What was the first U.S. national park, created in 1872 and part of the nation’s America250 story?

Yellowstone National Park was the first U.S. national park, created in 1872 as part of the nation’s America250 story.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on March 1, 1872. The law set aside the area as a public park for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, creating a model later used by national park systems around the world.

Yellowstone is primarily in Wyoming, with smaller sections in Montana and Idaho. It is famous for geothermal features such as Old Faithful, colorful hot springs, mud pots, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The park also protects major wildlife habitats, including areas used by bison, elk, bears, and wolves.

Yellowstone was not an untouched wilderness when it was established. Indigenous peoples have lived in and used the region for at least 11,000 years. The park’s creation followed government-sponsored exploration and mapping, including the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. Yosemite became a national park later, in 1890.