yellowstone national park-where to stay/ what to see

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Plan more time than you expect for both sites and to drive. Very spaced out and driving is pretty slow.

You need to look into lodging and airfare now, its not usually a last minute place but maybe due to Covid?

Staying in the park is nice, but I also like the towns of West Yellowstone and Gardiner. The bear and wolf museum is West Yellowstone is small but I'd recommend it.

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lot's of good advice in this thread. I think the biggest factor is having enough time to see and do everything and not be rushed. if you can stay in the park, that's ideal but not a huge deal if it's booked up. it'll just add to your drive time.

We stayed at a hotel in west yellowstone and it was fine, just some more driving.

an absolute must is download the Gypsy app. it's a tour guide in your car, full of good information, and will let you when approaching a "must see" stop.

We flew into Salt Lake and drove the rest of the way. it's a scenic drive but in hindsight, I'd probably fly into Jackson or Bozeman.

Spend 2-3 days in Jackson as well and enjoy the Grand Tetons. While Yellowstone is incredible, the Grand Teton National Park has abundant wildlife(we saw bears, moose, elk, antelope), great hiking and is less crowded than Yellowstone.

if you're a fisherman, consider a fly fishing trip. My one regret is not booking a guide while visiting the area.

That is not a bad idea either. I just love the drive from Bozeman to West Yellowstone. So pretty.

Most people who visit Yellowstone hit the main attractions, but miss most of what is so special about the park.

August/September is a great time to visit the park. Less crowds and the weather usually is pleasant. The wildlife is usually more visible during this time - beware of bears in September as they have started foraging for their hibernation and are less aware of their surrounds, thus making it more likely you could "surprise" one. We carry bear spray in the backcountry.

If just visiting Yellowstone, fly into Bozeman. It's an easy 1.5 hour drive to the north entrance. We sometimes fly into Jackson and visit that area, then fly out of Bozeman at the end of our trip.

My advice is to stay in one of the border towns. Most of the hotel options in the park are average at best, and the surrounding restaurants are not good. The Old Faithful Inn is an exception - it is so beautiful and iconic that it may warrant a short stay, or at least a visit. My favorite border town is Gardiner, MT. It sits directly at the North Entrance and has some great VRBO options in a beautiful setting. There are numerous good restaurants within walking distance. There are also lots of excursions (rafting, horseback, etc) available in Gardiner. Near Gardiner, on the road to Mammoth Hot Springs, make sure to locate and go to the Boiling River. It's a spot where hot springs flow into the Gardiner River and create an area where the two mix where the water temperature is like a hot tub. You can sit in the river and watch the surrounding elk and bison. Even better if done early in am or near sunset.

We usually plan to get to the popular locations early in the morning to avoid the crowds, then plan to do hiking trips in the afternoon. Getting off the road onto the trails gives you a totally different experience. You see the true beauty of nature and get away from the busloads of tourists. There are several good books listing all the trails and breaking them down by degree of difficulty. The hike to the Mt Washburn lookout tower is one of our favorite. I agree with downloading and using the Gypsy app - helps you know what spots to stop, and what to skip. I've lived in Yellowstone and visited multiple times, but the Gypsy app taught me stuff I never knew.

Make sure to make the drive through the Lamar Valley toward the Northeast entrance and Cooke City. This drive is off the "loop" and provides some of the best wildlife viewing in the park - you will see bison herds, bears, wolves if you're lucky, and bighorn sheep. Eat lunch in Cooke City at the Beartooth Cafe - it's great. Then take a drive past Cooke City up the Beartooth Pass - amazing views of the Beartooth range as you go up through the switchbacks. This road is only open a few months a year because of snow, but will be open in August/September.

If you have enough time, make sure to take a rafting trip, and consider a guided fly-fishing float trip if you're into that. These are great ways to have a good time and see different parts of the park at the same time.

Enjoy your trip - you won't regret it.

I like the Gardiner route better. It’s a more interesting drive.

If you do an image search for Paradise Valley that will give you an idea of what you’ll see.

Jackson is a great town. I would recommend flying into there and spending a few days there and in Teton. Fly out of either Bozeman or Cody.

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