Visiting Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and the most famous park in the world. It is situated in the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. It’s huge and covers an area of 8980 km². The park is situated on a volcanic plateau, the biggest attractions are geysers, hot springs, mud volcanoes, waterfalls and of course wild animals.
Tourists usually have to divide their limited time into various attractions, It was the same in our case, we could only devote two days to visit the park. The park is far from everything. The nearest big city where we can land and rent a car is Salt Lake City and so I recommend doing it. We traveled from Las Vegas and the road took us two whole days because it is 840 miles long. Driving through Idaho, we can admire such views.
Idaho Road
Idaho Road
Idaho Road
Individual attractions can be separated from each other by several dozen kilometers, so is better to visit the park by car. There is no park bus here, as it usually happens in other national parks. The park even has its own radio station that broadcasts up-to-date information. Before setting of, you can find useful information about the conditions in the park (eg. road accessibility) here
Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake
Driving along the lake we will face the choice which part of the southern loop we want to see first. If we go right, we will find West Thumb Geyser Basin, where we can admire dozens of colorful hot springs. If we turn left, we will go towards the Grand Village and the most famous geyser in Yellowstone, named Old Faithful. On the way we pass the picturesque Isa Lake.
Isa Lake
Yellowstone National Park-Upper Geyser Basin
This place has the largest concentration of geysers in the world. The largest of them Old Faithful throws hot water over 40m in the air. It is the most popular geyser in the entire park. It’s eruptions take place regularly about every hour. Estimated eruptions of this and other geysers can be found at the nearby Visitor Center. If you want to take a good observation place, you have to be there at least half an hour before the next water spurt. There is also a promenade leading to several smaller geysers.
Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful Geyse
Miles north of Old Faithful there is Black Sand Basin, one of the most colorful places in the entire park. It is a cluster of geysers, underground rivers and multicolor lakes.
Black Sand Basin
Black Sand Basin
Black Sand Basin
Sunset Lake
Black Sand Basin
Yellowstone National Park-Norris Geyser Basin
This, in turn, is the hottest cluster of geysers in the entire park. There is the highest active Geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser. During the largest explosion, it ejects water at a temperature of 92 degrees Celsius to a height of 90 meters, but usually throws water at 12 meters.
Norris Geyser Basin
Animals in Yellowstone
During our two days of sightseeing in the park, we had no luck. We met Buffalo , some kind of deer and one wild coyote. Was it a coyote in 100%? We are not sure, because all animals in the park besides Buffalo avoid contact with people. They can usually be observed from a very long distance.
Lamar Valey and Hayden Valey are the best places for observing wildlife in the park. However, these are very extensive valleys, you have to have good fortune and hawk eyes to observe anything. Unfortunately, apart from the previously mentioned animals, we only observed crowds of people with binoculars and half-meter lenses, with such equipment you can probably see more
Lamar Valey
Hayden Valey
Hayden Valey
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Lower Falls
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park-Mommoth Hot Springs
It is a complex of travertine terraces created as a result of the extraction of hot water from local hot springs. This water carries with it calcium carbonate which settles on the rocks creating these unusual formations. The most impressive part of the terraces is Palette Srping. It is a multicolored hill covered with terraces. Terraces can be visited on foot while walking wooden footbridges. Unfortunately we have been chasing time and it was not enough for a deeper tour.
Mommoth Hot Springs
Mommoth Hot Springs
Devil’s Thumb
Food and all other products are very expensive in the Park. A better solution is to look for accommodation in towns around the Park. We slept in Livingston. It is about an hour’s drive from the North entrance to the park. Thanks to this we are in the State of Montana and we can feel the atmosphere of the real Wild West.
Livingston Montana
Livingston Montana
It is an area where we can find several mouths of hot springs and a mud volcano. All springs can be visited by walking along several miles long hiking routes, mainly made up of wooden footbridges.
Hot Springs
Mud Volcano
There is also a cave called Dragon’s Mouth Spring. The water that runs through evaporates and gives out sinister sounds
Dragon’s Mouth Spring
There are many other interesting places and hiking trails in the Park, but to visit them you have to have more than two days.
Golden Gate Canyon
