Which national park, established in 1872 in the United States, was the world's first?

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 in the United States, was the world’s first national park.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on 1 March 1872. The law reserved the area “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people” and placed it under federal protection. Yellowstone spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, although most of the park lies in Wyoming.

The park is famous for its geothermal features, including Old Faithful geyser and the Grand Prismatic Spring. Much of Yellowstone sits on a volcanic plateau created by a large hotspot system. It is also home to bison, grizzly bears, wolves and elk. Yosemite and Sequoia became U.S. national parks later, while Banff, established in Canada in 1885, was the first national park in Canada. Yellowstone’s creation helped inspire the worldwide national-park movement.