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Getting to Yellowstone National Park
My favourite way of getting to Yellowstone from Europe is to get fly to Salt Lake City, the nearest international airport. Get a cheap flight to New York and then catch an internal flight from a budget airline. It is cheaper than getting a direct flight. You could also spend a few days in New York to get rid of your shopping habit before reaching the great out doors.
From Salt Lake City drive to Jackson Hole. On the way drive over the salt lake and stop at Antelope Island State Park for your first chance to see buffalo. Call into Hill Aerospace Museum on Hill USAF Base. It is on the way and has a collection of historic fast jets, bombers, ground attack and transport planes around the museum car park. It is free to look around these magnificent planes. On interstate 15 take the route 98 turn off. You will see the aircraft from the interstate.
Spend time in Jackson Hole. It is the most cowboy western town I have been to. It has board walks and saloons. Look out for the red horse drawn stage coach taking visitors around town. There are hotels, lodges and motels to suit all price ranges. It is a very good fun place to stay.
As you drive north up to Yellowstone you will first drive through the National Elk Refuge and then enter Grand Teton National Park. There is a large fault line running north to south. The land to the west rose high to form majestic mountains where as the land to the east of the fault line sunk and is now flat grazing land. If you are lucky you will see herds of buffalo, elk and a few moose. Stop at the visitors centre and go for a walk along the river.
Yellowstone National Park accommodation
Book early. Yellowstone National Park is run by the National Park Service of America. It covers parts of the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. You will find vacation lodging inside the park run by the NPS. The lodges inside the park can be found at Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Roosevelt Lodge Cabins, Lake Lodge Cabins, Lake Yellowstone, Grant Village and Yellowstone Canyon. You must book accommodation in the park early. Outside the park in towns like West Yellowstone you will find motel and hotel accommodation.
West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone
If you are driving into the park from Jackson Hole and Grand Teton national park the first major Geothermal feature you can visit is just past Grant Village. Look out for the sign posts to West Thumb Geyser Basin. It is on the edge of the Yellowstone Lake in the volcanic caldera. When you get there look around. You are standing in the bottom of a giant volcanic crater. The hills you see are the remains of the edge of volcanos. You will find Pacific cutthroat trout and lake trout in the Yellowstone lake. There is a boadwalk that takes you around the different volcanic thermal features at West Thumb. The Geyser basin exists because of cracks in the earth, volcanic faulting, it which water seeps and gets super hot. You will see hot springs, mud pots and fishing cones in the lake. West Thumb does not have dramatic erupting geysers but does have a complete variety of hot springs, pools, mud pots, fumaroles and lake shore geysers. Earlier explorers used to cook fish and then whilst the fish was still on the line put it into one of the lake shore geysers and cook the fish in the boiling water. This is now banned but these geysers have been given the name of fishing geyser.
Yellowstone
Mud Pots, Mud Caldrons & Mud Geysers
I like mud pots and so do children as they make a great plop plop noise as the sulphur gas escapes from the depths of the earth. They may not be as colourful as the hot springs and pools but they are one of the geothermal volcanic features that makes Yellowstone National Park so unique. Mud Caldrons are slightly different as the boiling action you see is caused by carbon dioxide and other gases rising from below and passing though the water in the pool. Mud Geyser occur if the underground steam vents are of small girth. Pressure builds up the mud explodes upwards in a column of muddy water, 7-10 ft in diameter, up to 50 ft in the air and can cover trees.
Hot Springs & Geysers
Cold surface water sinks through the cracks in the Yellowstone volcanic caldera basin for up to 10,000 where it comes into contact with the hot rocks of the shallow magma chamber. The water becomes superheated and less dense than the downward moving colder water. It therefore rises to the surface dissolving some of the silica in the rhyolite rocks making a solution of silica within the rising water water. Some of the silica is deposited as a mineral called geyserite on the walls of the underground ‘plumbing system’ making a pressure-tight seal creating a system of tubes that can withstand the great pressure needed to produce an explosive geyser like Old Faithful. If the underground ‘plumbing system’ has large tubes then the heat is released at a slower speed and produces hot springs.
