Native Americans had lived in the area for millennia before white explorers ever ventured near Yellowstone. In the early 1800's, the famous Lewis and Clark expedition would pass by but chose not to investigate even after being informed of the natural wonders there. Then for the next several decades, only a few fur trappers would experience the natural wonders that the Indian tribes had known for thousands of years.
Finally, in 1871, naturalist F.V. Hayden led a group into the region armed with a photographer and a painter. Utilizing detailed scientific notes along with the large format photographs and paintings of Yellowstone, Congress was persuaded to remove the region from public auction and President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law creating Yellowstone National Park in 1872. This simple, yet profound act marked the first time a park area was created for the protection of its natural resources and for the enjoyment of all the citizens of the country.
Unfortunately, Congress failed to appropriate any funding for Yellowstone, and lawlessness and exploitation of park resources was abundant. Thousands of elk, deer, buffalo, etc. were slaughtered by hunters. This continued until the US Army established Camp Sheridan (later renamed Fort Yellowstone) and started policing the area.
With the resources of the Army, control was brought back to the region and multiple polices were initiated regarding the care and use of Yellowstone. When the Army turned over control of the area to the newly created National Park Service in 1918, many of these policies were adopted for use by the new agency.
Gradually more visitors were drawn to Yellowstone and with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's many of the facilities of the area were built like the campgrounds, roads and visitor centers. These improvements made visiting the 2.2 million acre park much more enjoyable.
Today, it is estimated that over 3 million people visit the park each year, many of them utilizing the in-park hotels and cabins.
The area is abundant with wildlife and picturesque scenery, but it is most noted for being riddled with geothermal features. Most famous of these is the Old Faithful Geyser which erupts regularly (usually between one hour and 1.5 hours).
The reverse image features the Old Faithful geyser with a mature bull bison in the foreground. Inscriptions are YELLOWSTONE, WYOMING, 2010 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Design candidates were developed in consultation with representatives of Yellowstone National Park.
Mintage:
| Philadelphia | Denver | Clad Proof | Silver Proof |
| 33,600,000 | 34,800,000 | 1,402,756 | 859,435 |
Cents
