Yellowstone has been in the top of my wish list since childhood, so you can only imagine the joy I felt when I finally got to visit it.
It is the second largest national park in the continental US and it was the first national park in the world, founded in 1872 after months of expedition to the area by a group of scientists and explorers sent by congress and led by geologist Dr. Ferdinand Heyden, photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran. The precedent in land conservation has actually been set by president Abraham Lincoln who signed a protective grant in 1864 for Yosemite Valley, however it was not to become a national park until almost two decades later.
Yellowstone sits atop an active volcano, which last erupted 640,000 years ago. It is the magmatic heat that fuels the geysers, hot springs and mudpots.
The best times to go are in late spring and early fall. The temperature is mild and tourists are thinned out. Summer is super crowded, in winter there is heavy snow and large parts of the park are closed off.
To my surprise I had cell phone coverage in a good part of Yellowstone!
The paved road loops around the park through the major areas (Old Faithful, Madison, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt, Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb). There are pull outs and view points off of the main road and well marked short trails. If you are visiting for one week or less this is the best way to see most of Yellowstone.
I also highly recommend making time (at least 1 hour) for a stop at the Visitor Education Center by Old Faithful. It is free and they have very informative displays.
If you are truly outdoorsy you can camp in Yellowstone, just keep in mind you will need a permit for it. There are a total of nine lodges and hotels inside the park, however they are not open year round; all are operating in the warmer seasons and only a few in winter. The other alternative is to find accommodation in Jackson Hole and take day trips into Yellowstone.
The entry pass per vehicle is $25, it is good for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton and is valid for 7 days.
There is such ecological diversity here, the place offers a time traveling visual atlas into the formation of our planet.
I find it difficult to pick a favorite area of Yellowstone, there is too much to choose from and it is next to impossible to put in words the beauty and richness of this place, pictures will do much better :
Old Faithful, and the area surrounding it:
This geyser located near Old Faithful, erupted suddenly as I was walking out of the Visitor Center, lucky, lucky, treat!
Lewis Lake:
Grand Prismatic Spring, this area is truly not to be missed !
Fountain Paint Pot:
Mammoth Hot Springs:
Black Dragon’s Caldron, mud volcano:
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:
Some of the waterfalls:
Lake Yellowstone on a cloudy, rainy day
West Thumb Geyser Basin:
Aside from the landscape and unique geological formations the inhabitants of the park are another major draw for visitors. From my experience you are guaranteed to see bison, they were everywhere on my visit. I was also lucky to see foxes, a wolf, elks, deer, wild ducks, bighorn sheep and what felt like a jackpot, a moose. I very much hoped to spot a bear but none showed themselves.
