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Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park: Primary Documents in American History

Yellowstone became the nation’s first national park on March 1, 1872. This guide provides access to digital materials at the Library of Congress, external websites, and a print bibliography.

Introduction

An act establishing Yellowstone National Park was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Officially titled "An Act to set apart a certain Tract of Land lying near the Head-waters of the Yellowstone River as a public Park," this landmark legislation created the first national park.

An Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park
United States Statutes at Large (17 Stat. 32).

Thomas Moran, artist. The tower of Tower Falls, Yellowstone. 1875. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Map of the Yellowstone National Park. 1881. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

Rules and regulations of the Yellowstone national park. Department of the interior. Washington, D. C. May, 4, 1881. Printed Ephemera Collection. Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division.