Different colored bacteria microbes and algae thriving at different temperatures cause the bright colours of the volcanic geothermal hot springs like West Thumbs Paint Pots, morning Glory, Grand Prismatic, Abyss, Emerald, and Sapphire. As the hot water spills out of the hot springs it cools down and different bacteria find the place where the temperature is just as they like it and then grow. The Vikings were the first to record finding a geyser. That was on Iceland at a place called Geyser.
Yellowstone's
Old Faithful Geyser
The most famous attraction in Yellowstone National Park is the Old Faithful Geyser. It is a spectacular geyser but many people come away disappointed with the viewing experience. It is not in a very beautiful setting. The two large lodges built close by and the amount of hard landscaping to provide parking and seating for the tourists spoil the location. The parking lot can be difficult to navigate with all the visitors, their cars, large RV’s and tour buses. The area is always crowded. When you arrive go and find out the time of the next eruption. Find a place to sit and enjoy the show. Find out the time of the next eruption and go and explore the rest of the valley but aim to walk to the other side of Old Faithful to watch the eruption from a different angle. If you want to see it for a third time but a bit further away go to the Old Faithful Inn and get a seat on the outside deck. There is a bar nearby and you can sip a beer and do some people watching while waiting for the eruption. Norris Geyer Basin has many geysers in one area with nice trails but hardly anybody around.
Fumarole Steam Vents in Yellowstone
Fumaroles, or steam vents can be seen all over Yellowstone National Park. They are hot springs with a lot of heat, but not much water. The water that is there boils away before reaching the surface producing a loud hissing vent of steam and gases.
Mammoth Hot Springs
The geothermal mineral terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs in the north of Yellowstone National Park, were formed by heat, water, and limestone. They are best explored on foot. These geological features of the terraces have been described as resembling a cave turned inside out, and where the water trickles over the edges a frozen waterfall effect can be seen As ground water seeps slowly downward and laterally, it comes in contact with hot gases charged with carbon dioxide rising from the magma chamber. Some carbon dioxide is readily dissolved in the hot water to form a weak carbonic acid solution. This hot, acidic solution dissolves great quantities of limestone as it works up through the rock layers to the surface hot springs. Once exposed to the open air, some of the carbon dioxide escapes from solution. As this happens, limestone can no longer remain in solution. A solid mineral reforms and is deposited as the travertine that forms the terraces.
The cooling hot water allows Thermophiles, which are heat loving micro-organisms, and living bacteria to grow and create beautiful shades of oranges, pinks, yellows, greens, and browns. When a terrace become inactive, the organisms die, and only grey, crumbling terraces remain. If they once again become active, the organisms return, and the colour once again returns. The Mammoth Hot springs terraces are constantly changing, leaving some past active areas completely dry for years and creating new terraces at other places. You will see both active and inactive travertine terraces. As the white rock formations grow, the water is forced to flow in different directions. The constant changes in water and mineral deposits create a living sculpture.
The entrance to the Upper Terrace Drive is two miles south of the Mammoth Albright Visitor Center on the road that goes toward Norris Geyser Basin. This is a one way scenic drive that winds for one and a half miles past a number of hot springs and terraces. This is a narrow, winding road, so trailers, buses, and motor homes are not allowed to drive this Upper Terrace route. There are a number of small turn offs along the way for you to park and take short walks to various formations on the upper level. Some of these springs can also be walked to from the Lower Terrace, but other terraces and spring mounds can only be seen along the drive. Sometimes you may be luck to see elk lying on these dry terraces or buffalo waiting nearby.
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
Staying in the Yellowstone National Park, is more expensive, and you have to make your reservation well in advance to get in. Don't expect a luxury room when you get to the 100 year old Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. It is a simple but comfortable room, with all the basic needs. Some rooms do not have en suite bathrooms. It is an old style building, and the rooms still have some of the old style features. The setting is beautiful. Keep a look out of the bedroom windows. There is a good chance of seeing some elk on the grass surrounding the hotel. Do not go near them especially the males. These large mammals have injured a number of tourists. In the evening enjoy a meal at the restaurant next to the hotel, accompanied by a good glass of wine and again if you are luck, whilst watching the Elk graze. You cannot get more perfect than that. Tell your children that televisions, radios, air conditioning, and Internet hook-ups are not available.
