Top Travel Tips in Yellowstone From Our Readers
This week we took the city out of the Hack Your City section to collect reader tips for Yellowstone National Park. You can read all the best comments in the Staff tab below the original post . We’ve rounded up the highlights below.
Every Monday onHack Your City, we ask readers for the best tips about the city: driving tips, restaurant tips, entertainment, and any other tips for visitors and locals alike. Then, on Thursday, we present the best comments. We work in the USA and around the world.
- “Leave camp inhumanly early to start your day,” says Slacklinejoe in an excellent overview commentary on optimizing your visit. “Some of the best wildlife experiences and stunning views happen before most people roll out of their tent / camper or whatever, and getting your shots in the golden hour will make your photos stand out from the crowd.” Sounds even if you are not photographing. “It’s like I’m talking at 6 am earlier,” says Rebecca .
- “Dress for the cold,” everyone says. “Bring a hat / mittens / jacket suitable for the 30s and 40s no matter what time of year you come in,” says Daves in another great review comment. They talk about a snowy June visit followed by a week with 80s highs.
- “If you fly into Bozeman, you have two options for entering the park: West Yellowstone (west entrance) or Gardiner (north entrance). Choose based on what you want to see first, ”says Tim, explaining the benefits of each at the beginning of a long guide to the park . Other tips include dealing with a bear attack, posting recommendations, and a suggested route.
- “Keep the weed on DL. This is a federal land, federal laws. I knew a few people who popped out, ”says Bob JerryPhil .
- “Despite the fact that there are many tourists here, wild animals still go where they want,” says Homemanifon . “Take your time, passing the bison along the road. They are huge and they will probably win the battle with your car. “
- And be careful! Some readers say that people die in the park from falling off ledges, running water, or boiling springs.
- Yellowstone is big. “No matter where you stop, you have to travel long distances on slow, crowded roads to get to all the different attractions / hikes / places,” says Snidge . So be patient and don’t try to do everything at once. “Every corner of the park can easily fill a whole day, especially if you like to walk ,” says MonkeyT .
- Reservations fill up quickly, so plan ahead. But, says the MC63i , keep checking them for cancellations. They also offer eateries at souvenir shops to avoid long waiting times in restaurants.
- “Winter is the best time to relax ,” Bosemanite says in a long and helpful commentary. “The roads are closed to car traffic, so you need to rent snowmobiles or ride steep snowmobiles. In winter, it’s so great not only because all life lives there and all that, but also because it is as close as possible to the fact that the whole park is alone with itself. Plus, you can also go skiing with cold smoke in Bridger and experience the vastness of America’s largest resort, Big Sky. “
- “I know it sounds funny,” says John Star , “but bring a cheap, ultra-light cork hat with a fine mesh mosquito net to cover your entire head like a beekeeper. These black clouds of blood-sucking “state birds” can and will bite through anything and completely ruin your trip. “
- “Talk to the people on each site about where they’ve been,” says Litch_e . “We saw one bison here and there, but only after we talked with someone at the towers did we hear about herds of bison in one valley. We walked quickly into the valley and saw several herds. “
Do not do this
- “Don’t keep food in the car,” says Sixteen Statues . – And nothing that smells like food. No wrappers, no chocolate bars, no chips, NOTHING. Bears will break the windows of your cars to get to them. To them, it smells much stronger than berries. “
- “Don’t stop on this fucking road to take pictures,” says Vlahen .
- “Absolutely no selfies within 10 feet of the bison,” says DaveS .
- “Take your time,” says Alex V. “The park keepers don’t mess around. It’s not that you can’t handle the road at ‘normal’ speed, it’s that you have no idea what will happen around the next corner. “
- “Avoid the Madison intersection in the evening (possibly suburban hours),” Nakul says. If you are not staying in West Yellowstone, try not to cross that part of Yellowstone in the evening. “
Transparent places
- “Lonestar Geyser is a short walk / bike ride off the trail and is much more impressive and enjoyable than Old Faithful,” says monkeyhumper .
- “Some of the less popular geyser loops, like Painted Pots, are just as damn good as anything else,” Rebecca says.
- “In all the three times I’ve been to the park (including mid-July), the Lamar Valley has been largely deserted for other tourists,” says Skullsforthskulltron . “Nice river / stream hikes and this is where a lot of the wolves in the park tend to hang out, so there’s a good chance to see them, especially if you’re the only people around.”
- And several commentators recommend the less crowded Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone. “In the evenings, they go hunting for wild animals under the supervision of rangers ,” says RgbyRef . “If you’re planning a two-night trip, I recommend camping at GTNP, leaving the camper and heading to Yellowstone early for the day trip,” says RCJ .
Comments edited for clarity.
Everyone this week! Read all the tips in the original thread and post yours below. Return Monday to hack the real city. Aa and the island nation around it.