Scenery, wildlife, and history were contributing factors influencing Congress to establish Yellowstone as the world's first national park in 1872. At the heart of Yellowstone's past, present, and future lies volcanism. Catastrophic volcanic eruptions occurred here About 2 million years ago, then 1.2 million years ago, and then again 600,000 years ago. The latest eruption spewed out nearly 240 cubic miles of debris. The magmatic heat powering those eruptions still powers the park's famous geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots .
Rugged mountains flank the park's volcanic plateau, rewarding both eye and spirit.
One of the main routes to Old Faithful is from the south via Jackson, Wyoming, and the South Entrance. The park road crosses the Continental Divide three times. Waters flow east of the divide to the Atlantic, or west to the Pacific. Sampling the world's largest concentration of geysers, you follow the beautiful Firehole and Gibbon rivers. A visitor center at Old Faithful and a museum at Norris tell aspects of the park story.