Beartooth HighwayOne of the most dramatic approaches to Yellowstone, this National Scenic Byway winds a 68-mile serpentine route between Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana.
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Driving Yellowstone's lower loop allows you to get the most out of your short visit. So if you have 1 day in Yellowstone and you want to see the 'musts', this is the area you should focus on.
Next to Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs is arguably the top thing to see during your first-time visiting Yellowstone. A vibrant showcase of reds and blues bubble in this magnificent thermal pool from the bacteria residing in the area.
Without 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.
Grand Loop RoadCurving a figure eight through Yellowstone, the Grand Loop is a 142-mile long scenic route passing Yellowstone's major attractions. Boardwalks and hiking trails lead you to the finest of Yellowstone.
The Grand Loop takes between 4 to 7 hours to drive in full. During the summer season, cars are the best option for taking a trip around Yellowstone unless you are riding with a bus tour or concessionaire that provides transportation.
You could easily take two weeks to explore Yellowstone (and you might want to after you spend a day here). To truly experience the best aspects of the park, you'll want to plan at least three days. But if you only have one day to spend in the park, you want to get the most out of your time here.
The best entrances to stay if you will not be staying within Yellowstone National Park are the West and North Entrances. This is because these entrances are close to the Grand Loop within Yellowstone, as well as their gateway towns enabling visitors to get to the heart of Yellowstone with the least amount of driving.
However, the northern loop was our favorite. We started in West Yellowstone and headed North to Mammoth Springs then around to Canyon Village and back to West Yellowstone. We stopped many times for Elk, Bison and a Black Bear. Combine the animals stops with all of the scenic stops, our round trip took 11 hours.
The East Entrance to Yellowstone is one of the least-used entrances because of its remoteness, lack of hotels by the entrance gate, and distance from the Grand Loop Road (where most of the attractions are). However, it is one of the prettiest drives to enter the park.
The West Entrance is an excellent jumping-off point for seeing some of the best geysers in the park! From here, you're close to Norris, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic just to name a few. Because of its location, this entrance is usually my preferred place to stay near the park.
Jackson, WY is the ideal base camp for a trip to Yellowstone. Here are 5 reasons why you should stay in Jackson Hole while visiting Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park can get very crowded during peak season (June, July, and August). The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds.
The best time to visit Yellowstone to avoid crowds is May, September, and early October. Most park amenities, including lodging and roads, are open, wildlife is active, and the geyser basins are easily accessible in these months.
Yellowstone National Park can get very crowded during peak season (June, July, and August). The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds.
Our Locations. Yellowstone Park Service Stations has seven locations in the Park with over 80 seasonal employees. Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Inc. (YPSS) operates seven convenience store/fuel facilities, four automotive repair shops and a central office/warehouse in Yellowstone National Park.
Moose are fairly isolated in Yellowstone National Park. I have only observed moose in a select few locations in the park. In fact, moose are probably one of the hardest animals to see in Yellowstone.
It's perfectly possible to spot a bear any time of day in the Park, especially in cooler weather, but mid-summer you are unlikely to see bears out in the heat of the day, when they tend to nap in the forest. You don't need to go hiking into the backcountry to see bears.
We have the proper optics and equipment, so you can witness and film bears out in the field. Hands down the best time of year to see bears in Yellowstone is between mid-April and the first week of June.