Yellowstone's crowds will peak during early morning and late afternoon, so getting to the park as early as possible will give you easy access to the landmarks you wish to see.
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Yellowstone National Park's West Entrance opens to the public on the 3rd (third) Friday of April at 8:00 am. Unless weather or other conditions do not allow. The West entrance closes normally the 1st (first) Monday of November at 9:00 pm. The only Entrance OPEN Year Round is the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana.
Flights to the nearest major airport — that of Jackson Hole, Wyoming — are typically cheapest between November and March, which is the park's low season. Prices for lodging begin to drop after Labor Day, once the summer crowds have diminished and children are back in school.
The reservation booking window accepts reservations for stays up to 13 months in advance*. Specifically, on the 5th of each month, we'll begin accepting reservations for the same entire month of the following year.
A Yellowstone vacation package costs from $1,000/person for four nights to $5,000 or more per person. Not including tax and tips. Check out my itineraries and guidebooks for planning your own trip.
Wolf: One of the most elusive Yellowstone animals and one of the most rewarding. Wolves can be seen hunting in packs in one of the valleys, or they can be a lucky sighting that lasts just a minute as they travel past the road, vanishing as quickly as they appeared.
Lamar ValleyWithout doubt, Lamar Valley is the best place in Yellowstone to see wildlife. Carved by glaciers and fed by the Lamar River, the grasslands that cover this valley are easily accessible on Highway 212 and attract the biggest land species in the park—bison, elk, moose, and bears. Wolves are also found here.
The mornings (dawn until 11 a.m.) and evenings (6 p.m. until dusk) are perfect window times for beating the tour groups and family wagons and securing a spot with an uninterrupted view. If you prefer the morning, all you need is a trusty alarm clock, maybe a strong cup of coffee and an early start to the day.
With that said, I can almost guarantee that you will spot wildlife while driving through Yellowstone National Park. Even if you don't manage to get up early or stay out late, your chances are very high to cross path with bison, deer, and the occasional antelope. Bear sightings are also not uncommon during the day.
But even with a guide, seeing the elusive Canis lupus isn't guaranteed. Normally, you have a 50/50 percent chance of seeing a wolf, says Varley. But this year odds have climbed as high as 90 percent. These consistent sightings are mostly thanks to the Junction Butte pack.
Even though Yellowstone is probably the best place in the world to spot wild wolves, it's not always easy to find them. Yellowstone itself is more than 2.2 million acres and is surrounded by Wilderness areas, so wolves have a lot of room to roam and often disappear for days or weeks.
Does it cost money to see Old Faithful? No, but Yellowstone does require a $35 entrance fee that's valid for 7 days. The pass allows you to view all attractions within the park, including Old Faithful.