Who made Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is often remembered as the first national park in the world, a revolutionary idea that set the foundation for conservation and public land protection. But the story of who made Yellowstone National Park is not simply about a single person; it is a rich and complex narrative involving explorers, surveyors, scientists, artists, politicians, and Indigenous peoples whose lands were transformed into a park without their consent. Understanding this story helps visitors appreciate Yellowstone not only for its natural beauty but also for the cultural and historical struggles tied to its creation.

Quick Reference: Who Made Yellowstone National Park

Contributor	Role in Creation of Yellowstone National Park
Indigenous Peoples (Shoshone, Bannock, Crow, Blackfeet, Nez Perce)	Lived in and managed the Yellowstone region for thousands of years, using it for hunting, fishing, and spiritual practices. Their lands and rights were excluded in the park’s creation.
Early Fur Trappers and Explorers	Shared stories of geysers, hot springs, and geothermal wonders in the early 1800s, though often dismissed as exaggerated tales.
Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition (1869)	Provided the first detailed documentation of Yellowstone’s wonders, laying the groundwork for future surveys.
Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition (1870)	Produced maps, notes, and scientific observations that verified Yellowstone’s uniqueness and raised public interest.
Ferdinand V. Hayden (Hayden Geological Survey of 1871)	Led the first federally funded geological survey, producing scientific data and reports that convinced Congress of Yellowstone’s significance.
Artists and Photographers (Thomas Moran & William Henry Jackson)	Moran’s paintings and Jackson’s photographs provided visual proof of Yellowstone’s landscapes, swaying lawmakers and the public.
President Ulysses S. Grant & Congress (1872)	Signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law on March 1, 1872, officially creating the world’s first national park.

The land that would become Yellowstone was inhabited for thousands of years by Native American nations, including the Shoshone, Bannock, Blackfeet, Crow, and Nez Perce. These peoples used the region’s rivers, meadows, and geothermal basins for hunting, fishing, and spiritual practices. They knew the land intimately and considered it part of their cultural identity. When visitors today travel through Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, or Old Faithful, they are walking landscapes that were already deeply meaningful long before European Americans arrived. However, Native voices were silenced in the process of creating the park, as the federal government declared the land public domain and later restricted access to Indigenous peoples.

The first known European Americans to pass through the Yellowstone area were fur trappers in the early 1800s. They returned with almost unbelievable stories of boiling mud, steaming rivers, and geysers that shot water into the sky. Most people dismissed these accounts as tall tales. The first organized attempt to study and document the region came with government-sponsored expeditions. The Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition of 1869 was one of the earliest journeys to systematically record Yellowstone’s wonders. Although their accounts were not widely published, they laid the groundwork for what came next.

The pivotal moment came with the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition in 1870, led by Henry Washburn, Nathaniel Langford, and accompanied by Gustavus Doane, a U.S. Army lieutenant. This expedition provided detailed maps, sketches, and scientific observations. It captured the attention of the public and the government by verifying the extraordinary geothermal features and untamed wilderness. However, it was not only the scientists who made an impact. Artists and writers played a crucial role in persuading lawmakers and the American public.

Thomas Moran, a painter, and William Henry Jackson, a photographer, joined the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, led by Ferdinand V. Hayden. Moran’s dramatic paintings and Jackson’s photographs offered irrefutable visual proof of Yellowstone’s unique beauty. Their work circulated in newspapers and galleries, inspiring awe and convincing Congress that Yellowstone should be preserved. Moran’s massive canvas “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,” displayed in the U.S. Capitol, is often credited with swaying legislators.

The legislative push was spearheaded by Ferdinand Hayden, who submitted a comprehensive report to Congress advocating that Yellowstone be protected from private development. He argued that the geysers, waterfalls, and canyons were national treasures that should be safeguarded for all Americans. Unlike other western lands, which were often sold off or exploited for mining, Hayden envisioned Yellowstone as a “pleasuring ground” for the people. With support from conservation-minded politicians, including Senator Samuel Pomeroy of Kansas and Representative Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, the proposal gained traction.

On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law. This made Yellowstone the first national park in the world, setting aside over two million acres of wilderness “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” While Grant deserves recognition for signing the act, it was the combined efforts of explorers, scientists, artists, photographers, and lawmakers that brought Yellowstone into existence.

However, the creation of the park came at a cost. Indigenous tribes were excluded from the decision-making process and later faced displacement and restrictions on their traditional use of the land. Hunting was outlawed, and access to sacred sites became limited. Over time, the U.S. Army enforced park rules and sometimes clashed with Native groups. This part of Yellowstone’s history is vital for modern visitors to acknowledge. The beauty they enjoy today was preserved in part by erasing Native peoples from their ancestral homelands.

For today’s visitor, understanding who made Yellowstone National Park deepens the experience. Walking along the boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin or standing at the brink of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River becomes more meaningful when you realize these places were preserved through the vision and advocacy of many people. The artistry of Thomas Moran and the photographs of William Henry Jackson gave Congress a vision of what could be lost. The scientific leadership of Ferdinand Hayden provided the data needed to justify preservation. The courage of early explorers like Washburn, Langford, and Doane turned rumors into documented reality. And, importantly, the cultural knowledge of Indigenous nations remains a living part of Yellowstone, even if it was not acknowledged in 1872.

In many ways, Yellowstone is a collective creation. It was made by Native peoples who shaped and understood the land for generations, by explorers and surveyors who documented its wonders, by artists and scientists who carried its image to the nation, and by lawmakers who formalized its protection. President Grant’s signature gave the park legal status, but the spirit of Yellowstone was built through centuries of human connection to the land.

When visitors step into Yellowstone today, they are experiencing the result of this layered history. The park stands as a symbol of the conservation movement, a global model that inspired the creation of national parks around the world. At the same time, it serves as a reminder of the human costs of preservation, especially for Indigenous communities. Appreciating both sides of this story allows visitors to see Yellowstone not just as a landscape of geysers, bison, and waterfalls, but as a human achievement shaped by vision, artistry, politics, and conflict.