Explore Yellowstone: Top Tips for an Unforgettable Visit

Yellowstone is vast and varied; a remarkable collection of geological jewels scattered across almost 1,200 square miles. With over 800 miles of trails and 20 miles of paved walking/biking paths, it could take a while to see it all. We started at the North entrance, through the arch where Teddy Roosevelt gave his dedication speech on April 24th, 1903. Our challenge was to explore as much of it as we could in the day that we had there. To that end, we opted to stay in the park to strike out early the next morning and get a jump start on the swell of visitors. If you can find it in you, get up ahead of the sun and drive through the Lamar Valley (photo above). There’s something about having the road and surroundings to yourself that allows you to fully realize the scale of it all.

The early morning is also your best chance for animal viewing, especially for gray wolves, coyotes, and foxes. While traversing the river, you will have prime viewing arenas on both sides, with rolling fog lingering in pockets against the hills. We stopped often to take out the binoculars and sit in the quiet to observe the changing color scheme and the elk, buffalo, and deer grazing in the shallow fields.

Coming out of the valley at the east entrance, you will find the beginning of the Bear Tooth Highway and the cute residential town of Cooke City, Montana. (Note: This will have you exiting the park. You may need to inquire about coming back in without having to pay again before leaving). We pit stopped at Bearclaw Bakery for morning coffee, unbelievable baked goods, and freshly made breakfast burritos before making our way back to the Mammoth Hotel to crawl all over the hot springs.

After showering and packing up our gear, it was back on the road. This time we headed south toward the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”. Our plan was to get our hike on at this location in order to take in both the upper and lower falls, get some exercise, and see just how close we could get to the waterfalls. On the advice of an employee at the Canyon Visitor Center, we headed to the south rim to check out the South Rim Trail. Unlike the throngs of tourists meandering toward Artist Point on the Overlook Trail, we headed left to the trailhead located behind the vault toilets. This moderate, shady hike, with switchbacks that take you down in elevation, offers amazing viewpoints of the falls in multiple locations. Just be prepared for the uphill trek on the way back!

Once you’re back at the car, take South Rim Drive out to Grand Loop Road and backtrack to make a right on Falls Brink Road. While most signs in the park have distances in miles, this one has you walking a paved road for 200 feet to the main event, the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. The platform overhangs millions of gallons of rushing water as it sprays rainbows across the mossy walls of the canyon. We broke out our snacks and drinks from the cooler, (which we had brought along as a carry on for the plane ride) and enjoyed a quick picnic before venturing into the geyser field. By now it was 1 o’clock and the park was full of folks hoping to see Old Faithful.

We were determined to get the most out of the time we had left here,so we elected to take Norris-Canyon Road toward West Yellowstone, making a left onto Grand Loop Road. We passed up Porcelain Basin, Norris Basin and Back Basin, in lieu of the postcard perfect Midway Geyser Basin. Boasting water temperatures of over 160 degrees and a high sulfur content, the icy hues of oranges, blues and greens contrast wildly with the outcroppings of hillside and shrubbery.

If I had to do it again, I would stay one more night in the park and hit the geysers first thing the next morning to avoid the heavy crowds. Parking and traffic here are a nightmare, and unfortunately for us, the 14 miles of road congestion standing between us and Old Faithful made up our minds; we would be crossing it off the list. Instead, we did a quick hike to see the Artist Paint Pots (center photo below), before calling it quits for the day and heading up the Gallatin River Valley to Big Sky, Montana. You may end up tired, dirty, and sore, but you will have had a great day (even though it seemed like two!) and seen just a fraction of what Roosevelt once called “a great natural playground”.

Eat: Pack in your own cooler with picnic makings, or buy premade sandwiches and snacks at the Canyon Visitor Center. Cafeteria style options are also available across from the hotel at the dining hall. For coffee and fresh, amazing baked goods, it’s Bear Claw Bakery @ 309 East Main St., Cooke City, MT 59020.

Stay: Just inside the North entrance to the park at Mammoth Hotsprings Hotel & Cabins Book well in advance and do your best not to hit the elk in the parking lot.