Qualla: Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:06 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-national-park-wk/shoshone-lake-yellowst.jpg Qualla: Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: Introduction https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit National Park Service, Public domain. They didn't think anyone would believe them. The fur trappers who returned from Yellowstone in the early 1800s told stories of boiling rivers, geysers shooting water hundreds of feet, and pools of brilliant colors that seemed painted. They were dismissed as liars or drunks. Only official expeditions in the 1870s confirmed what the trappers had seen. The Washburn expedition of 1870 produced the proposal that made Yellowstone protected land: rather than dividing the wonders among private owners, preserve them for all. In 1872, President Grant signed the act creating the world's first national park. The idea of preserving wilderness for public benefit began here, above a supervolcano, surrounded by geysers.

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Image: National Park Service | Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: The Volcano https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit Public domain. Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano - a volcanic system capable of eruptions thousands of times larger than typical volcanoes. The Yellowstone Caldera, 34 by 45 miles, formed during three cataclysmic eruptions over the past 2.1 million years. The most recent, 640,000 years ago, ...

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Image: Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-the-volcano.mp3 0:06 2 full Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: The Geysers https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit Public domain. Yellowstone contains more geysers than the rest of the world combined - over 500 in the park. Old Faithful is the most famous, erupting approximately every 90 minutes, predictable enough to draw crowds who wait on benches for the show. But Steamboat Geyser, in Norris Basin, is th...

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Image: Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-the-geysers.mp3 0:06 3 full Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: The Wildlife https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit Stephen Pribut, CC BY-SA 3.0. Yellowstone preserves the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. Grizzly bears, reintroduced wolves, bison herds, elk, moose, and mountain lions roam landscape largely unchanged since pre-European contact. The wolf reintroduction of 1995 transformed the ecosyste...

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Image: Stephen Pribut | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-the-wildlife.mp3 0:06 4 full Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: The Idea https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit Mike Cline, Public domain. Yellowstone established the concept of national parks - public lands preserved for public benefit rather than private development. The idea spread from America worldwide; over 100 nations now have national park systems inspired by Yellowstone's example. The park's establishment w...

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Image: Mike Cline | Public domain

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-the-idea.mp3 0:06 5 full Yellowstone: The First National Park on Earth: Visiting Yellowstone https://qualla.com/yellowstone-first-park/ Photo credit Yunner, CC BY-SA 3.0. Yellowstone National Park occupies northwestern Wyoming with extensions into Montana and Idaho. Five entrances provide access; the park is 3,472 square miles. The Grand Loop Road connects major features: Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth...

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Image: Yunner | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/c/m/yellowstone-first-park-wk/9xck-yellowstone-the-first-national-park-on-earth-visiting-yellowstone.mp3 0:06 6 full