So my wife and I are trying to decide what our 10th Anniversary (mid-July) getaway will be, and are exploring Yellowstone as a possibility (we’ve never been). I’m going through the various websites (NPS, local cabins, sight-seeing, etc.) but can anyone provide any insider advice or info that we should know about? If we go, we’d probably visit for 5 nights/4 days, so we know we’ll only scratch the surface, but we’re mostly looking for a retreat: minimal crowds, lots of nature, leisurely activities (hiking OK, extreme white-water NO), and few logistical headaches.
Any suggestions or insight out there in Doperland?
If you’re looking to avoid crowds, I’d recommend planning one day to check off the big draw attractions for completeness sake (Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs), just so you can say you’ve been there. Then find a good book of hikes and check them out.
Less crowded personal favorites include:
Specimen ridge: moderate hike with great vistas and a petrified forest.
Lamar valley: scenic drive in less traveled corner of the park, and possibility of breathtaking view of bison herd covering the valley floor.
Make sure you catch an eruption of Castle Geyser. It’s neither as frequent nor as regular as Old Faithful (about twice a day, compared to Faithful’s hour or two period), but it’s absolutely friggin’ huge. No, bigger than that. Really.
What are you planning on for accommodations? Tent camping, cabin camping, or lodges? It’s several hours just to get from one end of the park to the other, so I recommend staying in a few different places.
And you don’t need to specifically plan to see bison herds, or go to any particular part of the park: This time of year especially, they’ll be all over the place. Just remember, they may be herbivores, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe: They’re very large, very strong animals that are used to getting their way, and won’t hesitate to show their unhappiness if they don’t. Don’t think “cow”, think “bull”. Except bigger and wilder. The same goes for elk and all the other animals in the park: When you meet them, remember that they’re in charge, and don’t do anything that might upset them.
Are you camping or staying in hotels/cabins or some of both? Minimal crowds are going to be a problem in July especially if you want to see the more prominent geysers and other popular attractions. More information please!
We’re still in exploratory stage, so where and how we’ll be staying (or if we go at all) is still up in the air–any suggestions on that end? We hadn’t gotten any farther than flying into Jackson Hole.
We’ll probably do some kind of cabin, though a room in a lodge is fine, too (just no shared accomodations). We ordinarily love tenting but would prefer something a little nicer because it’s a special occasion (though given that things are pretty short notice, we’re keeping all our options open).
From the research we have been doing, it sounds and looks like an amazing place, but advice on some of the more practical matters in going are always welcome. Thanks.
I’m going with the premise that you don’t want to rough it much then so camping is out. If you are going to use Jackson Hole as a jumping off point every day you’re going to want to start the day very early and try to just do one section of the park per day. As you know Yellowstone is freaking huge but 4-5 days is enough to see most of it.
Since you want to stay away from the crowds as much as possible hiking is a must. There are many trails in the 3-4 mile range or longer if you get ambitious. You will need some decent day packs and plenty of water. Don’t forget a jacket or some heavy clothing for the morning! Even in July it can get damn cold.
Geyser Basin is a must see in my opinion, the crowds are inevitable there however. Old Faithful gets a giant meh from me but I was a little crabby because we just missed the last eruption and the girlfriend insisted on waiting for the next one…YMMV though.
Some of the best times for us was hitting the trails that offshoot around the Geyser Basin area and seeing some really remote hot springs and bubbling mud pots with nobody else around! Solitude is easy to find even in July but you have to be willing to walk to find it.
Old Faithful is kinda cool in the daytime, but all the people, oy! Late a night when there’s hardly anyone (or, if you’re really lucky, no one) around is another thing altogether. The rumble of the ground combined with the whisper of the geyser is something to experience. And anybody who says Old Faithful is meh should be discounted.
Catching other geysers is largely a matter of luck. And they can tease you for ages before they go off. I’ve been lucky sometimes, not so lucky others.
The Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley are both worthwhile. I don’t know which I prefer. But I’d recommend staying a night at Roosevelt and driving out the Lamar Valley, and maybe into the Beartooth, if you’re so inclined. I think the Hayden is prettier, but a lot of it is too wet to pleasantly hike, and early in the summer it’s a big hangout for grizzlies, which I prefer to avoid. So anymore I mainly just look at it from the roadside.
