Skip to Main Content

American Heritage Center, Yellowstone National Park Subject Guide: Collections

This guide serves as a brief overview of some of the collections held by the American Heritage Center relating to the topic of Yellowstone National Park.

Park Facts

History 

  • Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872.
  • Yellowstone is the world's first national park.

Geography

No area figures have been scientifically verified. Efforts to confirm the park’s total area continue.

  • 3472 square miles 
  • 2,221,766 acres or 899,116 hectares
  • 63 air miles north to south
  • 54 air miles east to west
  • 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho
  • Highest Point: Eagle Peak 11,358 feet
  • Lowest Point: Reese Creek 5282 feet
  • Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
  • About 5% covered by water, 15% by grassland, and 80% by forests

Geology

  • The park sits on top of an active volcano
  • One of the world's largest calderas at 45 x 30 miles
  • 1000-3000 earthquakes annually
  • More than 10,000 hydrothermal features
  • More than 500 active geysers (more than half the world's geysers)
  • About 290 waterfalls
  • Tallest waterfall near a road: Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at 308 feet

Wildlife

  • 67 species of mammals, including seven species of native ungulates and two species of bear
  • 285 species of birds (150 nesting)
  • 16 species of fish (five nonnative)
  • More than seven aquatic invasive species (three having significant detrimental effect)
  • Five species of amphibians
  • Six species of reptiles
  • Two threatened species: Canada lynx, grizzly bears

Vegetation

  • Nine species of conifers (more than 80% of forest is lodgepole pine)
  • 1000+ species of native flowering species
  • 225 species of invasive plants
  • 186 species of lichens

Cultural Resources

  • 26 associated Native American tribes
  • More than 1800 known archeological sites
  • More than 300 ethnographic resources (animals, plants, sites)
  • 25 sites, landmarks, and districts on the National Register of Historic Places, many more eligible for listing
  • One National Historic Trail (Nez Perce)
  • More than 900 historic builings
  • More than 720,000 museum items, including 30 historic vehicles
  • Millions of archives documents
  • More than 20,000 books (many rare), manuscripts, periodicals

Roads & Trails

  • Five park entrances
  • 466 miles of road (310 miles paved)
  • More than 15 miles of boardwalk, including 13 self-guided trails
  • Approximately 1000 miles of backcountry hiking trails
  • 92 trailheads
  • 301 backcountry campsites

 

Image: Brochure of Alice's Adventures in the New Wonderland: The Yellowstone National Park, 1885, University of Wyoming American Heritage Center, Toppan Library, F722.n67

 

Information from the National Park Service

Collections at the AHC

National Parks, including Yellowstone National Park, are one of the AHC's popular research topics. Wyoming is home to the country's first national park and one of its most notable. Yellowstone National Park was established in Wyoming Territory in 1872, and Wyoming is also home to Grand Teton National Park.

This page includes a few of the collections related to Yellowstone National Park. These collections and many more can be found by browsing the tabs above or searching UW's online catalog or the AHC's finding aids. 

 

Arthur E. Demaray Papers

Demaray was in U. S. government service for forty-eight years, with the U. S. Geological Survey from 1903-1917 and with the U. S. National Park Service from 1917 until his retirement as Director in 1951. He is credited for his pioneering efforts leading to the establishment of several national parks. Collection contains correspondence, diaries, photographs, articles, awards, medals and pins all related to Demaray's career. In addition there is material relating to his various trips including brochures and other travel literature, postcards, scrapbooks, and photographs.

 

Murie Family Papers

The Murie Family Papers consist predominately of the professional papers of three famous conservationists, Olaus Murie, Margaret Murie, and Adolph Murie. The collection contains reports, correspondence, memoranda, field notes and journals, publications, and an extensive collection of films. The materials relate to public land management wildlife conservation in Alaska, western Wyoming, and the desert Southwest.

 

Wayne F. Replogle Papers

Replogle began his career at Yellowstone National Park as a seasonal park ranger on horse patrol and later spent his time there as a ranger-naturalist. In addition to being known as a Yellowstone Park Ranger, Replogle was known as a naturalist, conservationist, student of American Indian history, writer, storyteller, artist, football coach, and photographer. His papers contain slides, photographs, correspondence, publications, and writings relating to Yellowstone National Park