The book of memories - 3. Yellowstone NP

Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, my favorite national park in the US (and beyond); no matter how many I’ve visited and enjoyed so far around the world, it still remains the king to me. The main attractions it is famous for are usually the geothermal activities (it is one of the world’s largest active volcanoes after all) and the wildlife roaming the park but, even if on a smaller scale, it has a lot of other features. For example the canyon on the east side is not the Grand Canyon for sure, but the view from Artist point or Inspiration point is breathtaking nonetheless.
Yellowstone has waterfalls, mountain views, a nice lake, plenty of interesting hikes for any level…it is hard not to find something to do for anyone enjoying outdoor activities and, most of the times, the best places are also made easily and safely accessible to anyone, which is always a plus. Of course this also has a downside: the number of visitors is always huge, millions every year, which is something I usually try to avoid, but as for most national parks in North America, a little planning and staying in the park multiple days while most are just passing by usually solves the issue.

Tips for visiting Yellowstone NP

I’m going to follow the big loop showing my pictures, but before I start the virtual tour I think some advice for a visit is needed:

as I said there are millions of visitors during the year, but most of them will follow the road from Gardiner to Jackson (or the other way around) for a one day visit. This means that it is highly recommended to stay in the park multiple days and use early mornings and evenings for the most visited places. Not only it allows to avoid crowds, but those are the best hours for taking pictures and see wildlife;
to stay in the park, no matter if in a lodge or just camping, booking in advance is a must. Compared to the amount of people entering the park, the available spaces are very limited and go really fast even one year in advance. It is not a cheap option either, but again, it is by far the best way to enjoy the park when multiple days is an option;
one of my favorite things about Yellowstone, it is how much it provides regarding historical and scientific information about everything you see. Do not just go see the geyser or whatever to take the perfect picture for social media, take the time to learn what it is, why it is there and all the other facts that are on display on several places. The amount of educational material available is really impressive and should not be overlooked. Also the rangers in the park are always willing to provide help and information and organize a lot of interesting activities;
I’ve probably ranted about this in other posts, but always remember that you are a guest and you should always keep wildlife wild and respect its habitat. In the park there a lot of animals roaming at will (“unfortunately” probably used to the many visitors) so it is almost impossible to avoid close encounters. Always behave properly and try to keep the right distance. In the pictures below I was honestly too close to the bear, but I was on a guided hike with a ranger and the bear simply decided that he wanted to follow the same trail…the ranger managed the situation so that everybody enjoyed the moment in a safe way, don’t try to do the same on your own if you’re not sure about what you are doing;
as happened last year, for any reason there may be partial or total closures at any time of the year. Since that may have a big impact if planning to drive through the park, it is always better to check the latest news on the park official site and social media: https://www.nps.gov/yell

To properly visit the Yellowstone park I managed to stay 4 nights in one of the lodges and used the time to explore the different areas, do some hikes and also spend the needed time in the visitor centers’ exhibitions. I selected Grant Village, near West Thumb, as my base of operations mostly because I was entering the park from the south, coming from Jackson, and honestly because that year it was the only place with still some availability when I booked the trip. Staying by the lake was a very good choice: the view is great and the place is quiet, even if there’s a lot to see most one day tours will just pass by. I arrived on a rainy day after a storm so the first picture will be of a rainbow, the first unexpected surprise. Fortunately the following days the weather was better, so I fully enjoyed the park.

Apart from the West Thumb area, the east side of the park has other features well worth a visit. From the mud volcano to the canyon and everything along the Yellowstone River the views are always breathtaking. Unfortunately that is also the area that was plagued by a major flood last year and I don’t know how it has recovered so far, so I’ve decided not to include all places in my gallery for the time being.

The most visited area of Yellowstone is probably around the Old Faithful, the most famous and “always on time” geyser, and the Grand Prismatic Spring. That pond is something incredible, the colors are amazing and it’s a real emotion just to get near it. I reached it from the back via a trail instead of the main road and even from a great distance it is possible to see fumes raising with all possible colors. Every step that takes you closer is an emotion and until I got to it I even “forgot” about my camera, I was just enjoying the moment.

From the Old Faithful going north to Mammoth Hot Springs every single pot is worth a stop, each has its own color and landscape that makes it unique and it never fails to amaze. If I had to choose my favorite spot in the park, I would cheat and select its colors instead. I’ve picked just a few images to avoid making an infinite post, but believe when I say that every single spot is worth your time.

To close, after all the praise about the colors of Yellowstone, I’ve selected a black and white image…yes it is beautiful even without what I like most…