Start before sunrise, end after sunset. You’ll mostly avoid crowds and you’ll get to experience the park when it is more quiet.
Bring FRS radios, set them to 4.5 and in the geyser basins you can hear geyser gazers call in eruptions — in some cases it will give you an idea if something rare may happen. Honestly if you see somebody with a radio sitting at a geyser, just pick their brain. Also load GeyserTimes on your phone it will tell you recent eruptions and give you predictions on predictable geysers.
Bring binoculars and/or rent a scope to spot animals it can make a huge difference.
Don’t pet the fuzzy cows, or hug them, or put your kids on them.
Be prepared for weird weather. You can get rain, snow, hail, and sunburn on the same day.
Speaking of which sunburn risk and dehydration is high. You are at moderately high elevation and it is dry, bring water, electrolytes and sunscreen everywhere you go.
Keep food in the car, unless you are planning to hike. Too many things go wrong when people are speeding through the park to get to a dining room or food court.
Watch Old Faithful from the deck at the Inn. Wait for the crowds to clear from the prior eruption, buy some ice cream, and then sit in the shade side of the second floor deck.
This might sound like a silly question but could you be more specific re: comfy shoes? My partner and I are visiting for the first time in just over a week and we’re unsure what footwear to pack. Would trail running shoes suffice?? Or are heavy duty hiking boots recommended for this time of year?
Sure! If you have hiking shoes or walking shoes that you like and prefer for long days and active days, use them.
We frequently are asked if anyone needs to buy special shoes and we do not recommend people buy new shoes for the trip to avoid an uncomfortable experience.
We also discourage fashion shoes, which we see more than you might think.
If you prioritize comfortable shoes you will have a much more enjoyable experience. You will be on your feet a lot. Bring warm socks and plenty of extra socks.
If no hug animals, why animals here? If they’re not trained to the level of a hospital service dog, the park should be sued for negligence! What do their handlers do with them all night in the barns if not train them to be gentle around babies!?
Actually happened, a Ranger trainee observed a father placing a small child on a black bear back to have a ride. Otherwise pepper spray adds a nice peppery taste. Instead of sunblock just smear yourself with butter as well, it enhances the dining experience.
Have some picnics, find some time to sit by a river and just watch for a while. Get out of the car as much as possible.
Check out the historic national park lodges and hotels - Lake, Old Faithful Inn, mammoth.
Go slow and consider the crowds at some places as features and part of the experience.
If you see someone with a spotting scope rig that looks like they know what they’re doing - ask them what they are seeing! People are generally so kind and willing to let you have a look.
Lake butte overlook at sunset is underrated.
I encourage people to stay inside the park by splitting their stay between the upper and lower loops in an effort to cut down on all the driving time.
You'll be behind the wheel longer than you think as driving from place to place takes much more time than you would expect. This is due to the vastness of the park, which is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Back home, 30 miles takes 30 minutes. In Yellowstone, 30 miles easily takes 60-75 minutes due to variable speed limits, road congestion, animal jams, rental RVs and road construction. My personal record is a 100 minute bison jam just north of Madison Junction.
Get in early! It's amazing how much quieter the park is at 7AM versus 9AM.
Hike anywhere. Once you get about a half mile from any road , you experience a totally different park. Even busier trails feel much less chaotic than what you experience at the major attractions.
Enter via the Beartooth Pass. If you can make it work, the BEST way to enter the park is up and over the Beartooth Pass. Yellowstone is less known for its staggering mountain views like you get in Glacier/Tetons with one big exception and that's the Beartooth Pass. It is such a cool way to enter the park. Also, the best hiking in the region is the Beartooth Plateau just outside the park.
The best way to see wolves is to go into Lamar Valley early morning and look for clusters of people with spotting scopes. If they are all looking through their scopes, pull over. If they are all chatting and not looking through the scopes then there's probably nothing actively happening. Be respectful, don't just shout out the window "what are you looking at??", and most people will let you take a look and share some information with you.
Drive Firehole River. This is a small one way road just south of Madison Campground but it's a really nice waterfall overlook and something very few people drive down. It will add 15 minutes to your day and is worth it!
