Top 10 Tips for Visiting Yellowstone

We have been fortunate to have been able to visit Yellowstone National Park over a dozen times in the past fifteen years and through those visits we’ve definitely learned some lessons.  It seems that most visitors to the park drive the various roads that traverse the park, stopping at each of the various landmarks as well as stopping whenever they run across a large number of vehicles pulled off on the side of the road, the sure sign of a wildlife spotting. Especially during the summer, there can be hundreds of people crammed around the walkways to get a glimpse at Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Prismatic Spring, or the Paint Pots.  If you want to make the most of your visit to Yellowstone, here are a few things that we recommend.

  1. Hike one of the many trails that are in the park.  When hiking, the park recommends that you go in groups of three or more, make noise, and carry bear spray, but we’ve found that just the two of us is fine.  It never ceases to amaze us at how many people cram into the walkways and viewing stations, but as soon as we step onto a trail, we’re virtually alone in the park.  Some of the most beautiful sites in Yellowstone can only be seen by hiking to them and it also greatly increases your chances of seeing wildlife in the park.  Some of the trails can be strenuous, so be sure to know your limits and always hydrate appropriately.

    View From a Trail
  2. Talk to a ranger at one of the visitor centers or ranger stations located throughout the park.  The rangers will be able to tell where certain wildlife is more likely to be seen, which trails are the best to hike and which ones should be avoided or are closed, as well as just provide great information on the park itself.  The rangers are there to assist people and are always extremely friendly and proud of the park that they serve.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions, whether it is about where to go and what to see or questions about the various animals, plants, or geological wonders that abound throughout the park.

    Grizzly Bear
  3. Visit the park during the off-season.  Having been to Yellowstone in all four seasons, we enjoy going almost anytime other than summer.  Fall is probably our favorite season as the Aspens have turned to a spectacular gold and the animals are all very active as they prepare themselves for the upcoming winter.  During winter, though, you are more likely to see wolves or some of the more reclusive animals, but be prepared for snow and check for road closures as not all roads are open during the winter.  Spring is also a wonderful time to visit the park as the wildflowers start to bloom and you will likely see some newly born wildlife with their parents.

    Moose in Winter
  4. Go on a ranger led hike.  It is worthwhile checking on the availability of the ranger led activities in advance as some of them book out weeks in advance.  Ranger led hikes allow limited numbers of participants, so you really get a one on one experience and learn things about the park that you never would otherwise.  The rangers all have vast knowledge about the history of Yellowstone as well as everything to do within the park and they are enthusiastic to share that knowledge with you.

    Ranger on a Hike
  5. Don’t approach any of the wildlife.  It amazes us every year to hear about people approaching wildlife in the park and then being seriously injured or killed.  None of the animals are tame, they are all wild animals and this isn’t a petting zoo.  The elk and bison may seem docile, but any animal that is startled or protecting its young can be unpredictable and aggressive.  We all want that amazing photo to share with our friends, but it isn’t worth risking injury or death for it and having a telephoto lens is a much safer way to get that special shot.

    Wolves at Play
  6. Take your time in the park and give yourself several days to see everything.  There is too much to see in Yellowstone to try and cram it in to a single day or even a couple of days.  Despite all of the times that we’ve been to the park, we’re still finding new places to hike and new beautiful sites to see.  Especially if you visit the park during the summer, expect plenty of traffic on the roads and around all of the major attractions.  Don’t be one of those people who stop at one of the various geological wonders like Old Faithful or the Grand Prismatic Spring, take a couple of quick pictures, and jump back in the car.  Take time to look around, read what information is available about what you’re viewing, and look for ways to view it that are different.  Perhaps you’ll capture a picture that is truly different than what most park visitors see.

    Mammoth Hot Springs
  7. Don’t over plan, see the main attractions, but give yourself time to explore.  There is so much to do and see in the park that you could put yourself on a tight schedule and try to see it all, but then you’d miss out on some great opportunities.  Give yourself a chance to take a boat out onto Yellowstone Lake or go horseback riding in the park or Grand Tetons.  Have dinner on a covered wagon excursion or pack a picnic lunch to eat on a long hike.  The best memories are usually those that were made because of a spontaneous decision, so let yourself find one of those memories in Yellowstone.

    One of the Many Waterfalls in Yellowstone
  8. Visit the park near dawn or dusk.  If you’re going to Yellowstone, it is likely that you’re hoping for the opportunity to see some of the wildlife that is abundant in the park.  Although the bison and elk are easy to see in the park, especially in summer, other animals can be harder to find.  It is well worth getting up early or staying late in the park because the wildlife is more active during those times.  We’ve been fortunate to see bears, both black and grizzly, moose, wolves, elk, bison, bald eagles, coyotes, beavers, and many others during our various visits.

