Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks

One of the geysers in Yellowstone National Park

Of all the national parks, Yellowstone stands out in my mind, probably because it is so unusual.   The landscape is like nothing else on this earth.  In places it is like a moonscape, and in other places it is trees and rivers and beautiful.  There are geysers everywhere, and some of them are sulphur, so they can be smelly.  It is very diverse landscape, and one of the most interesting places to visit.



Elk Horn Arch in Jackson, Wyoming

When we went to Yellowstone we drove from Southern California and it took us 4 days on the road.  The trip was about 10 years ago.  We head to Washington every summer because of our cabin and also because we have family there.  Sometime we detour and take in other areas along with our trip to Washington and that is what we did that year.  We went up the I-15 through Utah and then cut across to Wyoming and Yellowstone.  On our way to Yellowstone we stopped in Jackson, which is a cute little town with some really great shops and restaurants. Anyone going through the area should definitly stop in the town and look around.

Then we headed north, which took us through Grand Teton National Park.  We actually headed into that park in the morning and spent the whole day wandering through the park, only exiting and heading onto Yellowstone in the evening, because we had reservations for the night at the Old Faithful cabins.

If you don't want to drive all the way from where you live then you could fly to Salt Lake City (which is the closest hub and therefore probably the least expensive place to fly to) and rent a car. From there you can drive all the way to Yellowstone in one day, but if you want to see Jackson and the Grand Tetons then an overnight in that area would be a good idea.

The Grand Tetons

Grand Teton National Park has some spectacular scenery.  Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park protects spectacular mountain scenery and a diverse collection of wildlife.

The central feature of the park is the Teton Range, a 40-mile long mountain front rising from the valley floor some 6,000  feet. The jagged range includes its signature peak Grand Teton at 13,770 feet and at least twelve pinnacles over 12,000 feet. Seven lakes adorn the base of the range, and more than 100 alpine lakes dot the backcountry. Elk, moose, mule deer, bison and pronghorn are commonly found in the park. Black bears roam the forests and canyons, while grizzlies wander throughout more remote portions of the park. More than 300 species of birds can be observed including bald eagles, peregrine falcons and trumpeter swans.

Jenny Lake in the the Grand Teton National Park

There are many outdoor recreation activities to choose from at Grand Teton National Park. During the summer you can hike, walk, view wildlife, take photographs, backpack, camp, climb, fish, swim, boat, float, canoe and bike. In winter skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities.

There are 4 visitor centers and well as an information center.  There are several lodges where you can stay, several areas have cabins for rent and there are 6 campgrounds within the park.  Dogs are allowed in the park as long as they are leashed, but they are not allowed on many of the trails.  There are entrance fees, and they are basic to what other  national parks charge, and they allow for multiple days.  I have talked about the annual passes and the military and senior passes in other posts.  If you have want more details about the fees, go to http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

The distance from the north edge of Grand Teton National Park to the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park is 6.6 miles.  So if you are doing either of these parks, they are a natural to combine them and see both in one trip.

Geyser in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone was our first national park, established in 1872.  It is a mountain wildland, home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk.  Old Faithful and the majority of the world's geysers are preserved here.  The park is open all year, but during the winter months many roads are closed to wheeled vehicles, and only accessible by snowmobile.  The road between Gardiner, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the Northeast Entrance/Cooke City is plowed year-round and open to the public.

Yellowstone Falls

In winter, a number of other Yellowstone roads are open only for snowcoach and snowmobile touring between December 15 and March 15, (weather and snow conditions permitting). The East Entrance will open December 22 and close March 1 for snowmobile and snowcoach travel. Travel over Sylvan Pass on the East Entrance Road will be subject to avalanche-related safety delays and closures.

Visitors wishing to visit the park on a snowmobile or in a snowcoach must either travel by commercial snowcoach or accompany a commercial guide on snowmobiles (private, unguided snowmobiles or snowcoaches are not allowed). Best Available Technology snowmobiles are required, and there is a daily limit on snowmobile and snowcoach entries. Off-road use of snowmobiles and snowcoaches is prohibited.

There are 8 visitor centers in the park as well as every kind of service you will need.  There are numerous lodges and cabins to rent, as well as many campgrounds.  There are stores to purchase food and supplies, and restaurants at all of the lodges.  There are gas stations, boat rental places, horseback riding and llama backpacking trips that can be booked.

On the road with Natasha

Dogs are allowed in the park, but are not allowed on most trails, and cannot be left unattended in cabins, campgrounds or in cars.  So when we went to Yellowstone, with our dog Natasha, we had to take turns hiking out to the different geysers, while the other stayed with the dog.  We did have an incident in the park, or at least, an almost incident.  We were driving a convertible on that trip, and we had Natasha in her car seat in the back, strapped in.  She had doggles to protect her eyes, because the top was down.  We were on one of the main roads through the park when a small heard of buffalo decided to cross right in front of us.  Naturally we stopped to let them go.  Natasha got very excited and started barking.  The head buffalo, a huge guy with enormous horns turned and came right towards our car.  I yelled at my husband to put the top up, but he said that wouldn’t do any good, I had to keep her quiet.  I reached behind me and grabbed her around the mouth and kept her quiet.  Her little eyes were starting to bug out, but she wasn’t barking.  That buffalo came close enough that I could see how red his eyes were.  But once she stopped barking he turned and sauntered away. 

Buffalo in Yellowstone NP

The main attraction in the park is the different geysers.  Some of them go off at regular intervals, some go off irregularly.  There are trails out to the geysers, and most of them do require some hiking to get to them.   The exception to that is Old Faithful, which is right near the Old Faithful Lodge and Cabins, and you can have a seat and wait for it to erupt, which it will do, faithfully.



Bear in Yellowstone NP

You will certainly see some wildlife there also.  We saw quite a few different animals while there.  Besides the buffalo mentioned above, we also saw deer, elk and coyotes, as well as many different kinds of birds.  Bears are quite often spotted.   For safety you should stay away from the wild animals. It is important to stay on the marked paths. Yellowstone's thermal features, rare among the earth's wonders, are extremely fragile. Boardwalks and trails protect you and preserve delicate formations. Scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust. Pools may be near or above the boiling temperature and can cause severe, possibly even fatal, burns.

 
For more information about Yellowstone National Park, the fees, lodging and campgrounds, and how to make reservations for those (which is important as the park is booked well in advance), go to:  http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

We also saw some elk in the park