High Sierra Topix

Ive never been to Yellowstone and am trying to put some plans together for next year. I know very little about Yellowstone but I know that I don't want to go in the summer since I imagine it is a lot like Yosemite. Maybe some XC skiing or snow shoeing, but would like to see the park not completely covered in snow. Some hiking, but the wife isn't excited about backpacking with grizzlies. Any suggestions on when and where to go besides the obvious of old Faithful? Early season as opposed to fall? Park hotels or outside?

There are a few weeks in the Spring and Fall when the roads are closed and gated to motor vehicles, and not snow covered. The roads are open to bicycling, with almost zero road traffic ( a few NPS and contractor vehicles). Great for bike packing. The exact dates vary from year to year, so you have to keep your schedule flexible and call the Park once a week or so to get the dates.

I went last summer right after July 4th. It was crowded but not as bad as we expected. We were able to get around and do what we wanted to do without much trouble.

We stayed at Flag Ranch in Jackson Hole. Its was pricey and pretty low tech but conveniently located right outside the south gate. Good luck getting lodging inside the park. Perhaps youll have some luck after summer but when we looked everything was booked and/or absurdly expensive.

We didnt do any backpacking so i plan to return for that someday. But as far as tourist attractions go theres alot to see and we barely scratched the surface.

The Grand Prismatic Spring boardwalk was a surreal experience and hiking the short trail nearby (fairy falls i think) leads to a short scramble that offers a fantastic birdseye view of the spring.


One of the best days we had was getting up at 4am and driving past Lake Yellowstone to Grand Canyon. Early in the morning the wildlife was very active and we saw elk, bears, bison, deer, osprey, bald eagles etc etc. Once at the Canyon we visited both north and south rim for short scenic walks and plenty of drive-up vistas. Uncle Toms trail gets u right by the Falls for some great photos.






Sentinel Meadow trail was great, with some sweeping views of unimaginable terrain, herds of bison wandering massive green fields dotted by geysers. We wandered off trail and found a few mud pots and geysers of our own.



Norris, Upper and Midway Geyser Basins were all interesting, as were the Paint Pots.


We did alot for 3 days but theres so much we didnt see, our itinerary was based around keeping drive time short and seeing as much variety as we could. The park is huge, i think we did right to narrow our targets down to just a few regions of the park.

If you do any backpacking I hope you give us a TR!! Have fun its an amazing park!




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A nice drive away from the crowds and bear jams is Black tail Plateau. Dirt road near Tower Jct. Lots of wildlife.

Yellowstone does not get hot like Yosemite. Mosquitoes season is early to mid July, convective storm (severe lightning) season in July. August usually is best. By Labor Day it is sometimes freezing at night. "Indian Summer" is mid- to late September. Winter starts in October. There was a good snowpack this year-a bit under normal, but it is melting quickly. While there, do not miss at least driving down the road to see the Tetons.

My wife and I went about 10 years ago in September. It rained a couple days, but we were willing to risk the weather to have some reduced crowds. It was our first (and only) time there so we did all the "touristy" stuff and had a good time. We hiked to the top of Mount Washburn and had some great views from the top, but the hike itself wasn't spectacular.

One thing I would recommend, if you can manage it...... early one morning we hiked up a hill to a lookout behind Old Faithful. We stood there alone, coffee in hand and watched the eruption and all the people standing on the boardwalk. It was a cool way to see the eruption and have it all to ourselves.

Thanks for all the advise

My wife and I went to Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier in June-July 2013. Unless you have the disposable income, I recommend camping. Norris campground was great, centrally located for day trips though you have to get there early (8:00-9:00 am) to get a decent campsite. Check the exit dates on the posts at each campsite. Also, Slough Creek in Lamar Valley is a a good place to camp and Lamar Valley is great for wildlife. The Upper Geyser Basin and Yellowstone Canyon both live up to the hype and if you hike rather than drive, you can avoid the crowds for certain sections.

If you want to read more, the trip report is here:

http://www.sonic.net/~words/Images/Trip ... G-2013.pdf

And the photos are here:

http://www.sonic.net/~words/ASITHSTripReports.html