For the most part, you really can’t miss in Yellowstone. I’m personally not very fond of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and I always get overheated at Norris. Mammoth Hot Springs has been going through an inactive period for decades, and is mostly just dead, white travertine. On the other hand, there are a few really nice trails in that area.
In fact, there are nice trails just about everywhere. Not too many people seem to bother to get out of the heavy tourist parts, which is a good thing. I’ve done many hikes where I’ve only seen maybe one or two other people in the course of 2 or 3 hours.
Don’t get too hung up on trying to see wildlife. When you want to see animals (except for the ubiquitous bison, and almost ubiquitous elk and mule deer), they’re nowhere to be found, or they’re so far away you can barely make them out. When you’re not expecting anything, something surprising always seems to show up.
If your main goal is spending time in Yellowstone, Jackson [Hole] is pretty far away. You’re better off choosing accommodations within the park. Almost anyplace you stay outside the park, you’re looking at a 30-45 minute drive to get to where you want to go. There’s a certain romance to staying at the National Park Lodges/Inns…you wake up in the morning and you’re THERE. No having to jump in the car and drive into the park. To me, it’s worth it, even though the prices are generally higher and the facilities more “rustic”.
Of course the premier spot to stay would be The Old Faithful Inn. When you stay there, you’re a stones throw from the iconic geyser. You can see it whenever–before the crowds arrive or after they’ve gone home for the evening. I think you can even see it from the tables on the Inn’s second-story balcony…complete with adult beverage of your choice. I haven’t stayed at the Inn itself, but the “budget” cabins were nice enough nice enough (no private bathroom, though).
The chances of getting a room in the park at this late date are pretty slim. As an example, in 1997 Ms Hook and I went to Yellowstone. It was May and they had just plowed the snow for the first time. We managed to get a room at Old Faithfull Inn and were told when we made the reservation that that was the last unreserved room at the Inn for the summer.
You should check though, there’s always a chance of a last minute cancelation.
We are pulling our trailer to Yellowstone later this month. I called a couple of days ago for a spot to stay and was told there was nothing available in the park for June or July.
I could go on for days answering this question! I live right near Yellowstone, and try to spend as much time as I can there. I’ve also written a children’s book set in Yellowstone Park that’s spent several years as one of the top-selling books in the Park (it has 11 bookstores) and I’ll be there doing book signings in July.
First: If you want minimal crowds, you must get on a trail and walk. It doesn’t take much. You can be packed in with hundreds of other people at one of the top attractions (e.g., Old Faithful), walk a few hundred yards down a trail, and there’s no crowd at all. Go a mile, and you’re almost alone. Over 99% of visitors to the park never venture more than 1/2 mile from the road.
Second: Allow time to travel. Yellowstone is BIG. It can take several hours to get from one end to the other. On a day when there are bears and bison on the roads (or when–WOW–the wolves are close to the road), I’ve had it take five hours to get from the northeast entrance to Old Faithful in the south.
Third: Make your reservations NOW! If they can’t get you in, keep on calling and checking for cancellations. We pull a trailer in when we visit, and it can sometimes take dozens of phone calls before we end up getting every night in the same campground.
Fourth: The animals are WILD. More people are hurt by bison every year than wolves, bears, mountain lions and all the other predators combined. A moose killed someone near here recently. Show the animals respect and give them space, and you’ll be fine. Push the envelope, and you could get hurt.
If you want to talk about it, PM me. If you can’t get in to stay at the park itself, I can suggest places close by.
Just checking in to say thanks for all the sage advice. I envisioned that we’d be flying into Jackson Hole, but not necessarily staying there, especially if there are good locations (that are still available) within the park grounds itself.
This is indeed exactly up our alley. We can handle 5-6 miles fairly easily, especially if the paths are deserted, non-treacherous, and scenic.
I’m pretty swamped at work right now, but keep these ideas coming–especially any trails in particular that stand out–and I’ll follow-up with more questions when I get a chance.
Non-treacherous? You’re putting conditions on it now?
I strongly recommend picking up a trail guide. There are quite a few to choose from. Stone’s Day Hikes in Yellowstone National Park is a good one, as are Schneider’s two (Hiking Yellowstone National Park and Best Easy Day Hikes in Yellowstone National Park). Stone and Schneider are both Montana residents who’ve spent a lot of time in the Park. There are also a few good ones by rangers, including one whose name escapes me at the moment (Marshall?). Again, PM me if you need details. My bookstore sells all of them
