Yellowstone

[Tractorat]

I haven't been to Yellowstone for maybe 5 years. I normally would go in late June. But this year it would be the last week of August.

Does anyone have any idea what to expect at that time of year ? Can I expect the park to be crowded then ? Or, hopefully, starting to empty out and easy to find a camp site ?

 

[wyosteve]

Unfortunately it will still be crowded. Even well into Sept. there are tons of people there. Try to reserve a site now if you can.

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks,
Ill just be passing thru. If I cant find a first come first serve site, Ill just keep on going.

 

[AH64ID]

I was there last Labor day, and the mid-August before that. Just based on several camground closing at the Labor day weekend the Park was emptier and it was only 2 weeks later. Most schools have started so there are very few family vacationers there, especially mid-week.

 

[jelag]

The only time I've been to Yellowstone when it was quiet was in mid to late May when most of the park is still waking up. . you have to RV out of the park as the campgrounds and RV spots in the park are closed. . there's a great campground north of the west entrance that is a forest service campground with 20 of the 60 spots with power... but its great for a week... BTW - Usually in the fall after school starts and before the weather shut down most of the park is when most of overseas tour operators have 100's of folks in the park...

One last comment. . I was in the park watching the bears devour a bison over 3 days... had the spotting scope set up... and I was amazed at the people who'd never been to the park, and how they watched life happen in the wild...

 

[jgillott]

I'm likely going to drive through Yellowstone during the 3rd week of June. For those of you who have been there, what would you see if you had never been there? I know I can't even scratch the surface with the short amount of time I have, but I want to let me daughter see something memorable. Would Old Faithful be you first choice?

 

[Tractorat]

Would Old Faithful be you first choice?

Yes it would

 

[jelag]

If you daughter is into animals... a trip from the west entrance to old faithful and back might be the right path for you. . usually in the Madison River Basin, in and out the west entrance is a great spot for viewing in almost any month. . especially early in the morning and evening... plan on lots of time... a heard of elk or bison on or close to the road will stop the traffic for miles and there is little or no areas for passing... . it takes at least 4-5 days to drive the park and see most of the sights... at the north entrance, just south of Gardner MT... a heard of elk resides on the lawns close to Roosevelt Lodge and the employee housing area... .

Please be careful with your child out of the vehicle around the elk and bison... they are wild... and if riled will charge... in the Madison Basin we've seen Moose, Elk, Eagles, Bison... .

Best of luck and have a great time... .

 

[BIGNASTY]

I thought the Lamar Valley was the Serengeti of Yellowstone?? Maybe not I cant spell so why should I be able to read?

http://www.jasonralstonphotography....9H/1908182242_6WSB49W#!i=1908182242&k=6WSB49W

 

[jgillott]

Excellent information. Thank you.

 

[Jim W]

I assume (I know what that means) since you are coming from the East, if you are leaving PA as this is in your signature. Are you pulling a trailer of some type and how big? This will determine on how you will enter the park. If you are pulling I might stay on I90 and enter from the west. I know this will add miles but in my humble opinion would be easier than the east entrance would be in pulling a trailer. Now if you are camping outside the park near the east entrance and want a nice day drive, I would drive the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway highway 296MT and enter into the park from Cook City MT the northwest entrance. Do not pull a trailer on this highway as the curves are sharp and the road is posted as such. This will take you right thru Lamar Valley and then down to Old Faithfull, you will also drive along the Yellowstone River and will see some great scenery. Watch out for Buffalo on the highway they have the right of way.
Jim W.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Want to get away from People ? WALK A HALF MILE AWAY FROM ANY PARKING LOT AND YOU WILL BE BY YOURSELF:-laf
This sight says to get a guide if that is what you want then they have National Park Ranger led programs that are available they cost NOTHING they are great we have gone to many of the campfire talks that are Ranger Programs and have really enjoyed them. Here's a link that tells about wildlife in the Park. From our experience in the Yellowstone Lamar Valley is the place but as said in a post above WATCH YOUR BUTT cause there is no ZOO KEEPER to help you out.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...Valley-Yellowstone_National_Park_Wyoming.html

http://www.nps.gov/search/index.htm?query=ranger led activities Just type in the Park you want