The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is the nearest park accommodation to the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It was originally a tourist stop in the days when visitors took a train to Gardiner, Montana, and then took the stagecoach into Yellowstone. At one time it was home to the US Army when it was called in to protect the park. It was built around 1920 and except for the North wing pulled down in 1936 when the older buildings were replaced with more modern larger buildings to cope with the growing number of tourists.
Yellowstone
Forest Fires
One third of Yellowstone burned back in 1988 (almost 800,000 acres). In the American West forest fires are a way of life. The seeds of some plants like the lodgepole pines only germinate after a burn. Fires thin out the forests and keep the eco-system healthy. Much of Yellowstone will remain scarred for several decades to come. If you smoke be very careful. Stub out your cigarettes in the ashtray on your car.
What to do at night
In many of the tourist areas there are talks given by Park Rangers on various topics within the park. Ask at the visitor centers and look on the notice boards. If you are in the Old Faithful area during a full moon, take a walk along some of the geysers. They seem to look completely different. Take a flash light torch to make sure you keep to the path. In the Old Faithful Inn lobby you will find piano music being played on one of the balconies. Try and find a seat around the fire place or in the balcony, and sit back and relax. Try not to drive on the park roads at night. The Yellowstone National Park’s wildlife is even harder to see until it is too late. Many are killed each year by contact with speeding vehicles. Drivers and passengers have also been killed by large elk or buffalo coming over the car bonnet and through the car window when hit. Others have died or been injured when vehicles have swerved off the road to avoid animals on the road and collided with immovable rocks and trees. If you must to be out on park roads after dark, drive very slow.
Yellowstone Wildlife
Pronghorn Antelope are officially the fastest antelope on the planet. They evolved to be able to run away form the now extinct North American Cheetah. They have the ability to run over 45 miles per hour. There is a small herd of these creatures in the park. They cannot cope with the extreme cold of the Yellowstone winters so migrate to the warmer southern grass lands during the winter. This takes them out of the protection of the National Park and into the gun sights of farmers and hunters. The population was dwindling and there are concerns about inbreeding.
American Bison, also known as Buffalo can be located throughout Yellowstone National Park. In fact there are so many you might start to take them for granted. When you see people stopped on the side of the road do not get out of your car and try to stroke them as I have seen some idiot attempt. You can get killed. These animals are huge and in a bad mood will trample you to death especially if they have calves. Buffaloes can outrun you and are quicker than they appear. There are more attacks and deaths caused by bison than by bears. The Herd that roams Yellowstone Park has been in the area since prehistoric times. There are thousands of them! They are the only truly wild Buffalo left. In winter, the bison will travel outside of the park searching for lower ground to keep warm. Go to www.youtube.com and search for bison attack and Buffalo attack
Elk are the most numerous big mammal in Yellowstone National Park. You will see many of them during your visit. It is estimated that 30,000 Elk spend the summer in the park and 15,000 stay for the winter months. The other half head south towards Jackson Hole where the winters are not so extreme. The mating call of the Elk, or bugle, is one of the strangest sounds you hear in the wild. Late summer and Autumn is the rutting season so Yellowstone echoes with their calls. Bull Elk have magnificent antlers. They have charged visitors who have got to close and caused injuries. They also charge and damage vehicles. Keep your distance. Do not use a flash. Always keep your eyes on them. Never turn your back. The Mammoth Hot Springs National Park accommodation is a good place to see Elk as they are regular visitors to the grounds. They like the hotel’s grass lawns. Go to www.youtube.com and search for Elk attack
If you are lucky you will see Coyotes. They look like small short haired wolves. They are attracted to human settlements and car parks because of the rubbish we leave. They are always on the look out of a quick easy meal. Do not try to feed them. They may decide they want to snack on your fingers.
