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10 Things you need to know before you visit Yellowstone!
Yellowstone National Park is an amazing place unlike any other. The sights you see are unbelievable and indescribable natural works of art. If you haven’t visited Yellowstone, you need to make it a priority! Trust me you won't be disappointed. I am lucky enough to go to school not too far away so I've been able to go many times. Every time I go I'm amazed. However, It can have its down sides if you are not prepared. I've put together some tips and tricks that I have found can make or break your trip.
These are my Top 10 Things you need to know before you visit Yellowstone National Park.
1. It's crowded!
Just like any major tourist attraction, it draws an astonishing amount of people each day. Some times of the year are better than others but even on the best of days, you can still expect huge crowds. There's not much you can do to avoid the crowds once you're there so my advice is to except it and be prepared!
I personally think the best time to go is the beginning of fall before they close for winter. It starts to cool off and the sun is not beating down on you all day. Plus it’s not near as crowded as summer!
When traveling with small kids I suggest having everyone wear a bright color shirt so you all can see and find each other a little easier. If your child does not know your cell phone number you might want to write it on their arm in case they get lost. A felt tip liquid eye liner works great for this! it is safe, waterproof, last all day, and you can find one for cheap at any drugstore if you don't already own one.
2. Be prepared to drive!
The park is HUGE and you will defiantly want to see it all of it so be prepared to drive! It takes on average 20 minutes to drive from each attraction to the next if there is no traffic. It’s a beautiful drive so it's easy to sit back and enjoy but with small kids, it can be a little tricky if you are not prepared. Just know that about ½ of your time will be spent in the car. Also, don’t forget to account the price of gas into your budget!
3. Bring your own food!
If you're on a budget bring your own food! The food in the park is overpriced and not that great! The options are also not always easy to work with if you have any allergies or food restrictions. I always bring a cooler and fill it with lots of fun snacks, sandwiches, and plenty of water! Snacks also help with the kidos if they get restless in the car! It also makes your trip way easier when you don’t have to stop the sight seeing to search for food.
4. See the Beehive Geyser!
Old faithful is cool and you defiantly need to see it but it is not what it use to be. Sadly it's not as high or as long as it once was. My advice is to try to see the Beehive Geyser. It's much higher than Old Faithful and last much longer. It also has half the people and you can get closer to it. It goes off every 14 to 19 hours so you have to plan around it.
( http://www.rcn.montana.edu/Resources/Predictions.aspx ) This is one of my favorite places to check the times of Geysers.
My advice is to plan your day around the timing of The Beehive eruption. Old faithful goes off every 45 to 90 minutes so you will be able to see it before or after you visit The Beehive. They are both next to the lodge so there is plenty of places to do some shopping, get some food, and enjoy the air conditioning if you end up having to do some waiting in-between or need a place to eat.
5. Plan out your route before you go!
With so much driving it's important to plan out your route first! The park has a lot to see and if you don’t have a plan you could end up driving in circles and miss a lot of cool things. They give you a map when you enter the park but If this is your first time I would defiantly look up the map online first and do a little planning.
My friends thought I should be in charge of directions. Learn from my mistakes and avoid this look of confusion!
6. Plan plan plan but don't over plan!
As much as you will want to you can't see everything in one trip. Pick what is most important to you and work with that. I suggest picking 4 to 5 main things for each day you have and work your route around those. You will most likely see things along the way you will want to stop for that were not originally in your plan. You don't want to over plan, otherwise you will end up being in a rush trying to see everything. Remember that some attractions, like the geysers, go off at certain times which you will need to plan around. Use the Yellowstone website and do some research before you go!
You will want to make time to watch the sunset! My favorite place is the river that flows along the west entrance.
7. Be prepared to do some walking!
Along with a lot of driving, you will also do a lot of walking. The roads are designed to see the main tourist attractions (Or the attractions became the main ones because the road goes right past them. Who knows?) so most of them don’t require too much walking. However, some of the less known areas require you to hike a little ways to get to them. I highly recommend these areas and don’t let the walking discourage you!
It took us 30 minutes to hike to it but look! No People!
They are way less crowded, more quiet, and just as beautiful if not more. If you have been in a car for a while, it will be nice to get out and do some walking. I'm not saying you have to hike 5 miles up a mountain (But if you want to, GO FOR IT! They have a lot of trails designed for long hikes that are breathtaking.) but sometimes you will have to walk a half-mile just to get to it! Just be sure to bring the right shoes! (And some blister Band-Aids in case!)
8.Dress appropriately!
There is nothing worse than having everything planned and ready only to be miserable because you didn’t dress right. Check the weather before you go. I’m always shocked at the amount of people who are not prepared for the weather. Just because it's warm and sunny in the morning does not mean it will stay that way! It can get cold fast and evenings cool down no matter the session! Even during summer, there are spots in the park that still have snow when you get to high altitudes. Dress in layers and be prepared! Also, don’t let a little rain scare you off. Some of my favorite pictures of Yellowstone I took in the rain. Just bring an umbrella or rain jacket with you!
This picture was taken in august!
9. Don’t forget Bear World!
Yellowstone is amazing but you may not be lucky enough to see bears. In all the times I’ve gone I have only seen 2 bears. Both which were really far away! That being said there is a great solution. It’s called Yellowstone Bear World and it’s amazing! It is approximately 1.5 hrs south of West Yellowstone and defiantly worth the drive! It is a small park that you drive your car through while seeing over 50 bears, some bison, mountain goats, & even elk. On my last visit I also got to see a moose with her 2 babies!
It takes about 20 minutes to drive through so it's quick but, with your day pass you can go through it as many times as you want and Trust me you will want to go a through it more than once! They also have a fun petting zoo and a few carnival rides. The park is super fammily friendly and a blast! If you have small kids this park is a must!
10. Stay outside of the park!
This one might be a personal preference but I'm going to bring it to your attention anyway. The park has many hotels and camping grounds. They are neat but in my opinion, they are overpriced and crowded! I prefer to stay outside of Yellowstone park in the smaller towns away from the tourist.
This is a lake in Montana that has a public campground right next to it. It is a little over a hour outside of the west yellowstone entrance but look at how beautiful. Also this was taken in summer and look No People!
If you want to get away from the tourist traps, look for some places 30-45 minutes outside the park. You'll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet and at a price that won't break the budget. You might have to drive a little to get to the park, but avoiding the tourist and high prices is well worth it. My favorite place is Island park! Its 30 minutes away from the west entrance and it has plenty of places you can camp or hotels to rent at a reasonable price.
I hope this helps you! Let me know if your planing a trip to yellowstone or you have your own tips you want to share!
Safe travels, Megan
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