Yellowstone National Park – The natural wonderland!

I have never ever seen something like Yellowstone. I’ve traveled to loads of countries in Central and South America, Europe, Asia and the north of Africa. I saw incredible natural wonders of every possible type. However, Yellowstone has something truly special to it. The landscape and nature are absolutely awesome and the fauna is extremely varied and unique. If you then add the hot springs, the geysers, the fumaroles, the absence of phone data, the hundreds of trails and the amazing camping options, the experience is simply brutally positive!

Looking back I can say that this is one of the most special trips I did in my life. I have lovely and amazing memories of this trip that will stay with me forever. It’s just like if you wanted to go back in time and live those moments forever. It is a magical place that brings peace, love, and clarity to those who visit it

I invested a lot of time on this trip and the return on investment was great. My goal with this post is to share with you all the intel I gathered during my trip. I hope you find it useful and it makes your experience nearly as amazing as mine.

Here you go!

Yellowstone National Park in a Nutshell

Fly to Salt Lake City (SLC) and drive to Yellowstone, or fly directly to Jackson Hole if budget is not a concern and drive from there.

Visit possibly the most famous and amazing National Park in the U.S. Go absolutely nuts contemplating geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, rivers, waterfalls, vast valleys, and all that nature has to offer in these latitudes. Get ready to run into bears, elks, moose and what not. Do some amazing trails that will lead you right into the wild.

During your stay, set up a nice fire next to the tent and cook some tasty (maybe not to the point of delicious) camping recipes. Cover yourself up and prepare to enjoy a chilly night under the stars of what seems like another (gorgeous) planet.

Finally drive back to SLC and have a nice dinner before heading back to one of the fine trendy restaurants of the city.

The details

So first of all, let’s make sure we get some good background information and interesting facts of the place!

Yellowstone National Park is absolutely huge. It is a 3,500 sq. mile (over 9,000 sq. km) wilderness national park that lies on top of a volcanic hot stop. It is located in the state of Wyoming, although some sections of the park spread into Montana and Idaho too.

The Park is an absolute natural wonder. It has huge canyons, mountain rivers, beautiful forests, geysers, and hot springs. The fauna is also extremely varied. There are hundreds of different animal species in Yellowstone, including Grizzly and Black bears, bison, elks, wolves or antelopes.

Interesting facts about Yellowstone National Park

• Yellowstone was established in March 1872 and it is the world’s first national park.
• The park is 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho.
• Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
• There are more than 300 active geysers and 1,000 to 3,000 (small) earthquakes annually.
• There are 5 park entrances and 466 miles of roads.
• Yellowstone is home to over 65 species of mammals, nearly 300 species of birds, 16 species of fish, 6 of reptiles, and 5 of amphibians.
• There are 92 trailheads that access approximately 1000 miles of trails.
• Old Faithful, the most famous geyser in the park, erupts every 90 minutes on average.
• Yellowstone has the largest, free-roaming herd of bison in the world.
• The world’s tallest active geyser, Steamboat, can erupt to more than 300 feet (90m).
• After two decades of extinction, gray wolves were restored in Yellowstone in 1995.
• Yellowstone sits atop the largest supervolcano in North America.

Why is planning important when you visit Yellowstone

Something I learned before and during my visit to Yellowstone is that planning is absolutely key. The reasons for this are the following:

• There is REALLY a lot to see and time is always of the essence.
• Phone connection inside the park is very poor so don’t count on your phone to improvise a plan.
• Hotel accommodations and nice restaurants are very scarce and booking way in advance is a must.
• You don’t want to be staying outside the park because Yellowstone is vast and it takes a long time to get to the park and navigate it.
• If on top of that, you decide to stay in one of the campgrounds (I did and it was the best call ever) you will need to arrange for additional logistics i.e. tent, gear, food, etc.