Moose are usually solitary animals, exceptions to that rule are during mating season and when a mother is with her calf. They like water plants so look for them munching on willows near rivers and lakes.
Yellow Bellied Marmots like high elevations and make there burrows near rocks so they can climb on top and use them as lookout towers. They start their hibernation in late summer and don't emerge again until May. Look for marmots near rocky outcrops.
Avoid Black and Brown Grizzly bears. They will kill or seriously injure you. Do not go into the hills alone. Make bears aware of your presence on trails by making loud noises. It is recommended whilst hiking to wear bear bells, keep talk loudly and carry bear spray. Give the bears a chance to know that you are approaching so you do not stumble across them. All bears are dangerous, and the grizzly is especially aggressive and unpredictable. An adult male weighs 300 to 700 pounds and measures 3.5 feet in height at the shoulder. Females are smaller, but still weight from 200 to 400 pounds. You may be doing serious harm if you try to feed bears to enable you to take a few photographs. Each year bears have to be killed because of aggression towards humans. If they lose their fear of humans due to easy access to food, they become even more dangerous. When a bear becomes aggressive park rangers, or Game and Fish personal outside the park will often try to relocate the bear first. These bears often return, and if relocation does not work, the bear has to be destroyed. If you love seeing the bears leave them alone and keep your distance.
What should you do if you encounter a bear? Do not run. Bears can run over 30 miles per hour, or 44 feet per second. That is much faster than Olympic sprinters. Running may encourage an attack from otherwise non-aggressive bears. If the bear is unaware of you, detour away from the bear. If the bear is aware of you and nearby, but has not acted aggressively, slowly back away. Tree climbing to avoid bears is popular advice but not very practical in many circumstances. All black bears, all grizzly cubs, and some adult grizzlies can climb trees after you where you will be a sitting target. Running to a tree may provoke an otherwise uncertain bear to chase you. Use your bear spray if attacked. Check that the spray can date of expiry has not passed. You want the pepper spray as strong as you can get it. The chemicals grow weaker with time. If you do carry bear spray you should make sure you know how to use it. For example spraying against the wind would be a bad idea.
Where to see wildlife in Yellowstone
You cannot guarantee to see large mammals on your visit to Yellowstone National Park but you can increase your chances by going to certain locations. In marshy areas along rivers you may spot moose, and in grasslands you may find elk and bison. You will find a meadow between Madison and Norris. This is where I usually spot buffalo. My favourite wildlife viewing area in the northern part of the park is the Lamar Valley. It is a good area to look for wolves, coyote, bison, antelope, bears, bighorn sheep, osprey, eagles and foxes. There are times I have driven through this area and seen nothing. Hayden Valley as an ideal place to look for wildlife. Here the road follows the Yellowstone River and you may see such grazing animals as elk, moose, and bison. Waterfowl such as ducks and white pelicans can often be seen in the marshy areas. As you tour the park by car look out for other cars that have stopped in strange locations. It is normally a very good sign that something interesting is happening, usually involving wildlife.
Wildlife Photography Tips
You need a long lens on an SLR to get good close up photographs. A 70mm - 300mm zoom lens is ideal. These long lenses have to be held very steady otherwise your photos will come out blurred due to camera shake. You cannot use a tripod in a car or van. Treat your self to a bean bag that you can use to rest the long lens on. Put the bean bag over the vehicles windows or on its bodywork. Professional photographers have special tripods that clamp onto their vehicle.
Buy and fit a polarised filter to all your lenses. It protects them and also makes the sky in your photographs a richer darker blue. Buy extra batteries. You are a long way from a shop. Ask the hotel or lodge reception if their electricity turns off at certain times of the day. Make sure you recharge all your camera batteries when the power comes back on.
Learn how to bracket your photographs. Ideally when you take a photograph your camera will automatically take three photographs of the same thing at the same time. One photograph will be over exposed, one will be what the camera thinks is the correct exposure and the last one will be under exposed. This way you will never have a photograph rendered useless due to exposure problems. As you are going to take lots and lots of photographs make sure you have plenty of memory disks.
