The Birth Of Yellowstone

Yellowstone was officially designated as the first national park in the world on March 1, 1872.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law, setting aside over 2 million acres of wilderness (mostly in what is now Wyoming, but also stretching into Montana and Idaho) to be preserved "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

This move was directly influenced by the findings of the Hayden Expedition in 1871, the photographs, paintings, and reports they brought back convinced Congress and the public that Yellowstone’s geysers, waterfalls, and dramatic landscapes were so unique that they should be protected from private development.

It was a historic moment, laying the groundwork for the entire concept of national parks worldwide.