The oldest national park in Poland is the Pieniny National Park, established in 1932. In contrast, the world’s oldest park of this type is in the United States – it is the famous Yellowstone National Park, which is located in the territory of three north-central states: Idaho, Montana and (mainly) Wyoming. It was founded by the decision of President Ulysses Grant, a hero of the Civil War, in 1872. It is home to one of the largest natural ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere, with thousands of species of plants and animals. Many megafauna such as wolves, moose, buffalo, pumas and grizzly bears also live here.
Yellowstone is best known for its spectacular geysers, thermal springs, mud volcanoes and waterfalls – it is an area of increased volcanic activity, the second largest volcanic system in the world (after the caldera of Lake Toba in Sumatra). Approx. 640,000 years ago, the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted at this site, carrying with it 1,000 square kilometers of dust, ash, and rock debris. If such an eruption happened today, most of the United States would cease to exist.