Why go to Yellowstone National Park

I could write 100 pages of reasons why going to Yellowstone is an absolute must. It is possible the most famous national park in the U.S. and one of the most beautiful in the world. No matter what is it that you are looking for, you will likely find it here. It doesn’t matter if you are making a chill family trip, you are a bird lover, a passionate about geology, an extreme backcountry hiker or simply love animals. You have the very best of what nature has to offer.

I remember when I was driving and made it to the park. I saw the big sign that said Yellowstone National Park. As soon as I got in, I was absolutely amazed. I remember every second of the road that took us to the campground, the excitement talking to strangers that were waiting to check in about bears and other animals, setting up the tent for the first time, etc. Such beautiful forests, lakes, the fresh air… It feels a little bit like having entered another planet or the wonderland.

It definitely has something special to it and you will feel it as soon as you get in.

Quite frankly, I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on why going to Yellowstone is a must. It is the best it gets in terms of nature.

When to go to Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is an extremely popular destination throughout the year. However, the experience and the things you can do vary depending on the time of the year.

Bottom line is that late spring and early autumn are great to get a good deal and avoid too many tourists. Summer is best if you plan on camping and hiking but be ready to book in advance and drive through busy roads for the park highlights.

April-May

Spring weather is quite unpredictable but if you are lucky, you watch the park emerge from its winter hibernation and avoid the summer hordes of tourists. Bear in mind that some of the park roads don’t open until the third week of April. You can check road status in the following Link.

June-August

Average highs are over the 70s so conditions are optimal for hiking plus most roads and facilities are open. If you plan to camp this is possibly the only time you actually can without freezing. Point to consider is that you need to book accommodation with a lot of time in advance as it is high season.

September-November

Autumn is one of the best times to visit the park as the weather is mild, wildlife is super prominent and there are fewer tourists. Also, accommodation becomes cheaper. The downside is that temperature goes down considerably and camping may be a bit extreme.

December-March

These months are definitely not suitable for most people. There is heavy snowfall during the year and the temperature is rarely above freezing. Driving conditions are very poor and only the North Entrance is open. Also, most park facilities and roads are closed by December.

How to get to Yellowstone National Park

The quickest option is to fly to Jackson Hole airport, which is at one hour by car from Yellowstone. American Airlines, Delta, SkyWest, and United fly to the Jackson Hole airport.

However, the prices tend to be 2-3x the price of flying to Salt Lake City.

Personally, I decided to fly to Salt Lake City. The flight was less than half the price, it is only 320 miles away and I had never been to SLC. It is a 5-hour flight from NYC and I paid about $350 for a round-trip. Prices vary from $275 to $400 generally.

Another alternative is Denver, which is 630 miles away from the park.

What to do in Yellowstone National Park

The possibilities are vast! Day and backcountry hiking, camping, photography. Biking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife watching, snowshoeing, etc.

You can find details on all these activities in the following NPS Things to do link.

Generally, I like to hike all over parks and discover all the gems. However, in Yellowstone, there are really a lot of things to see and they aren’t always close so some car time is necessary.

My personal advice is to check what key highlights you wish to visit and then check hikes nearby, this way you get the perfect combo. Another suggestion is to cover as many spots as possible and safe one whole day to do some of the longer hikes.

I have included below three key sections to organize your visit. One on spots you should check, another one on trails and the last one on efficient itineraries to arrange your time there.

Also, make sure you study the map of the park in advance. You can find it here.

Spots you can’t miss

But first things first, here is the list of spots I would definitely not miss:

• Old Faithful: Yellowstone’s most famous geyser. It has eruptions every 35 to 120 minutes (you can check predictions in the park and they are very accurate) that project boiling water 100-185 feet high.

• Grand Prismatic: one of the largest hot spring pools in the world with a brilliant blue color in the center. Absolutely amazing!

• Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River: water is key to the Yellowstone ecosystem. These are the most dramatic waterfalls of the Yellowstone River, falling over 300 feet, crashing and roaring into the lower waters. Mother Nature at its finest.

• Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces: some the best travertine terracing in the world. This fountain-like rock formations composed of limestone, and a calcium and carbonate-rich rock type are one of the Yellowstone’s most beautiful and delicate features.

• Norris Geyser Basin: the most rapidly changing and hottest geothermal area in the park. It has geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles. This was actually the spot where we brainstormed about starting The Bear Snacks!

• Lamar Valley: a top spot for wildlife. You can drive here in your car and if you are lucky you can see wolves, bears, bighorn sheep, eagles, osprey and of course bison. Best times are dawn and dusk. Bring binoculars!

• Hayden Valley: similar spot to Lamar Valley. They are the two best spots for wildlife watching.

• Tower Falls: one of the most photogenic attractions in Yellowstone. 130 feet from top to bottom!

• Boiling River: hydrothermal feature popular for seasonal bathing where a hot spring flows into cold river water. It is on the Montana side of the Park. Do not forget your swimming suit, you will regret it (we did!)!

My favorite trails

My top picks are the following:

1. Avalanche Peak – a hard 4.6 miles trail with significant elevations gain. Not for everyone. Also, Grizzly bears are frequent in the area in spring and fall so bring your bear spray. This one is tough but also memorable.
2. Mystic Falls Loop – an easy 3.5 miles loop. This trail leads you by geysers, hot springs and a burned forest along the Little Firehole River to Mystic Falls and up to an overlook of the Upper Geyser Basin.
3. Mount Washburn – a mid-easy 7.3 miles trail. It is family-friendly and it has some of the best views of the park. Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited.
4. Fairy Falls to Imperial Geyser trail: a popular hike to impressive hot springs and geysers, and one of Yellowstone’s highest falls.

There are loads of cool trails and generally, every attraction is reached through a trail that you can follow for some miles. In addition to the above, I would suggest you check AllTrails and the REI National Park app. They have all the information you need on trails.

Also, in this Yellowstone day hiking trails link you can find everything you need to make a choice.

One thing to consider is that when you park your car, it’s better to take your backpack with you with water, some food, binoculars, etc. Sometimes you think you are just going to check a spot and you run into a mysterious and attracting trail…

A 3-day itinerary

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many things to see. There are also awesome trails and logically, you will need to sleep and rest too. Therefore, deciding what to do each day efficiently is key. Here is what we did, after a long research.

• Day 1 – Start in Grant Village Campground, head to Old Faithful, then the Morning Glory Pool, the Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin and back to Grant Village Campground (Link)
• Day 2 – Start in Grand Village Campground, head to Lake Yellowstone and have a morning coffee in the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Head to Hayden Valley to check the wildlife. Then go see the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. Finally head to your new campground, Canyon Campground (Link).
• Day 3 – Start at Canyon Campground and head to Mammoth, then take a bath at Boiling River. Next, head to Lamar Valley to behold some wildlife. Then, Tower Fall, Dunraven Pass and back to your tent at Canyon Campground (Link).

I think 3-days is the minimum you need to get the most out of the park. You could squeeze the above in two days or maybe skip a couple of places but it would be a bit exhausting and you would spend a lot of time in the car.

If you have more time, you can always divide day 3, which is a bit heavier in two or safe a day to do some of the longer day hikes.

Where to stay in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is a very big park. You will spend a considerable amount of time in your car. If you go during the high season, you may even run into traffic jams when a cute bison decides to chill in the middle of the road (#truestory).

While you can stay in one of the towns near the Park or even, I would definitely not recommend it.

The best is to stay in the park. That leaves you with two options: one of the lodges or the campgrounds.

No matter what you prefer, I would take into consideration two things:

• If you are going for a lodge, book way in advance or you won’t find space or it will be in one of the very expensive options.
• I think its best two stay at least in two different locations during your stay. This way you can minimize car time. Make your itinerary and then decide where it works best two sleep.

Lodges

There are a number of well-located lodges around the park. You can find all the information you need in this Yellowstone Lodges Link.

