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The Oldest and the Best: Yellowstone National Park

By Jonathan Berohn

If you make only one trip to a national park, if you consider anything but Yellowstone you’re missing out on the crown jewel of the park system.

Since 1872, when Yellowstone became the first national park in the US, it’s been amazing visitors with its wildlife and natural wonders.  In terms of comparing it to other parks, well…there is no comparison.  The stunning combination of geysers, hot springs, canyons, waterfalls, and mountains is truly breathtaking every time you see it.  Not to mention that Yellowstone is one of the few places in the lower 49 where you can see wolves and grizzly bears in the wild.

Getting There

There are five entrances into Yellowstone.  All of them have something to offer, but for my money the best way to come into the park is from the north.  The north entrance to Yellowstone is right outside of Gardiner, Montana.  What makes it the best entrance to me is the original old arch that spans the entranceway (a great shot for a picture, by the way).  Once you get into the park from the north, you arrive quickly at Mammoth Hot Springs, which also makes a great first stop for your visit.

One more thing about getting there.  Obviously, Yellowstone is a long way from most places.  Obviously, as well, you’ll need a car to get around unless you go as part of a tour (which I would not recommend unless you really only want to hit the highlights).  If you are driving from the north, Livingston Montana makes a great stop for the night before your trip to the park.  It’s close enough (about 60 miles) to be convenient, and big enough to have plenty of hotels and a full size grocery store to let you stock up on any camping supplies you might need.

Staying at Yellowstone

You basically have two options for staying in the park—hotels or some variant of camping.  As for the lodges, if you are determined to spring for a lodge, stay at the Old Faithful Inn.  It has far and away the most character of the Inns in the park, and you're right by the number one attraction, and centrally located for seeing the rest of the park.  The camping ranges from cabins with cots to backcountry roughing it.  No matter which type of camping you’re up for, make sure to make a reservation.  You can read all about the camp sites and find the reservation information on the park web site.

One thing to remember about camping: there are bears in the park.  With that in mind, don’t keep any food, drinks, or things like cosmetics and toiletries in your tent.  You also want to make certain you dispose of all trash properly and keep food stored in bear proof containers or cars.  While bears are certainly dangerous, a little common sense will help ensure that you don’t wake up to an unwanted tent mate.

Following are some of the attractions of Yellowstone National Park that you certainly won't want to miss:

  • Mammoth Hot Springs -- Mammoth is the first can’t miss spot in the park.  The town of Mammoth houses the original park headquarters, and the park’s post office.  More importantly, the Mammoth Hot Spring terraces lie just outside the developed part of town.  While not as spectacular as the geysers, the hot spring terraces are remarkable in their own right.  The mineral deposits and stunningly colored hot springs make the short hike around the terraces a treat.
  • Norris Geyser Basin -- Norris is the first major geyser area you come to when heading south from mammoth.  Norris boasts the largest geyser in the park, but it only shoots off every few years, so don’t count on seeing steamboat geysers erupt.  On the other hand, numerous smaller geysers do shoot off regularly, and the hike through Norris also takes you past quite a few very cool hot springs.
  • Old Faithful -- We all know what Old Faithful is.  Obviously, you don’t want to miss it on a trip to Yellowstone.  It erupts every 90 minutes or so these days, so be prepared for a wait.  The best time to see Old Faithful, by the way, is early in the morning.  We were there around 8:30 a.m. and viewed the eruption with no more than 100 or so other people.  The next eruption was packed.  If you do show up for a crowded eruption, walk around to the back of Old faithful—far fewer people bother to make the short jaunt, and you will get a much better view.
  • West Thumb -- West Thumb is another hot spring area, but with a twist.  The twist is that these springs are right by—and in some cases right in—Yellowstone Lake.  The views combining the springs and the lake in the distance are spectacular.
  • Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone -- For truly spectacular views, though, you simply have to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  It’s kind of ironic, in a way, that some of the best views in the park have nothing to do with the geothermal features that Yellowstone is best known for, but that’s the way it has turned out.  The Grand Canyon boasts two impressive waterfalls and amazing chasm dropping down to the Yellowstone River.  I would recommend seeing the canyon from the south rim (north, too if you’re not pressed for time), and make sure to walk out to Artist Point (again—you simply have to take a picture here).

When it’s time to leave, I’d recommend the south exit through Grand Teton National Park, but that’s another article in itself.