Yellowstone: Who's been there?

If you had one day to see the sights around Yellowstone, what would you visit??

I might be passing through the area in a few weeks ( Still Winter there! ) and would have 1 free day to enjoy the sights....

Ideas??

( Besides staying for a week!! )

 

I have been there three times. Take binoculars, telephoto lense ?sp? etc.

You see alot more animals at dawn and dusk. I have seen several grizzlies in the morning within 15 minutes. However Jill and I once turned round to see a grizzly walking behind us during the day time, which was interesting! You will be lucky to see them in the day. Its worth getting up early. You will see lots of Bison and elk wherever. Mooses tend to be found in the wetter areas but are not hard to find.

I find that the best area to watch animals in Lamar Valley in the North East of the park: grizzlies, wolves, proghorn, elk etc. Its like the African serengeti plains. People watch the wolves with long lenses from the side of the road there. You will find black bears in the more forested areas.

If you cannot be there early in the morning or late evening then take a tour bus, probably from Fishing Village which is in the south/central. The people working the tours really know how to find the beasts.

 

Here's a taste of what you'll see.

 

Old Faithful is worth seeing and is in the south of the park.

Mammoth is spectacular and is in the north west of the park.

 

You will want to pay attention to these dates. Even though the park is technically open every day of the year, some of the entrances and areas are closed. What a magnificent place though. Going back this summer for sure.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/open_closedates.htm

 

Road through the park wont open until mid april. Rent a snowmobile if you want to go in.

 

Yep, Been there. Yellowstone to me, is for seeing every animal in it's habitat. I saw, grizzly bear with 3 cubs, elk, moose, and bison where literally everywhere. Where we stayed, I walked out of the post office and turned the corner and BAM, fuggin buffalo standing there. It's more of a natural zoo, semi up-close, without fences. Beautiful for sure.

The Grand Tetons were more of "Natures Majesty" beauty from afar. Amazing stuff to see in this country...

I was in awe at both places, just for different reasons.

 

NE part was my fav. i doubt u will get anywhere near it for prob another 6 weeks?

 

The wife and I went in '06. We saw all kinds of wildlife like everyone else has mentioned.


The coolest thing we saw tho was up in Lamar Valley. We actually got to see three wolves attacking a bison. They would circle him and nip at his back legs, but the bison was just to much and they couldn't get him down. There was a ranger there with us and he told us a wolf attack like that was probably the rarest thing to actually witness in the park. He said three would never get the bison down. It would take the rest of the pack too.

 

Its funny this was posted , if all goes well, Im plannign a side trip wiht the Mrs there post Miller WSBK weekend , while traveling on to the Road America round of the AMA stuff . Kind of on the fence , I know there is a whoe lot of stuff to take in and kind of hate the idea of taking 2 or 3 days to get it all . I will need mroe time that that , right ?

 

On my bucket list is to snowmobile there.

 

On our '06 trip we also went up to Glacier National Park. It's about five hrs. north of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is the best for wildlife, but if you're wanting beautiful scenery, Yellostone isn't close To Glacier IMO. If we ever go back we'll skip YNP and spend all our time at GNP.

the wife at Goose Island Lake at Glacier NP.



Grinnell Glacier Lake. Yes, the water really is that color.

 

I hope the roads are open for your sake. At this time of year, I'd say see what you can.

 

If you are in the Yellowstone area make sure to go south of the park to Jackson. The road from the south entrance to Jackson is one of the most amazing dives I have ever done. If you are in the park Mammoth is a must see, some with old faithful. Also if you can go down to the West Thumb geyser bason. The whole Lake Yellowstone is the Caldera of a super volcano so there is some interesting stuff there. When we I was there last (been there 4 times now) a ranger told me that the bottom of Lake Yellowstone has been rising for several years now. If that thing ever goes off we are all screwed. Haha.

Noeyes, if you are going to Glacier take the trip north of the boarder to Waterton National Park. It is amazing. More bears there then anywhere else I have ever been to. I live in Calgary now and get down that way often for work ( less then 3 hours from my front door).

 

You are a lucky man and I'm very jealous!

We were going up to Waterton, but just didn't have the time. We squeezed GNP and YNP into seven days.

 

Actually it's not....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowstone_Caldera_map2.jpg

 

This is not a good time of the year to visit the park, most people underestimate the extreme climate. We own a ranch right outside West Yellowstone on Henry's Lake, and don't even go open it up until May.

 

Thanks for all the advice, but....

Online research says only one road is open to 4 wheel traffic in March, across the North of the park....

Most roads reopen in mid April.

And it costs $25 to get a car in, then $12 per person. :wow:

Bummer.....

 

I went to YS while I wa sout for the WSBK round at Miller. It was great. We went to a few of the geysers and got to see the Bison up close and personal (like 3 feet from the car window up close). It was amazing!! We did it as a day trip from SLC so we only got to spend a few hours at YS. You could spend a week in the park and still not see it all.

Have fun out there!!