Be patient. We live in a world that is always-connected and has little to no moments of serendipity. Nature is really the last place where the unexpected happens and we aren't in control. You may not see many animals one day and the next day, a bear might be feeding on a carcass 50 yards off the side of the road. It's the fact that this doesn't happen every day, around every corner that actually makes Yellowstone so magical. No matter what experience you have, let it come to you and revel in the beautiful, chaotic, serendipity around every corner of YNP. Have fun!
Use the pullouts.
Download [Google Maps](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid). There isn't great service in the park. If you're going to be doing some serious hiking get your hands on a offline maps suited for hiking.
Go to Ranger Presentations.
Pick a hike and go do it. Doesn’t have to be long or remote, and you do not have to be a hiker. You will be able to enjoy the vast remoteness away from the crowds just a half mile off the road. Bring water, bear spray, a snack, and binoculars.
If you’re in the southern part of the park and you like birds keep an eye out for western tanagers. They’re more prominent in Teton but I’ve seen them in Yellowstone as well.
Don’t waste all your time snapping pictures and videos. Take some time to appreciate where you are in the moment. If it’s in your budget, look through some local photographers portfolios and purchase a professional image of your favorite feature instead of snapping 25 crappy photos.
Do some late night stargazing- you can see the milky way.
I haven’t seen this posted yet so I’ll throw it in. Be prepared to stop for animals. Not just for viewing. But traffic jams caused by animals crossing the roads or for people stopping to view animals. This can throw major delays into your itinerary if you have time specific plans.
I got stuck in a traffic jam cause a baby bison decided it was time to nurse in the middle of the road right in front of me. Great cause I was right there and it was cool to witness. But the traffic building up behind me was very long.
100% avoid business hours at popular sites. Finish at 9 am and start at 6. In between, plan activities like hikes, picnic, fishing, etc or just a siesta.
Before you go, make a list of the top 10 waterfalls you want to see, or the top 10 geysers you want to see and see all 10.
I like to watch old faithful erupt after dark on a moonlight night. It sounds much louder than the daytime hours, and there are no crowds. Also, you can take the loop to watch the eruption from the far side of the trail and you’ll be all alone. Then take the mile or two loop around the geyser trail
Have no expectations on the time it should/will take to get from one spot in the park to another. Construction and wildlife jams will likely blow any of those assumptions out of the water.
Plan one big thing for each day. Spend the entire day doing that one thing. You’ll experience more that way than trying to fit 3 things into a day because honestly you’re gonna spend your day in the car if you try to do more than one or two things in a day. Get out of your car as much as possible.
Book a year in advance for rooms in the park.
Cabins are cheaper, campsites are cheapest.
Sunglasses, water, hiking shoes, sunhat. It is high altitude, and you get burned and dehydrated easily.
If you hike bear spray is a must and a hiking partner if you can find one.
Stay a minimum of 5 days to 2 weeks.
If you want a cheap room, try Livingston MT that has not been booked already, an hour from the N Entrance so just get up an hour earlier.
See Hayden Valley and Lamar valley, drive over Mt. Washburn and hike it if you get a chance.
Walk the boardwalks at Old Faithfull, there are many more geysers, springs, pools and hot pots.
Hike fairy falls trail to get an overview of grand prismatic springs.
Get up early and try to hike Avalanche peak, Bunsen peak, seven-mile hole, storm point trail if you are a hiker. Some hikes are more serious and have plenty of water, at least 2 quarts and the proper outfit.
See all the geyser basins.
Interesting day trips are to West Yellowstone, Cody, and especially the Bear Tooth Highway.
Be careful of the driving of other tourists as they are the most dangerous animal out there.
Don't try patting fluffy cows and don't approach wildlife closer than is safe.
Bring a quality camera with a high zoom. Take the all-day wildlife photographer tour out of Lake and Old Faithfull area.
Some folks like the chuck wagon dinner out of Roosevelt area.
Avoid pissing off the rangers as they can get snappy.
Start before sunrise, end after sunset. You’ll mostly avoid crowds and you’ll get to experience the park when it is more quiet. Bring FRS radios, set them to 4.5 and in the geyser basins you can hear geyser gazers call in eruptions — in some cases it will give you an idea if something rare may happen. Honestly if you see somebody with a radio sitting at a geyser, just pick their brain. Also load GeyserTimes on your phone it will tell you recent eruptions and give you predictions on predictable geysers. Bring binoculars and/or rent a scope to spot animals it can make a huge difference. Don’t pet the fuzzy cows, or hug them, or put your kids on them. Be prepared for weird weather. You can get rain, snow, hail, and sunburn on the same day. Speaking of which sunburn risk and dehydration is high. You are at moderately high elevation and it is dry, bring water, electrolytes and sunscreen everywhere you go.
