Which site became the first national park in the United States when Yellowstone was established in 1872?

Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in the United States when it was established in 1872.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on March 1, 1872. The law reserved the region around Yellowstone’s geothermal features, lakes, and landscapes “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It created a new model of setting aside land for public use rather than private development.

Yellowstone lies primarily in Wyoming, with smaller sections in Montana and Idaho. It is famous for geysers such as Old Faithful, colorful hot springs, mud pots, and a large wildlife ecosystem. Indigenous peoples had long lived in and used the region before the park was created.

Yellowstone is often described as the world’s first national park, although protected landscapes existed in other forms before 1872. Yosemite became a national park later, in 1890, and Grand Canyon received national-park status in 1919.