Visit Yellowstone National Park – 5 Big Reasons You Must Go!

One of the most memorable road trips this year took me to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park in spring which is a perfect time to visit to avoid the biggest crowds and enjoy decent weather.

While in Yellowstone I talked with a couple that also visited in winter  and said they loved it. Really you can visit Yellowstone during any season and enjoy it.

Find out what is so special about the world’s first national park. While planning my visit to Yellowstone I kept finding amazing photos and videos of the wonders of Yellowstone park. There’s so much to see and do at Yellowstone!

 

 

Visitors typically plan to spend a few days in Yellowstone but you can also see a lot at Yellowstone in one day. The place is magical because of the incredible number of natural features to see.

Think of it as nature’s amusement park.

And think about taking a trip to Yellowstone in winter or off-season to explore the park when fewer tourists are around and accommodation around Yellowstone is cheaper.

America’s first national park turns into a winter wonderland. Yellowstone park really is a must visit for anyone planning a road trip anywhere near Wyoming or Montana.

My trip to Yellowstone was a detour on my road trip to Calgary (my hometown!) from Lafayette Louisiana(one of my favorites places!).

Stopping to visit Yellowstone didn’t add too many miles to the trip and it was totally worth the money.

Thinking about it now I wish I spent a few more days at the park but that also gives me a great excuse to visit again.

 

 5 BIG Reasons Why You Must Visit Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is a place like no other. Find out why it’s one of the top places to visit in the United States.

1.   Wildlife at Yellowstone

Abundant wildlife spotting opportunities await you in Yellowstone National Park. Some of the most amazing animals in the world can be seen at Yellowstone.

Grizzly bears, black bears, bison, and elk are actually common sights in the park.

I was amazed to see a grizzly mama bear with her two cubs one afternoon. And the bison seem to be everywhere.

Moose are not so commonplace in the park so it takes more patience to see a moose at Yellowstone.

Bison are the largest land mammal in North America with males weighing up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg). Bison can run up to 35 mph (55 kph) so you don’t want to get in their way.

Yellowstone bison herd is around 5,000 now.

The bison are free roaming throughout the park so watch for them along the roadside. Sometimes bison cause a traffic jam in Yellowstone.

Remember to stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from bison and other grazing mammals. Stay at least 100 yards away from grizzly bears, black bears, and cougars.

 

 

2.   Visit Yellowstone’s epic waterfalls

Do you love waterfalls? Get your waterfall fix in Yellowstone.

From the amazingly graceful Mammoth Falls to the thundering Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone you can see the most beautiful waterfalls in winter or summer.

 

 

3.   Gawk at geysers in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone contains half of the world’s thermal features, around 10,000 thermal wonders to observe, including over 300 geysers. These fascinating geysers, mud pots, and all things thermal will amaze you in Yellowstone.

Maybe everyone knows about Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone but Grand Geyser is actually the tallest predictable geyser in the world.

Every 6 to 7 hours is show time for Grand Geyser.

 

4.   Hot Springs at Yellowstone

Yellowstone is home to the largest hot spring in the United States – Grand Prismatic Spring. And it’s the third largest hot spring in the world.

Check out Midway Geyser Basin where you can walk the boardwalk at Grand Prismatic Spring to see the brilliant colors – it is mesmerizing!

Mud volcano thermal area features hot springs, cauldrons, and fumaroles.

 

 

5.   Visit Yellowstone for spectacular scenic drives

Yellowstone park is huge so you will need to do a lot of driving to see the wildlife, waterfalls, hot springs, geysers in Yellowstone. Fortunately every drive is a scenic drive in Yellowstone.

If you get stuck in a traffic jam at Yellowstone it is likely due to wildlife crossing the road or wildlife close to the road. When I visited Yellowstone in spring a mama grizzly bear with two cubs drew attention.

Park officials directed traffic and made sure people stayed in their cars.

An amazing number of tourists get out of their cars to photograph bears way too close. Stay at least 100 yards away from bears.

Watching the river roll by and fly fishermen clad in hip waders casting lines is how I spent time in a Yellowstone traffic jam.

What about winter at Yellowstone? Most of the park roads close from early November to late April. The only road open year round is from the Northeast entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs.

So how do you get around Yellowstone in the winter? Snowmobiles and snowcoaches will get you around the park from December through March. Skiing and snowshoeing are  great winter activities at Yellowstone.

Teddy Roosevelt called Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway (US 14/16/20) the ‘most scenic 52 miles in the United States’.

Where will you find loads of wildlife, waterfalls, hot springs, geysers, and scenic drives? While visiting Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming USA. Plan a visit to Yellowstone with this guide.

 

 

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