Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was the world's first national park. Located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Also, preserved within Yellowstone is a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs as well as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Within the park, Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano and has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Almost half of all the world's geothermal features can be found in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism.

Want to plan a visit?

The park is open every day of the year but entrances and roads open on different dates. The 7-day entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering by foot, bike, or ski.

Click HERE to look at lodging within the park

Here's a look at a collection of amazing photos from Yellowstone National park taken this past week:

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A stream meanders through the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 21, 2011. REUTERS
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A rainbow of light can be seen at the base of the 93 meter tall Yellowstone River Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 21, 2011. REUTERS
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The Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest in the United States and third largest in the world, is seen in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 22, 2011. REUTERS
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The Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest in the United States and third largest in the world, is seen in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 22, 2011. REUTERS
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Tourists walk around the Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest in the United States and third largest in the world, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. REUTERS
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The nearly constantly erupting Clepsydra Geyser in the Fountain Paint Pot area in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 21, 2011. REUTERS
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Steam rises from geysers and thermal features in the Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 23, 2011. REUTERS