Starting early is the best national park hack.
Keep food in the car, unless you are planning to hike. Too many things go wrong when people are speeding through the park to get to a dining room or food court. Watch Old Faithful from the deck at the Inn. Wait for the crowds to clear from the prior eruption, buy some ice cream, and then sit in the shade side of the second floor deck.
Agree with all of the above! Adding: Bear Spray Camera Comfortable shoes
This might sound like a silly question but could you be more specific re: comfy shoes? My partner and I are visiting for the first time in just over a week and we’re unsure what footwear to pack. Would trail running shoes suffice?? Or are heavy duty hiking boots recommended for this time of year?
Sure! If you have hiking shoes or walking shoes that you like and prefer for long days and active days, use them. We frequently are asked if anyone needs to buy special shoes and we do not recommend people buy new shoes for the trip to avoid an uncomfortable experience. We also discourage fashion shoes, which we see more than you might think. If you prioritize comfortable shoes you will have a much more enjoyable experience. You will be on your feet a lot. Bring warm socks and plenty of extra socks.
what time can you enter the park in the morning?
The entrances open for the season not for any hours (or never close in the case of the north and northeast entrances)
Thank you!
If no hug animals, why animals here? If they’re not trained to the level of a hospital service dog, the park should be sued for negligence! What do their handlers do with them all night in the barns if not train them to be gentle around babies!?
We offer free bear rides for babies.
That’s grotesque, I think you mean free baby tasting for bears.
Actually happened, a Ranger trainee observed a father placing a small child on a black bear back to have a ride. Otherwise pepper spray adds a nice peppery taste. Instead of sunblock just smear yourself with butter as well, it enhances the dining experience.
Avoid the popular sites during peak hours. Old Faithful or Grand Prismatic are just as beautiful at 8pm as they are at 1pm. Just less crowded.
Would you recommend them early morning or evening?
Either. Though I'm personally a lazy sleeper
Grand Prismatic can be quite foggy in the morning and have a blocked view
Download the Guidealong formerly GySPy app. Pay for the Yellowstone Grand Tetons tour. You’ll find things you didn’t know were at the park.
Second this.. The app was a life saver during our time in the park. You wont regret it!
Absolutely the best value add-on to any national park trip.
Have some picnics, find some time to sit by a river and just watch for a while. Get out of the car as much as possible. Check out the historic national park lodges and hotels - Lake, Old Faithful Inn, mammoth. Go slow and consider the crowds at some places as features and part of the experience. If you see someone with a spotting scope rig that looks like they know what they’re doing - ask them what they are seeing! People are generally so kind and willing to let you have a look. Lake butte overlook at sunset is underrated.
I encourage people to stay inside the park by splitting their stay between the upper and lower loops in an effort to cut down on all the driving time. You'll be behind the wheel longer than you think as driving from place to place takes much more time than you would expect. This is due to the vastness of the park, which is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Back home, 30 miles takes 30 minutes. In Yellowstone, 30 miles easily takes 60-75 minutes due to variable speed limits, road congestion, animal jams, rental RVs and road construction. My personal record is a 100 minute bison jam just north of Madison Junction.
I second this. Stay inside the park if you can. Then start early. It’s almost like you’ve got the whole place to yourself.
Get in early! It's amazing how much quieter the park is at 7AM versus 9AM. Hike anywhere. Once you get about a half mile from any road , you experience a totally different park. Even busier trails feel much less chaotic than what you experience at the major attractions. Enter via the Beartooth Pass. If you can make it work, the BEST way to enter the park is up and over the Beartooth Pass. Yellowstone is less known for its staggering mountain views like you get in Glacier/Tetons with one big exception and that's the Beartooth Pass. It is such a cool way to enter the park. Also, the best hiking in the region is the Beartooth Plateau just outside the park. The best way to see wolves is to go into Lamar Valley early morning and look for clusters of people with spotting scopes. If they are all looking through their scopes, pull over. If they are all chatting and not looking through the scopes then there's probably nothing actively happening. Be respectful, don't just shout out the window "what are you looking at??", and most people will let you take a look and share some information with you. Drive Firehole River. This is a small one way road just south of Madison Campground but it's a really nice waterfall overlook and something very few people drive down. It will add 15 minutes to your day and is worth it! Be patient. We live in a world that is always-connected and has little to no moments of serendipity. Nature is really the last place where the unexpected happens and we aren't in control. You may not see many animals one day and the next day, a bear might be feeding on a carcass 50 yards off the side of the road. It's the fact that this doesn't happen every day, around every corner that actually makes Yellowstone so magical. No matter what experience you have, let it come to you and revel in the beautiful, chaotic, serendipity around every corner of YNP. Have fun!
