Heading to Yellowstone soon for 4 days - what to see? What to skip?

[MT930]

Don't miss the boiling river for a soak it is between Mammoth (Park HQ) and Gardner MT (North Entrance)
on the east side of the road. Used to be a secret with the locals not so much now.

I spent the day float fishing on the Yellowstone river north of the park fishing Saturday, many fish landed.

Take a raft trip on the YS River, many river outfitters are in Gardner MT.
The Snake River south entrance is excellent as well

Get off the roads and hike. Have a beer in the old faithful lodge bar.

Steer clear of the critters they are really tearing up the turi this year.

Park speed limit is 45 mph they take no prisoners.

[m21sniper]

DICE MAN!!!!

[Superman]

The calendar-photo of the Grand Tetons you've seen so many times is from a spot on the side of the road down south of the park, near Jackson WY. If you get there, have a beer in the Million Dollar Cowboy Saloon. You'll see why.

[gt350mike]

My wife and I just got back from Yellowstone last night. Expect delays on the roads due to construction between Towers Fall, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and Norris. We came in from the NE side from Cooke City and drove through to West Yellowstone. We had planned to make several stops along the way w/in Yellowstone but Delta had A/C trouble and we lost a day. I highly recommend looking at this website:

Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

To be continued.....

[gt350mike]

We rented a Harley in Billings and rode to Yellowstone via Beartooth Pass (MUST SEE....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) through Cooke City on our way to West Yellowstone. Like I said before, we had originally planned to make a few stops w/in Yellowstone, but we shortened our stay so we could also ride through the Tetons (in the rain for two hrs) to Jackson Hole, WY. Since we didn't get wet enough on the bike, we went whitewater rafting down the Snake River (recommend renting a wet-suit...best $7 you will ever spend) with "Lewis & Clark Expeditions". Afterward, we drove through the Teton National Forest on our way to Big Sky, MT. Since we didn't think we had enough seat time, we decided to ride horses for almost four hours over one of the mountains SE of Big Sky. The next day we drove over to Chico Hot Springs to soak our sore butts in the natural hot spring pool for a few hours before heading back to Billings. Needless to say I need a vacation from my vacation. Here are a few photos....enjoy!








For the record, we had a Bison walk up w/in two feet of us while we were on the bike and my wife was too busy trying to climb up my back to take a photo so this was as close as she got with her camera.... I might have one from my cell I'll try to post later.

[Garp]

Fantastic pictures in this thread, I'm going next summer. Which part of August would be better, as in less crowded?

[Eric 951]

I just got back from Montana on Sunday and we did a 1-day in Yellowstone. As Mike said, be aware of the construction--can be up to a 1/2 hr delay. We went in the North entrance, drove through and out the West entrance to go to the bear/wolf exhibition--not too bad, but I felt it wasn''t worth the admission--then headed down to Old Faithful, then back up through and out the North.

Saw planty of wildlife--Grizzly, Bison, Elk and a herd of mountain goats in Gardiner.

You really can't go wrong with whatever you decide to see and not see. Take advantage of the trailheads keep an eye peeled for wildlife--sometimes it is easy to spot based upon the multitude of vehicles pulled off the road, sometimes not so much--like the mountain lion by BIL spied.

And don't be one of those fools that walks up to an animal to take a pic.

Stock up on water/snacks--it was dry this past week and have fun!

[MT930]

Lone Peak at Big Sky MT just north of the park.

[mikeferg75]

Originally Posted by MT930

Don't miss the boiling river for a soak it is between Mammoth (Park HQ) and Gardner MT (North Entrance)
on the east side of the road. Used to be a secret with the locals not so much now.

I was going to say a swim in the firehole river, think that's the place.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by mikeferg75

I was going to say a swim in the firehole river, think that's the place.

When I graduated from high school my freind and brother and I took off on a summer trip in my grandparent's truck and travel trailer and we eventually ended up in jellystone.
We met some local girls who worked there for the summer and kind of moved in with them in their employee cabin.
Lots of hi-jinx ensued but that's a different post.
I still remember one guy who worked at the park had a peace pipe he bought from the curio shop and he was smoking oregano thinking it was pot. Someone sold him oregano for $20 and he didn't know any better. what a maroon.

Anywho, the employees of the park had a party every year where everyone showed up with a bottle of booze (didn't matter what) and poured it into a large drum and everyone drank out of it. Nasty buzz.
Then we went hot-potting. They knew of some hot pot geyser/springs that were around 100 degrees or so and we stripped down and jumped in. There was a little sulfur smell but barely noticeable.

That was an interesting couple of weeks.

EDIT someone mentioned the million dollar cowboy saloon earlier in this thread.
On the way to the park we stopped at that saloon in Jackson Hole.
It was my buddy's 18th birthday so we decided to get him drunk.
About a dozen southern comfort shooters later (that's what he wanted, go figure) he was laying on his back on the floor and his feet were still in the stirrups of the bar stool.
That's when they asked up to go somewhere else.

IIRC They had a huge stuffed grizzly bear in there, it woulda taken at least two mastiffs to chase that dude away )

[Talewinds]

Just saw this article, sounds like the bears got feisty up near Soda Butte.
Bear rampage kills 1, injures 2 at MT campground

[MT930]

All the campgrounds in Soda Butte are closed. Very rare unprovoked attack.

MT FWP have set 5 traps to trap the offenders.

This a big deal people get chewed on with regularity, but not drug out of tents and killed.

[flatbutt]

anyone do the park in winter?

[RWebb]

sure - avoid the snowmobilers & be sure you have good winter travel skills & conditioning

- no bears & no skeets

[MT930]

Winter in the Park on a snowmobile is one of my favorite rides. It's getting harder to do.[img]



Last trip in was blocked by 4 Bull Moose. They will kill you but will not eat you.

[MT930]

[Talewinds]

That's cool. I've only ever seen one moose in YNP and he was elusive, gone before I could ever draw my Pentax.

[LeeH]

Thanks for all of the input. Wow! Yellowstone should be on everyone's "bucket list." I had no idea there was so much geothermal activity there. It's truly an amazing place.

Sadly, two people died in the park while we were there and one just outside the park.

The bear attack someone mentioned is the one that was just outside the park. We passed by that area the morning after it happened on our way to Billings.

A fisherman slipped in fell in a river and drowned early in our trip. The day before we left we were going to swim at Firehole River. As we started to walk down the bank a woman came up in a hurry and told us someone had just died. Everyone was still swimming, but we watched from the bank above as word travelled around the area. As we left, the rangers and medics arrived on the scene. They quickly closed down that part of the park.

We read today that a woman from Taiwan who didn't know how to swim had slipped under unnoticed in a 10' pool. Estimates were that she was underwater 5 minutes before someone saw her and pulled her out. A doctor and two nurses happened to be in the area and performed CPR until medics arrived. While she did regain a pulse she was pronounced dead later that evening.

So... if you go, be careful!



I wasn't the only Pelican there...


Me + my family post kayaking trip...

[MJHanna]

Did you go to Billings via Cooke City and the Beartooth HY?
Its God's country. Grew up in Billings and went fishing/ skiing in that area.

[Talewinds]

Beartooth Pass is INCREDIBLE!