Yellowstone National Park, USA

There are so many stunning natural wonders in the world! Yellowstone National Park is one of them. Known for its pristine nature and geothermal features, it is visited by more than 2 million tourists a year. Yellowstone National Park covers an area of 8,983 square kilometres and includes lakes, canyons, rivers and waterfalls. It is situated on the plateau of the same name with an average altitude of 2400 m.

The national park is surrounded by the mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains, with the largest portion in the state of Wyoming. The history of the park dates back 11,000 years ago when Native Americans began hunting and fishing in these areas. In addition, they understood the extraordinary properties of rocks and made various tools from them.

The first explorers to come here were Lewis and Clark with their expedition in 1805, but they could not reach scientific evidence. In the years that followed, strange tales of hunters about "boiling mud" and "rivers of steam" became more frequent, but people thought these stories were figments of their imagination. It wasn't until 1856 that trapper Jim Bridger's tales aroused the curiosity of geologist Hayden, who organized a two-year expedition that only made it as far as the Yellowstone River, and harsh winters prevented it from continuing.

After 10 years, Hayden returned to the area with a larger expedition and was able to see much of the eruptions and natural beauty of this extraordinary place. Returning with many photographs and a detailed report, Hayden persuaded the government of the day not to sell this extraordinary natural wonder. And on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant proclaimed the creation of Yellowstone National Park, which contains some 1,000 historic artifacts and 1,106 historic sites.

The largest body of water in the park is Yellowstone Lake, centered above the Yellowstone Caldera-the largest supervolcano on the continent, with 352 square miles, 120 feet deep, and 180 miles of shoreline. The national park possesses one of the world's largest petrified forests, which are trees long since buried by ash and soil and transformed into bizarre mineral rocks. The rivers have carved out magnificent canyons with amazing waterfalls which number around 290 with the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River- 94m. And the three deep canyons cut through the volcanic rocks of the plateau are very beautiful. The most visited geysers in Yellowstone National Park are the geysers, which number more than 300, the largest of which is Steamboat. Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes and the view is awesome and impressive.

One of the most beautiful is the Great Prismatic Spring, which is colored in a great range of colors thanks to the different types of bacteria living in the hot water, and the bright blue spot in the middle is too high a temperature for the bacteria. Among the park's attractions are the Basalt Colonies-a phenomenally beautiful natural sculpture that a skilled craftsman could not have carved. The Obsidian Rocks are another phenomenon of the park. They are situated at an altitude of 2,300 feet above sea level for about half a mile and are composed of a dark volcanic glass called obsidian. Their properties have been known since 12,000 years ago when various tools were made from them.

Plant and animal life in Yellowstone National Park is rich and diverse. The most widespread of the trees are several species of pine, the most famous being the contour pine, which reaches a height of 25 m, and was used by the Indian tribes for the supporting structure of their tent-types. Of the plants, the most common are the lovely wild orchids, whose blossoms, from purple to pink and red, add to the charm of this wild place. The other plant common in Yellowstone National Park is Indian paintbrush, which translates to "Indian paintbrush."

Legend has it that a local tried to paint the sunset on the prairie, but did not get the desired result and threw the brushes away. And in their place sprouted these unique flowers that absorb selenium from the soil and find use in medicine. Yellowstone is known for its artiodactyl mammals such as bison, elk, and long-horned wild sheep that move in herds while deer and elk move alone. In addition, the gray wolf, the endangered grizzly bear, some of the largest coyotes in the United States at 15 pounds, cougar, osprey, trumpeter swan, and others are found here.

Yellowstone experiences thousands of earthquakes each year that go unnoticed by visitors, and wildfires are commonplace in the area. The largest fires in the park's history occurred in the summer of 1988. Winters here are cold with freezing temperatures and summers reach 37 degrees. July is the busiest month for visits. But the park administration takes excellent care of its guests. The National Park Service is located in the Fort Yellowstone-Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. It was a U.S. Army fort established in 1891 and operated the park until 1918.

The National Park Service maintains nine visitor centers and museums, as well as historic structures and buildings, including Park Headquarters and facilities for the vast support staff. Yellowstone National Park also has several hotels and a large number of lodges. The park is open all year round, but it is necessary to check the weather conditions for the winter months if you decide to visit during the winter months. Paved roads provide close access to the main geothermal areas, as well as some lakes and waterfalls from five different entrances. Even in the winter, access to the park is available to visitors via a guided tour using snow wagons or snowmobiles.

The most convenient air transportation is via Bozeman, Montana, Billings, Jackson, Cody, Wyoming, and to the south the nearest urban area is Salt Lake City 510 miles away.

Yellowstone National Park has indescribable scenery, so a visit would be an amazing experience!