow activities
Fees & Passes
Base 7-day entrance fees were verified on the official NPS fee page on October 25, 2026. Check nps.gov/yell before travel — fees can change.
| Entry type | 7-day fee |
|---|---|
| Private vehicle | $35 |
| Motorcycle | $30 |
| Per person on foot or by bike | $20 |
Non-U.S. residents aged 16 and older: an additional $100 per person applies on top of the standard entrance fee, unless the visitor holds an Annual Pass or America the Beautiful Pass.
Alerts & Safety
- Stay on boardwalks and marked paths around thermal areas.
- Keep a safe distance from wildlife and never approach animals.
- Conditions change: check official advisories before going.
Weather & Seasons
Yellowstone weather changes quickly and varies by elevation and season. Summer is the busiest season, while winter brings snow and oversnow travel in parts of the park. Specific road, facility and season dates are not stated here — check the official park pages before travel, because dates and conditions change.
Pack layers, check forecasts and road status on the day of travel, and allow extra time for weather and wildlife traffic.
Map
OpenStreetMap-based map centred on Yellowstone (approx. 44.6, -110.5).
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. This is a locator map, not a trail or road-conditions map.