    Black Bear
  9. If you have younger children, have them do the Junior Ranger program.  We’ve had the kids participate in the Junior Ranger program at several national parks and earn the Junior Ranger badge at each of them.  The Junior Ranger program is a great way to entertain the kids, while also helping them learn about the park and the animals that reside there.  They are given a booklet with several pages to complete (simple games like word find or match this animal to its environment, etc.) and when completed and returned to the ranger station, they are awarded their very own ranger badge.

    Beautiful Scenery
  10. Be very observant and always scan all around you whether you’re driving through the park or hiking.  You’ll likely run across a large group of vehicles pulled over on the side of the road with people out with their cameras taking pictures of some sort of wildlife.  If you want to be the first vehicle to stop for that wildlife encounter, pay close attention to your surroundings at all times.  You’d be surprised at how often you may run across something very interesting just by having everyone in the car, obviously not the driver, looking through the trees for anything that might be an animal.  It is even more important to be observant when you’re hiking because you don’t want to surprise an animal while on a trail.  Always look as far ahead as possible as well as scanning in all directions, just to be sure that you see any animals before they see you.

    Plenty of Deer in the Park

Flying Over Wyoming and Montana

We flew up to Montana for work this week, which we have done about fifty times over the past twenty years. Because we go to Montana on such a frequent basis, we tend not to give much thought to the beauty of the area. The area is truly spectacular, not just Yellowstone National Park, but the entire area. It isn’t as though the beauty of nature somehow stops at the border of the park, it is just where protection of the land and wildlife comes to an end. On this particular trip, we decided to take a few photos of the landscape as we flew over northern Wyoming and then into Montana. It might be Spring throughout most of the northern hemisphere, but here in the high-country, winter is still clinging on for another month or so. We are still getting snow occasionally as you can tell from the peaks of the mountains as our plane flew over the Rocky Mountains.

We Believe this is Yellowstone Lake
Snow and Mountains

Once we crossed over the mountains and entered the valley where we were to land, the scenery turned from white peaks to lush green farmland. The growing season for plants in this region is very short, so seeing all of the green grass was very refreshing. It also means that there is a reduced chance of fires, a risk that is unfortunately high in our home state of Colorado. We decided not to go into the park this trip, mostly because of the road conditions as it continued to snow in the mountains and on the mountain passes during our entire time in Montana.

Green Valley and Mountains
Gorgeous Landscape

We will try not to take the beautiful scenery of Wyoming and Montana for granted during any of our subsequent trips. We live in a gorgeous part of the world and seeing it from an airplane is a wonderful way to truly appreciate how wild and wonderful it really is.

View from the Plane

 

Bozeman, Montana

We’ve been in Bozeman, Montana since Tuesday and are getting ready to fly home again tomorrow.  It was a work trip where we traveled together, but we weren’t able to make it into Yellowstone this time.  The weather was surprisingly cold, even by Montana standards for September, and it has been rainy until today and the higher elevations, above 7,500 feet, are covered in snow.  Bozeman is a beautiful little town that sits in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.  We’ve been fortunate to visit Bozeman many times over the past fifteen years and are always drawn to its quaint, historical, charm.

Downtown Bozeman, Montana
Mural in the John Bozeman Bistro

Many people fly into Bozeman for the many different locations that you can reach once you land here.  During the ski season, Big Sky Ski Resort is a short drive away, although the locals ski Bridger Bowl.  You can get to both the North and West entrances of Yellowstone from Bozeman, so it is really convenient for anyone interested in heading to the park.  The area is probably best known for its fly fishing and people flock here from around the world to take advantage of what we understand to be some of the best fly fishing that can be found anyplace.  Needless to say, opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, rafting, biking, or simply enjoying nature abound throughout the area.

Mountain Ranges Around Bozeman

One of our favorite restaurants in downtown Bozeman is the John Bozeman Bistro.  They often have unique specials, but it is the atmosphere that we like the most.  You can also enjoy a burger at Ted’s Montana Grill, which oddly enough was not the first of the locations in the restaurant chain, although Ted Turner does have a huge bison ranch in the area.  One nice thing about Bozeman being a draw for tourists is that there are plenty of nice restaurants for people to enjoy.  In addition to being a tourist location, Montana State University (MSU) is also located here, which keeps the town young and vibrant.

Reuben and French Onion Soup at the John Bozeman Bistro

Since the weather didn’t really cooperate, highs in the low 50’s and lows at night into the middle to lower 30’s, we didn’t have as many opportunities on this trip to get out and enjoy the outdoors.  We’ll likely be back again, knowing how much we like the area, so we’ll be sure to make the most of our next trip.