Yellowstone Quiz: Geysers, Bison and America's First Park

This Yellowstone quiz explores the world's first national park, from Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring to Wyoming's wild valleys, bison herds, the return of gray wolves, the Yellowstone supervolcano and the 1872 law signed by Ulysses S. Grant. Ten questions, 90 seconds.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

History
Yellowstone became the world's first national park in which year?
Geysers
Which famous Yellowstone geyser erupts so regularly that rangers can predict it?
Hot Springs
Which large hot spring is famous for its rainbow rings of color?
Location
Most of Yellowstone lies in which U.S. state?
Geology
What lies beneath Yellowstone and powers its geysers and hot springs?
Wildlife
Which predator was reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 after being wiped out decades earlier?
Wildlife
Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where which animal has lived continuously since prehistoric times?
Landscapes
Which canyon in the park features the Lower Falls and colorful yellow rock?
Lakes
Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America above what height?
Terraces
Which area of Yellowstone is famous for white and orange travertine terraces?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Yellowstone became the world's first national park in which year?
Answer: 1872
President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law creating the park on March 1, 1872, long before the National Park Service existed.
Q2: Which famous Yellowstone geyser erupts so regularly that rangers can predict it?
Answer: Old Faithful
Old Faithful erupts roughly every 60 to 110 minutes. Nearby Steamboat is the world's tallest active geyser, but its eruptions are unpredictable.
Q3: Which large hot spring is famous for its rainbow rings of color?
Answer: Grand Prismatic Spring
The colors come from heat-loving microbes living at different temperatures around the edge of the spring.
Q4: Most of Yellowstone lies in which U.S. state?
Answer: Wyoming
About 96 percent of the park is in Wyoming, with small parts in Montana and Idaho.
Q5: What lies beneath Yellowstone and powers its geysers and hot springs?
Answer: A huge volcanic system
Yellowstone sits on a supervolcano that last had a giant eruption about 640,000 years ago. Its heat drives more than 10,000 hydrothermal features.
Q6: Which predator was reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 after being wiped out decades earlier?
Answer: Gray wolf
The return of wolves changed the behavior of elk and helped plants and other animals recover, a famous example of a trophic cascade.
Q7: Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where which animal has lived continuously since prehistoric times?
Answer: The American bison
Yellowstone's bison herd is one of the largest on public land. Visitors are warned to stay at least 25 yards away.
Q8: Which canyon in the park features the Lower Falls and colorful yellow rock?
Answer: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Lower Falls drop about 94 meters, almost twice the height of Niagara Falls. The yellowish rock may have inspired the name Yellowstone.
Q9: Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America above what height?
Answer: 2,100 meters
The lake sits at about 2,357 meters and freezes over for about half the year.
Q10: Which area of Yellowstone is famous for white and orange travertine terraces?
Answer: Mammoth Hot Springs
The terraces form as hot water brings up dissolved limestone, which is deposited as travertine. They change shape constantly.

Yellowstone Quiz – Wonders of America's First National Park

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most famous natural areas on Earth. Created in 1872, it was the world's first national park, setting an example that more than 100 countries later followed. The park covers nearly 9,000 square kilometers, mostly in Wyoming, and draws millions of visitors every year to see its geysers, canyons, lakes and wildlife.

Yellowstone sits on top of one of the world's largest volcanic systems. Heat from deep below powers more than half of all the geysers on Earth, along with steaming hot springs, bubbling mud pots and smoking vents. Old Faithful is the most famous geyser, while the Grand Prismatic Spring dazzles visitors with its rings of bright color created by microbes.

The park is also one of the best places in North America to see large animals. Bison, elk, grizzly bears, black bears, pronghorn and moose roam its valleys. Gray wolves were reintroduced in 1995, and their return reshaped the ecosystem. Rangers remind visitors to keep a safe distance, because wild animals can be dangerous.

Beyond the thermal areas, Yellowstone has dramatic landscapes. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone features colorful cliffs and powerful waterfalls, Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America, and Mammoth Hot Springs has terraces of white and orange stone. In winter, snow covers much of the park, creating a quiet, steaming wonderland.

This quiz covers the history, geology and wildlife of Yellowstone.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for nature lovers, road-trippers and fans of the Bing homepage images.

When and how Yellowstone became a national park
What powers its geysers and hot springs
Why the Grand Prismatic Spring is so colorful
Which animals live in the park
How wolves changed the ecosystem
Famous canyons, lakes and terraces

Quick Facts About Yellowstone

Yellowstone has more than 500 active geysers.
The park experiences hundreds to thousands of small earthquakes every year.
Yellowstone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walking off boardwalks in thermal areas is dangerous because the crust can be thin.
The park's roads form a figure-eight called the Grand Loop.
Winter temperatures in Yellowstone can drop below −40°C.