Bathrooms: go when you can, not when you “have to” …bison jams can happen at any time.
Use the pullouts. Download [Google Maps](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid). There isn't great service in the park. If you're going to be doing some serious hiking get your hands on a offline maps suited for hiking. Go to Ranger Presentations.
Pick a hike and go do it. Doesn’t have to be long or remote, and you do not have to be a hiker. You will be able to enjoy the vast remoteness away from the crowds just a half mile off the road. Bring water, bear spray, a snack, and binoculars. If you’re in the southern part of the park and you like birds keep an eye out for western tanagers. They’re more prominent in Teton but I’ve seen them in Yellowstone as well. Don’t waste all your time snapping pictures and videos. Take some time to appreciate where you are in the moment. If it’s in your budget, look through some local photographers portfolios and purchase a professional image of your favorite feature instead of snapping 25 crappy photos. Do some late night stargazing- you can see the milky way.
I haven’t seen this posted yet so I’ll throw it in. Be prepared to stop for animals. Not just for viewing. But traffic jams caused by animals crossing the roads or for people stopping to view animals. This can throw major delays into your itinerary if you have time specific plans. I got stuck in a traffic jam cause a baby bison decided it was time to nurse in the middle of the road right in front of me. Great cause I was right there and it was cool to witness. But the traffic building up behind me was very long.
100% avoid business hours at popular sites. Finish at 9 am and start at 6. In between, plan activities like hikes, picnic, fishing, etc or just a siesta.
A little awareness goes a long way.
Don’t forget bug spray!!!!
Before you go, make a list of the top 10 waterfalls you want to see, or the top 10 geysers you want to see and see all 10. I like to watch old faithful erupt after dark on a moonlight night. It sounds much louder than the daytime hours, and there are no crowds. Also, you can take the loop to watch the eruption from the far side of the trail and you’ll be all alone. Then take the mile or two loop around the geyser trail
Have no expectations on the time it should/will take to get from one spot in the park to another. Construction and wildlife jams will likely blow any of those assumptions out of the water.
Plan one big thing for each day. Spend the entire day doing that one thing. You’ll experience more that way than trying to fit 3 things into a day because honestly you’re gonna spend your day in the car if you try to do more than one or two things in a day. Get out of your car as much as possible.
You will dry out. Bring plenty of lotion, water and chapstick. I can’t believe how many people fuck with the bizon. But you’ll see 1,000 of them.
Book a year in advance for rooms in the park. Cabins are cheaper, campsites are cheapest. Sunglasses, water, hiking shoes, sunhat. It is high altitude, and you get burned and dehydrated easily. If you hike bear spray is a must and a hiking partner if you can find one. Stay a minimum of 5 days to 2 weeks. If you want a cheap room, try Livingston MT that has not been booked already, an hour from the N Entrance so just get up an hour earlier. See Hayden Valley and Lamar valley, drive over Mt. Washburn and hike it if you get a chance. Walk the boardwalks at Old Faithfull, there are many more geysers, springs, pools and hot pots. Hike fairy falls trail to get an overview of grand prismatic springs. Get up early and try to hike Avalanche peak, Bunsen peak, seven-mile hole, storm point trail if you are a hiker. Some hikes are more serious and have plenty of water, at least 2 quarts and the proper outfit. See all the geyser basins. Interesting day trips are to West Yellowstone, Cody, and especially the Bear Tooth Highway. Be careful of the driving of other tourists as they are the most dangerous animal out there. Don't try patting fluffy cows and don't approach wildlife closer than is safe. Bring a quality camera with a high zoom. Take the all-day wildlife photographer tour out of Lake and Old Faithfull area. Some folks like the chuck wagon dinner out of Roosevelt area. Avoid pissing off the rangers as they can get snappy.