 

[jgillott]

I assume (I know what that means) since you are coming from the East, if you are leaving PA as this is in your signature. Are you pulling a trailer of some type and how big? This will determine on how you will enter the park. If you are pulling I might stay on I90 and enter from the west. I know this will add miles but in my humble opinion would be easier than the east entrance would be in pulling a trailer. Now if you are camping outside the park near the east entrance and want a nice day drive, I would drive the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway highway 296MT and enter into the park from Cook City MT the northwest entrance. Do not pull a trailer on this highway as the curves are sharp and the road is posted as such. This will take you right thru Lamar Valley and then down to Old Faithfull, you will also drive along the Yellowstone River and will see some great scenery. Watch out for Buffalo on the highway they have the right of way.
Jim W.

We are planning on coming in from the east. Most likely, we will stop at rushmore first and then head west through yellowstone. No trailer, just the truck.

 

[OGaddis]

Since you are coming in from the east you might want to consider some extra time to spend at the Cody Museum. Cody is just east of the east entrance. They have lots of great displays and probably the premier gun collection in the country. Another good wildlife viewing area in the park is Hayden Valley. Always lots of bison there and last year we got to see two wolves there including a coal black one.

 

[Roscoe14]

Whoa! Enjoy the climb from Buffalo to Cody:-laf I did that trip a few years ago, beautiful area, but long, steep climb. Conversly... ... coasting down the other side, my pyrometer almost zeroed out! The town of Ten Sleep has a nice little r. v. park to spend the night, do laundry, etc. It's about the midway point between rushmore and Yellowstone. Enjoy!

 

[jgillott]

Since you are coming in from the east you might want to consider some extra time to spend at the Cody Museum. Cody is just east of the east entrance. They have lots of great displays and probably the premier gun collection in the country. Another good wildlife viewing area in the park is Hayden Valley. Always lots of bison there and last year we got to see two wolves there including a coal black one.

You are the second person this weekend to suggest that museum. We are going to have to stop there.

 

[BarryG]

I went there the last two years in August. Two years ago it was the second week and it was busy had cg reservations etc so no problem dont remember seeing many empty cg spots. Last year went the third week had reservations etc so still no problem. However there were quite a few empty sites at our campground, we were there all week and each night there were at least a few empties. We were in Grant Campground which is in the south central portion of the park. It was about 15 miles to the Old Faithful area, 15-20 miles to Lamar Valley. Ranger said the camping starts to ease up some later in August as the families start to go home to get ready for school I know here school starts early-mid August. Whether this holds true this year or at the other campgrounds I have no idea. At Grant campground while it has a store, fuel station, rv dump, restrooms with running water etc there are no hookups. While I saw all manner of vehicles and rigs there I suspect it gets a bit less use by the rv crowd since there are no hookups. Didnt bother us in the least. When we got back from the days adventure I would fire up the honda generator top off the batteries or whatever electrical devices. While it was busy at the main attraction sites it was noticeably less busy than the previous year a week earlier.



Old Faithful is a must see. If it is possible go early or late to avoid the largest crowds. We went several times while there and if you get up early and be there around 7 or 8am there are few people there and you can do the walking trail to the various sites there in 1/2 the time. If you are in and out by 9 or 10 then you can hit some of the other spots in the local area with minimal crowds. Same thing at the end of the day get there 7-7:30pm and the crowds are 25% what they are at 1pm. If I recall it would really get busy there by 11 and be that way until dinner time.

 

[Tractorat]

You are the second person this weekend to suggest that museum. We are going to have to stop there

Allow me to be the 3rd person. And if you are going to Cody, plan on spending a day there. Go see the historic Irma hotel. And plan on having a meal in the hotel. And walk around in ( I think its called) Old Town, or something like that. Seems like there is another pretty cool restaurant there, but its been so many years since Ive been there, I forget what it's called.