Yellowstone Grand Canyon Lower Falls
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is about 20 miles long. Compared with the rest of Yellowstone national Park it is a relatively recent geologic feature no more than 10,000 to 14,000 years old. The canyon was formed by erosion rather than by glaciation. The power of the Yellowstone River is the force that created the canyon and the falls. The river begins in the south of the park on the slopes of Yount Peak. The Yellowstone river then travels more than 600 miles until it flows in to the Missouri River in North Dakota.
There are viewpoints on both the north and south rim. There is a road that goes along the north and south rim, but you have to return to the main road to access each rim road. Best time of day to watch the Lower Falls is during the morning. During the afternoon, the falls will be covered by shadow. You cannot see the falls from the road. Park and walk to the viewing points. Some of the best viewing points are at the end of trails. One of the good ones starts at Lookout Point and takes 45 minutes for the roundtrip.
Inspiration Point at the far end of the road is the best place to get an overview of the canyon but there are 55 steps. Lookout Point is great for views of the Lower Falls. Brink of the Upper Falls takes you close to the water’s edge. The Red Rock trail has a spectacular view at the end of the Lower Falls, but it is a long, steep, switchbacked trail. An easier spot to view the Lower Falls is Lookout Point, just to the right of Red Rock trail. Artist's Point is another great spot to view the Lower Falls. If you go early in the morning on a sunny day, you will see a rainbow at the base of the falls.
The canyon is mainly made of a rock called Rhyolite and it comes in a number of different colours from deeps reds oranges and coppers. With the Yellowstone river, upper falls, and lower falls, it is not surprising that canyon is used by many artist as their inspiration.
West Yellowstone
There is lots of accommodation in the town of West Yellowstone ranging from good quality Hotels, lodges, motels to hostels. The town is just out side the national Park by the western entrance. One of the best attractions of West Yellowstone is the not for profit Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, 201 S. Canyon, West. You can never guarantee seeing bears in the park but visiting the center at least ensures you can get close to one. Some of the bears were orphaned in the wild & rescued by rangers and the centres staff. Some of the bears were due to be shot after becoming a nuisance in residential areas and a threat to humans. They were given a second chance at the centre. The bears live in a large indoor den and during the day are allowed access to the 2 acre outdoor habitat in social groups. Fruit and other food are hidden underneath logs and rocks to make it challenging for these large omnivores. When the bears are allowed back into the compound they have to sniff out the treats just like out in the wild. I could have stayed there for hours watching the bears play in the artificial pond and with the large logs. Opposite the bears is the wolf pack enclosure with raised observation decks. You may be lucky to hear them howl as a pack.
The Yellowstone Museum, West Yellowstone
Located in the old stone Union Pacific train station built in the early 1900's is the Yellowstone Museum. It houses a collection of old west and railroad memorablilia including a stagecoach and stuffed animal exhibits. A film on the Yellowstone fires is available to view. There is an admission charge.
West Yellowstone Railway surprise
The Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort has an original 1903 preserved railway passenger coach from the Oregon Short Line. It is a small museum of how people travelled on the railroads. The railway carriage has all the original furniture and appointments. The Oregon Short Line was so named because it was the shortest distance between Oregon and Wyoming. Part of the Union Pacific Railway it's first run was in 1884. Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park used to use the railway system. . Railroad buffs who are interested in the early train transportation interiors, and for children will delight in looking around this relic of the early 1900's. There is no cost to walk the rail car. You will find the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort at 315 Yellowstone Ave. 2 blocks west of Canyon St. (Hwy 191) in West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone National Park Visitors Center, West Yellowstone
Make sure you stop at the Yellowstone National Park Visitor center in West Yellowstone by the parks west entrance. The Rangers are most helpful and with maps point out things to see and do in the park. They also provide any warnings. The rangers pointed out that elderly visitors may benefit from using a walking stick inside the park walking to and from all the geysers, mud pots, and animal sightings and the ground is normally bumpy and rocky.
Other Websites by the Craig Moore
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- Moore's Travel Guide Tips -
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www.moore-familytree.co.uk
Flyfishing Guide to Fishing Flies
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