1. The law that created it was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872.
2. Its land reaches into three states: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
3. It sits on top of a vast volcanic caldera and holds roughly half of the world’s geysers.
4. Its most famous attraction is a geyser called Old Faithful.
💡 Hint
Clue 2 narrows the map, because only one corner of the country brings those three states together. Pair it with the age in clue 1, which makes this among the oldest protected areas.
Reveal answer
Yellowstone National Park.
Step-by-step solution
- Clue 1: President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone act in 1872. Yellowstone is widely regarded as the first national park in the world.
- Clue 2: most of the park is in northwestern Wyoming, with smaller parts in Montana and Idaho.
- Clue 3: Yellowstone sits over the Yellowstone Caldera, a huge volcanic system. The National Park Service says the park holds about half of the world’s geysers.
- Clue 4: Old Faithful, in the Upper Geyser Basin, is the park’s best-known geyser, named for its regular eruptions.
- Only one park fits all four clues: Yellowstone.
Why it fools people
The first clue hides the park’s most famous fact in plain sight. Many people know that Yellowstone was the first national park, but fewer connect it with Ulysses S. Grant, a president remembered mostly for the Civil War. The second clue also misleads, because many people picture Yellowstone entirely in Wyoming and don’t realize it crosses state lines. Each clue is simple alone, but the park only appears when you hold all four in mind together.
Did you get it?
About This Puzzle
America’s national parks are some of the most visited places in the country, and each one has a story that goes beyond the scenery. This puzzle gives you four clues about one famous park. The first clue is a piece of history that only a few people know by heart. Each clue after that is a little easier, and the last one is something most Americans have seen in a photo, a movie or a family vacation album. Try to name the park as early as you can. If you get it on the first clue, you know your park history very well.
How to Think About It
Use the clues as filters. A park created in 1872 must be very old, older than most states in the West. Ask yourself which parks were around before the 20th century. The second clue narrows the map: only one corner of the country brings Wyoming, Montana and Idaho together. The third clue describes heat under the ground, which points to hot springs, mud pots and geysers. If you are still unsure, the last clue names a landmark that appears on countless postcards. Say the park’s name out loud once you have it.
Common Traps
The most tempting wrong answer is Grand Teton, which is also in Wyoming and very close by. It is a famous park, but it was created much later and is known for its jagged mountains rather than geysers. Glacier National Park is another common guess because it is in Montana. People who know about volcanoes sometimes guess Yosemite or Hawaii Volcanoes. Neither reaches into three states, and neither is home to the famous geyser in clue four.
Where This Puzzle Comes From
This puzzle uses a “clues that get easier” format that quiz writers have used for generations. Quiz bowl questions are famously built the same way, starting with a hard fact and ending with a giveaway, so that the player who knows the most can answer first. The facts here come from well-documented park history: the 1872 act signed by Grant, the park’s geography and its geysers, as described by the National Park Service.
Try This Variation
Guess another park:
1. It was established as a national park in 1919.
2. It is in northern Arizona.
3. The Colorado River carved it over millions of years.
4. Its name says it’s the biggest canyon around.
Show the answer to the variation
Grand Canyon National Park. It became a national park in 1919, sits in northern Arizona and was carved by the Colorado River. The last clue is a play on its name: “grand” means big, and it is a canyon. It is one of the most visited national parks in the country.