What was the first U.S. national park, established in 1872 and celebrated as part of America250’s public-land legacy?

Yellowstone National Park was the first U.S. national park, established on March 1, 1872.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, setting aside a vast area in present-day Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The law placed the region under federal protection so it could be preserved for public enjoyment rather than divided among private owners.

Yellowstone is famous for geothermal features such as Old Faithful, as well as its wildlife, forests, lakes, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Native Americans had lived in and traveled through the region for at least 11,000 years before the park was created, an important part of its history often omitted from simple “first park” accounts.

Yellowstone is widely described as the world’s first national park, although the exact meaning of “national park” can vary across countries and historical definitions. Its creation helped establish a model for later protected landscapes in the United States and beyond.