Yellowstone is celebrating 150 years as a national park — 20 incredible photos show its unmatched beauty

Lydia WarrenMar 1, 2022, 23:05 IST

Bison roam in Yellowstone National Park.Lee Prince/Shutterstock

March 1, 2022, marks 150 years since Yellowstone was established as the US' first national park.
Photographs taken since the 19th century show why it attracts millions of visitors each year.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on March 1, 1872, creating the first national park.

Park Superintendent Nathaniel Pitt Langford on Jupiter Terrace in 1872.CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

For over 10,000 years before Yellowstone became a national park, Native Americans had fished and hunted there, and had used its thermal waters.

The Great Falls of Yellowstone River, circa 1878-1880.CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

For more than a century, visitors have been flocking to Yellowstone to see its natural beauty.

A car drives on a road in Yellowstone National Park in 1927.Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images

Today, as the park turns 150, visitor numbers are higher than ever.

New Blue Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park, pictured in May 2021.AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

Awe-inspiring natural features can be found across the park, which spans 3,472 square miles, or more than 2.2 million acres.

'Old' Canary Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park in May 2021.AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

A striking feature of the Mammoth Hot Springs is the Minerva Terrace.

Minerva Terrace in Yellowstone National Park.Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock

The ice-blue waters of Nuphar Lake are found in Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest geyser basin in the park.

Nuphar Lake in the Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park in May 2021.AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The basin is also where Old Faithful is located. While not the biggest in the park, the geyser does erupt the most frequently.

Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park.Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Steamboat Geyser, which the NPS calls the world's tallest active geyser, has had eruptions of more than 300 feet.

Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.Ronnie Chua/Shutterstock

One of the most incredible sights at the park is the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Grand Prismatic Pool at Yellowstone National Park.Lane V. Erickson/Shutterstock

Another colorful sight at Yellowstone is the Morning Glory thermal spring, which has become more yellow over time.

Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone.Paul Bryan/Shutterstock

The Belgian Pool is a cooler shade of blue.

The Belgian Pool.Jon G. Fuller, Jr./VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Black Sand Basin is home to a collection of small geysers and hot springs, including Rainbow Pool.

Black Sand Basin in Yellowstone National Park.Jon G. Fuller/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

About 5 percent of Yellowstone is covered by water, including the 131-square-mile Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake.Courtesy Jim Peaco/Yellowstone National Park via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

The Lower Falls is the park's tallest waterfall, at 308 feet.

Lower Falls.Maks Ershov/Shutterstock

Mystic Falls cascades down 70 feet of ledges on the Little Firehole River.

Mystic Falls in Yellowstone National Park.Kris Wiktor/Shutterstock

Fifteen percent of the park is covered by grassland.

Bison at Yellowstone.Lorcel/Shutterstock

The park is the only place in the US where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times, according to the NPS.

Bison at Yellowstone.Lee Prince/Shutterstock

Around 80 percent of the park is covered with forest.

Yellowstone River reflecting forests.Jess Kraft/Shutterstock

As Yellowstone turns 150 years old, the park and its partners are focused on conservation and historic preservation.

Great Fountain Geyser at Firehole Lake Drive, Yellowstone.Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

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Yellowstone is celebrating 150 years as a national park &mdash; 20 incredible photos show its unmatched beauty