Traveler: Danielle

When: April 2021

Overall Experience

You may have heard that Yellowstone National Park is the American version of a safari. After visiting the park for a few days, I can’t help but agree with that sentiment especially when it comes to the American Bison. Not only is the park filled with majestic wild critters, the landscape contains some of the most dramatic and diverse scenery in the United States. If Yellowstone National Park isn’t already on your bucket list of places to visit, I implore you to add it to your top ten.

Where to Stay

After flying into Bozeman, Montana’s tiny airport we made the less than two hour drive in the dark to the Hibernation Station Cabins located a stone’s throw away from the West Yellowstone entrance. The cabins exude rustic charm but still have modern conveniences like pillow soft beds and coffee makers. It’s in a quiet part of town and takes just about five minutes to get to the gate.

Additionally, you may also choose to stay closer to the North Yellowstone Entrance in Gardiner. We also stayed a few nights at the Yellowstone Riverside Cottages to cover more ground in the park and surrounding areas. The cottages have more modern finishes and boast a riverside view. There are decks with comfortable seating for guests to enjoy overlooking the Yellowstone River.

Where to Eat

West Yellowstone

Running Bear Pancake House

This is a popular spot to fuel up with a hearty breakfast before a long day in the park. The restaurant also serves brown bag lunches to go for those who really want to maximize their time outdoors.

Madison Crossing Lounge

A swanky downtown bar and restaurant in West Yellowstone, the Madison Crossing Lounge serves up fancy cocktails and local dishes. Try the rainbow trout and save room for dessert!

Gardiner

Wonderland Cafe and Lodge

This north entrance adjacent town has less choices than the West Entrance but we still found a delicious meal at the Wonderland Cafe and Lodge. This place is cozy and artsy with a farm to table focus. The serve up spirits and local brews, as well as some delicious mac and cheese!

Things to Do

Obviously, you are here to visit Yellowstone National Park. It costs $35 to enter by car which is valid for seven days. It’s well worth it! There are SO MANY ACTIVITIES! Fishing, skiing and snow shoeing, snow mobiling, hiking, biking, camping, and wildlife watching are all available in the park. These activities are highly dependent on the time of year. Some sections of the park are closed during the winter and when grizzly hibernation ends (Is there a technical term for that?).

For example, during our visit in April Yellowstone Lake was still closed due to the snow. On the other hand, there was no traffic and zero crowds enabling us to experience the park in near solitude. Always check the NPS website for the most up to date road closures.

Yellowstone has many accessible areas for people of all abilities to enjoy. There are pull over stops along the major roads to enjoy the scenery and have a picnic. Additionally, the popular geysers have accessible boardwalks that are wheelchair and stroller friendly.

The Geysers

Grand Prismatic

One of the first big attractions to see when coming from the West Entrance is the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s a deadly kaleidoscope of colors reaching temperatures of up to 160 degrees. It’s also the third largest in the world at 370 feet in dimeter.

Old Faithful

Perhaps the most famous geyser in the Americas, Old Faithful has been thrilling guests since the establishment of the park in 1872. The geyser is unusually predictable, only lengthening the time between eruptions by about 30 minutes in the last 30 years. I was impressed by the site but when my dad visited the park back in the day he reported “It was the most disappointing thing I ever saw.” So level set those expectations!

Good to note that the geysers in and around old faithful are very accessible for everyone.

Artists’ Paintpots

This two mile loop trail goes into the woods and follows a boardwalk above the geysers providing a scenic overlook of the valley. This was colorful kaleidoscope of pools and a surprisingly quiet area of the park where we had the entire place to ourselves to run around.

North Basin Geyser

Another accessible looped trail that provides options of a 1.6 mile or a .6 mile trek around a vast landscape of geysers in a variety of colors.

Mammoth Hot Springs

While not as impressive as the geysers in west Yellowstone, it’s still worth exploring all of the tiered hot springs. The rock formations and pools are pretty and it’s a great stair workout

The Entrance Arch

The famous entrance arch marking the north gateway to Yellowstone. Perfect for group photos!

Lamar Valley

This exciting and expansive valley provides the perfect introduction to Yellowstone. There’s a self-guided hike on a boardwalk accessible loop that introduces the visitor to the flora and fauna thriving here.

We ventured to the petrified tree which was created when a chain of volcanoes erupted here almost 50 million years ago. It was impressive. The Lamar Valley is where we saw some of the famous Yellowstone wildlife including a wolf and a smaller black bear.

Shilogo Valley

Another great area to view the wildlife of Yellowstone. There are many places to pull over and hike along the main road. We stopped and joined a gaggle of photographers watching a pack of wolves across the valley. They were very kind and even allowed us to track the animals using their professional scopes.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Once of the most picturesque scenes in the park, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone must be on every visitor’s list to see. The canyon itself stretches for 24 miles and varies from 800 to 1200 feet in depth. The upper most 2 miles are the most colorful section due to the hot geysers activity.

Final Thoughts

Yellowstone National Park is absolutely magnificent. I felt lucky\to experience such a wild place. I’m always encouraged when I read articles about the increased number of visitors at national parks in the United States. I realize that comes with its own set of challenges in regards to over tourism but I feel hopeful that with each new visitor, the National Park Service has an admirer and supporter for life. That every minute spent in the outdoors makes us all the more committed to conservation. We become determined to do everything we can to keep these parks and every creature that calls them home around for future generations.