Beating the Crowds in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has such an amazing variety of scenery and wildlife that it is not surprising why people travel from around the world to visit. We have been fortunate enough to go to Yellowstone over a dozen times over the years and every visit has been as unique as the wildlife that we have seen. There have been times when trying to see the park has been a frustrating experience as the cars and RV’s turn the few roads that traverse the park into virtual parking lots. Joining the crowds at Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Lake can make it feel more like you are waiting in line at an amusement park rather than enjoying the beauty of one the most spectacular places on earth. Unless you enjoy people watching, there a few tips that should help you have a more enjoyable experience.

Amazing Waterfall in Yellowstone
Beauty along the Roadside
  1. Get Off of the Roads – If you want to have a truly memorable experience, talk to the rangers and get a map of the various hiking trails that can be found throughout the park. The rangers will also be able to provide guidance as to which trails should be avoided due to bears or other predators that might be active in the area. Although everyone wants to see wild animals in their natural environment, having a close encounter with a grizzly bear is something that you definitely want to avoid. There are trails to suit almost anyone’s hiking capabilities from the very youngest to the older among us. There are even trails around some of the major attractions that will allow you to see them from angles that other tourists don’t get to see and the lack of crowds will make the experience even better. It is always amazing to us how just jumping onto the trail can transform the park from masses of people into a world of serene isolation.
    Getting a Different View
    All Alone on a Trail

    Views without the Crowds
  2. Go into the Park Early or Late in the Day – Many of the typical tourists that visit the park start their days around 8:00 am and leave the park in time to catch dinner outside of the park. Not only will getting up before dawn and heading into the park or staying until the sun is setting has the dual benefit of avoiding some of the crowds, but also increases the chances of seeing wildlife as the animals are more active as the sun rises and sets. Also, the earlier that you can get to some of the more popular spots, the fewer people you will have to share the experience with. After all, Old Faithful erupts approximately every hour and a half regardless of the time of day.
    Brown Bear
    Tranquil Pond

    Elk Late in the Afternoon
  3. Enter from the North Entrance – Obviously this depends upon where you might decide to stay, but the northern entrance from Montana is usually a little less busy than the West Yellowstone entrance or the southern entrance near Jackson Hole. Both of those entrances are in Wyoming and the southern entrance is probably the busiest. We love combining the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, and Yellowstone into a single visit, but perhaps not during the height of the tourist season, which leads directly to the next piece of advice.
    Amazing Views
    Getting Away from the Road

    Grand Prismatic Lake
  4. Go During the Off-Season – Although the only real off-season is winter, the earlier in spring or the later in autumn you are willing to go, the fewer people will be there along side of you. Personally, our favorite time to visit the park is during fall when the leaves are changing and the animals are actively preparing for winter. You need to be extra cautious when hiking in early spring or fall as the animals can be aggressive as they defend their feeding grounds at the end of the year or their newborns early in the year. As we mentioned before, always check with the rangers, regardless of the time of year, before hiking in the park. Don’t confuse the park with a zoo, these are wild animals who just happen to live in an area that is protected.
    Moose in Winter
    Seeing the Park Differently

    Hiking in Autumn

Going to Yellowstone National Park should be on everyone’s list to visit at least once in their lives. You will need several days or preferably a week in order to see as much of the park as possible, so bring your camera, binoculars, and your patience. Hopefully these tips will help make your visit a little better, but just realize that their are a lot of other people who want to see a place with such natural beauty. You will never have the park to yourself, but there are ways to make the most of your experience.

Amazing Scenery in Yellowstone
It Almost Doesn’t Look Real

 

Another Colorado Sunset

One of the things that we love about living in Colorado are the incredible sunsets that we get from time to time. We enjoy seeing sunsets wherever we go, but there is something about seeing a sunset from your own home that is truly special. Perhaps it is the effect of the radiant colors, but watching a sunset is not only tranquil, but usually gives a warm feeling inside. Stopping for a moment and just watching the colors of the sky change and the sun dip below the horizon is almost like a micro-vacation, even if for only a few minutes. One of the things that made this sunset a little unique was that we weren’t facing west, watching the sun drop below the peaks of the mountains, but instead were facing east and seeing the rays of the sun get collected by the clouds. We took the photos with our phones, so the quality might not be as crisp, but you can still get a sense of it beauty. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Beloved and there is nothing that represents that more to us than these serene moments.

The Initial View
Swirling Clouds
Just Above the Trees
Consuming the Sky in the End

 

Crossroads from the Sky

When you fly over a city, you truly get an opportunity to see the layout of a city. One of the things that naturally catches your eyes are the intersections of major highways as you approach or depart from the city. You can imagine the traffic flowing through these crossroads as they try to make their way to their destination. If you have tried to make your way through older cities that have naturally grown over time, you can start to appreciate why the architects of modern cities take a more practical approach to laying out the streets and highways. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge are words or photos that contain the letter X. You might have to use your imagination slightly, but here are several photos of intersections that we have seen as we have flown into various cities.

Flight into Cochabamba
Going to Quito
Flying into Lima
Landing in Frankfurt, Germany
Highway in Austin