Yellowstone was officially designated as a national park back in 1872, under the orders of President Ulysses S. Grant. The rationale behind this decision was largely presented as an effort to look after the territory’s geothermal features, such as its many geysers. Of course, banning development in the area also protected all the animals that lived there. Photo credit: Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons/{{PD-Brady-Handy}}