Travel Tips

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Yellowstone National Park is a very unique place with a lot of strange and different features. That is what makes it an interesting place to visit, but with that uniqueness comes some unique things that you should be aware of.

Elevation - Lake Yellowstone sits about 8,000 ft above sea level and you may gain or lose 1 or 2 thousand feet any way you travel. There are two main issues that the altitude change causes: 1) You may feel short of breath at times, so be prepared to stop and rest at the first signs of trouble. 2) The temperature can swing 10-15 degrees depending on where you are in the park (even more in the active geyser area). Dressing in layers is a must.

Weather - Due the northern location and high elevation of Yellowstone, it experiences very cold, snowy winters. For that matter, it experiences cold snowy springs and autumns too. Without trekking through the snow, the only times to visit Yellowstone are late May through September. Even though it is a relatively short window, the weather during that time is fantastic. It still gets chilly at night, but it is sunny and in the 60s and 70s during the day all summer long.

Geothermal Features - All the wonderful geysers and other features are all caused by a very large volcanic hot spot deep under the Earth’s core. It is not at risk for eruption, but it does cause a lot of steaming, bubbling, and spouting of water, which we see as steam vents, mud pots, and geysers. The area around these is unstable and sometimes skin-burning hot. The park service constantly monitors the area and has set up miles and miles of boardwalks for your safety and it is imperative that you stay on these paths. If you decide to do some hiking, you may run across other geysers or steam vents that are not cordoned off. You would be wise to stay a safe distance away.

Wildlife - One of the other draws of the national parks is the wildlife. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are an active ecosystem, which means that they don’t maintain, feed, or interfere in any way in the lives of the animals. It is also forbidden for you to do any of those things. You are required to stay 25 yards away from all animals and 100 yards away from wolves and bears. This in enforced for their safety and yours. The animals are wild and they all can be dangerous. Bison may look docile, but they are protective, capable of reaching speeds of 35mph over short distances, and may way up to 2,000 pounds, so don’t test them. A good rule of thumb is if the animal notices you, you’re too close.

Awkward Situations - Please be aware that you may also see animals in situations you may not want to see. You may see animals in a mating situation or there may be dead animals or even killings in plain view. If you are uncomfortable about such things or traveling with children, you may want to prepare yourself. Just keep singing “Circle of Life.”

Photography and Viewing Equipment - You will see some amazing things and capture some brilliant photographs on this trip. If you have, or can borrow, a good camera with a large zoom lens, a spotting scope, or a good pair of binoculars, bringing it will only help you, especially if seeing wildlife is a priority.

Hotels in the Park - On our Great Explorations Tours trips to Yellowstone National Park, we try to stay in the park whenever possible. This is not always feasible because there are very few hotels in the park and they fill very quickly. The hotels that are in the park are very nice, but they are simple and there are no televisions. With everything going on around you, you won’t miss the TV, but if you are traveling with children, you may want to bring something else to distract them in place of the television.

Food in the Park - The food in Yellowstone National Park is almost all run by one outside company, therefore the menu doesn’t change much and unfortunately the quality doesn’t either. The food is not terrible, but frankly it’s nothing special either and the prices can be a little high. It does not detract from the trip, but you shouldn’t go expecting a four star meal. Luckily, in the nearby town of Jackson, there are some good restaurants, so if a high-quality meal is something you’re looking for, you won’t have to go the whole tour without it.

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