Many people have heard of Yellowstone National Park but may not know exactly where it is in the United States. Asking exactly where Yellowstone is located is a common question that we often have asked of us through our website. Knowing where Yellowstone is located can influence a person’s decision as to whether to take a trip to the park, or not. It can also influence what stops they will want to make along the way, which is also an important part of their trip experience. I consider myself very fortunate to live about an hour from the West Entrance to the park.
Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest section of the state of Wyoming, which is in the northwest region of the United States. Yellowstone includes land located in three states, Wyoming (96% of the park), Montana (3% of the park), and Idaho (1% of the park).
Wondering What to do in Yellowstone National Park? Check out our Yellowstone Explored Travel Book! Click the image to learn more!
There are five entrances to Yellowstone National Park and each side of the park has an entrance, the east side having two. This makes it very convenient for park visitors so they can choose the best entrance based on where they are coming from if driving, or which airport is the closest to the specific entrance they want to enter.
Where are the closest airports to each of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park?
When planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park and flying in from your home location, you need to consider the airports that place you closest to the park entrance in which you plan to enter. The chart below provides information to help you make that decision.
Click HERE or the image to the left to Download a jpeg file of the chart above.
Most of these airports that are close to Yellowstone National Park are located in what is known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
What is the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?
Yellowstone National Park is located nearly dead center of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, an area comprising 34,375 square miles covering parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. This area is one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on the planet. Its diversity includes the largest free-roaming wild herd of bison in the United States, half of the world’s active geysers, one of the largest elk herds in North America, and one of the few remaining grizzly bear populations in the contiguous United States.
As such, much of the drives from the respective airports to the park entrances are vacation destinations themselves. The chart below highlights a few of the vacation or wilderness destinations along the way from each airport to the associated park entrance.
Click HERE or on the image to the left to download the table shown on the left
How big is Yellowstone National Park?
When you arrive to start your Yellowstone experience, it is good to remember that Yellowstone National Park is quite large, covering 3,472 square miles or 2.2 million acres. The park runs north to south for 63 miles, and 54 miles west to east by air.
How many days will it take to see the whole park?
It is impossible to see the park in a few days. Rather, depending on your extent of exploration you plan or hope to experience when in the park, it can take a week or longer. In fact, much longer if you were to visit all the major icons or features of Yellowstone, take many of the hikes in the park, and enjoy the many little gems that exist in the park.