My personal choice would be one of the south options for the first night or two i.e. Grant Village, Old Faithful or Lake Hotel. Then, I would move to Canyon Lodge.

If you don’t want to change from one place to the other, I think the best central option is Canyon Lodge as you are not too far from anything.

Camping

Personally, I think camping is always the most authentic and immersing experience. However, it is not for everybody and it requires to bring a fair amount of luggage with you.

This is the option we went for and I think it was the best decision. It is true that it is quite cold at night and you need a good sleeping bag and some thick clothes. However, ending your day in the middle of nature, setting up a fire and sitting next to it, while you cook some camping food and enjoy a glass of wine is one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I may be a bit rustic but in these situations, I feel complete happiness. If you are lucky enough to go with some good friends or the person you love, you won’t regret it!

Camping hints

You can find all the information you need on the available campgrounds in this Yellowstone Campgrounds Link. Campgrounds will typically cost you 30-35 USD per night.

There are two types of campgrounds, the ones you can book in advance and the ones you can’t. Personally, I didn’t want to stress out or rush in the morning so I book the resolvable ones in advance.

Logistically, I decided to do the following:

• First night in Grant Village Campground
• Second and third night in Canyon Village Campground

These two campgrounds are greatly located to visit the different attractions of the park. On top of that, they have flush toilets and showers. You will get one shower ticket per day. You can get more but you have to pay for them. All facilities are pretty clean and decent. A warm shower after the long day feels awesome!

Make sure you take a decent tent, a pad, and a warm sleeping bag. Setting up the camp is really exciting. See below for graphic evidence.

Where to eat in Yellowstone

There are a number of decent options inside the park. All lodges and campgrounds have small commercial areas where you can find restaurants, cafeterias, or general stores.

The food is not great and it gets a bit repetitive but it’s not too bad.

There are a number of fine dining options though. The very best one is the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room. This is a very expensive option and you need to go appropriately dressed up. It may not be for everyone but a good option to consider if fancy a nice and proper dinner to decompress a bit from so much wilderness.

One thing to consider is that you need to make a reservation for the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room in advance. I got there hoping to find a table and obviously, it didn’t happen. So again, plan ahead! You don’t want your loved ones to be disappointed or upset!

You can find all the details on dining options in this Yellowstone Restaurants Link

Eating while camping

If you camp, my recommendation is that you do groceries in a supermarket before getting to the park. Soon, I will be preparing a post on cooking while camping and potential eating options but for the moment, I would suggest you by the following:

• Make sure you have a propane gas tank and a small stove to boil water. Camping cooking gear is needed too.
• If you have the above, you can buy some dehydrated food. While you don’t want to eat this food 4 days on a row, it is not too bad.
• A very special person told me once that if she had to eat that astronaut food one more time she would kill me (referring to dehydrated food). So you should make sure you have some gourmet camping options e.g. bacon, crackers, salami, olives, cheese, pistachios, nuts, red wine, chocolate, etc.
• Having bread and stuff like cheese, prosciutto, soppressata, salami and that kind of stuff is very useful to make sandwiches for the day.
• Make sure you buy a lot of fruit, nuts and protein bars.
• Water is key to boil and drink too.

Top things I wish I had thought about before going to Yellowstone National Park

• Download the map of the area in Google Maps.
• Check the trails you want to do and download them in AllTrails or whatever app you use.
• Buy or rent bear spray and take it with you to the trails. Renting is preferable as you won’t be able to bring it back with you on the plane as it is highly inflammable.
• Nights are chilly even in summer, so if you plan to camp come ready!
• If you don’t have them, I suggest you download the following 2 apps:
  • Alltrails
  • REI – National Parks App (Link)
• Take your binoculars and a good camera. You won’t regret the extra weight.

If you happen to have some extra days, don’t hesitate to visit Grand Teton National Park. It is another amazing park. Check our post: Grand Teton – Nature at its best and finest!