Yellowstone was in my travel wishlist from a pretty long time and one fine morning we planned to visit this fabulous place. Yellowstone is a geological smoking gun that illustrates how violent Earth can be.
Yellowstone is an active volcano with immense volcanic activity which leaves Yellowstone with an unbelievable beauty. Geysers, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers and herds of wildlife add beauty to this place.
We had a wonderful experience during our 4 day stay here. We took a flight from New York to Salt Lake City and then drove to YNP via Grand Teton.
1st day- We started off our day with visiting the visitors' center in YNP to be acquainted with the area and plan our 4 day trip there. 1st we went to the West Thumb basin, Mud volcano and Sulphur Caldron. I was surprised to see the sulphuric activity in the region. The region surrounding the geysers smelt like rotten eggs which became intolerable after a certain time. Then we visited the Artist point at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It has a small trail(an easy one) of 0.25 miles from the parking spot. The place has been perfectly named the "Artist Point". It truly seems as if someone has freshly painted it on a piece of canvas. We couldn't help ourselves with clicking a hundred pictures there, believe me its' that picturesque.
Then we went to the Lamar valley, where we could see Bison grazing in the valley. There are two hot spots for seeing wildlife in Yellowstone: Lamar and Hayden valley. We even encountered Bison crossing the road in front of our car. That night we stayed at the Canyonlands Lodge. Xanterra is the company which manages all the park lodges and cabins. It was a great experience. Food was really good, they offer all kinds of cuisines. Vegetarians like me have plenty of options there, so you needn't panic :)
2nd day- We started our day with Norris Geyser basin. This is an amazing landscape with various geysers and mud pools. This place has around 100 geysers, both active well as dotmant. Our next destination of the day was "The Grand Prismatic" and you can well guess how it would be from its' name. You will find all rainbow hues in that geyser.
Then we went to the very well-known and the oldest geyser of Yellowstone. "The Old Faithful". This is the largest and the oldest geyser in Yellowstone. It erupts in every 90 mins, so people time their day to see the amazing Old faithful erupting. People say that your Yellowstone visit is incomplete without seeing The Old Faithful erupt. We were lucky to stay in a lodge near that, so we got a chance to see it erupt almost 7-8 times. Yellowstone has visitors from all over the World every year and no one goes back without visiting The Old Faithful and The Grand Prismatic. That night we stayed at the Old faithful lodge and it was another amazing experience.
3rd day- we visited Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way, we took a small trail to the Fairy Falls. The trail was a beautiful one, along the narrow, winding river. Then we took a dip in the Firehole River. There is a small swimming area there. Not all rivers are open for swimming in Yellowstone. If you are visiting this area, don't forget to take a dip in this river. It will be refreshing after a hike. On our way to Mammoth, we got a chance to see Elk (a species of deer). People say that Mammoth is an Elk county and we could see hundreds of them grazing on the road side and in front of our hotel. Then we took the trail to the Mammoth hot springs. I was awestruck to see the hot-spring formations there. That very night we stayed at the Grand Mammoth Hotel.
4th Day- This was our last day in Yellowstone and we were going gaga over nature by now :) Early morning, we went to the Gardner river. This was a natural hot spring and it felt like a Jacuzzi. Don't miss this place when you are in Mammoth area. Some people also call it the 'Boiling River'. It was so relaxing after the 4 day adventure that after sitting on a rock near the hot spring, I almost dreaded to go back.
After that we went ahead with the next phase of our trip to the National parks in Utah. Check out my next blog on Arches National Park :)
All I want to say is that Yellowstone is such a beauty. If you haven't visited yet, plan a trip soon to this fabulous place.
Yellowstone is an active volcano with immense volcanic activity which leaves Yellowstone with an unbelievable beauty. Geysers, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers and herds of wildlife add beauty to this place.
We had a wonderful experience during our 4 day stay here. We took a flight from New York to Salt Lake City and then drove to YNP via Grand Teton.
1st day- We started off our day with visiting the visitors' center in YNP to be acquainted with the area and plan our 4 day trip there. 1st we went to the West Thumb basin, Mud volcano and Sulphur Caldron. I was surprised to see the sulphuric activity in the region. The region surrounding the geysers smelt like rotten eggs which became intolerable after a certain time. Then we visited the Artist point at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It has a small trail(an easy one) of 0.25 miles from the parking spot. The place has been perfectly named the "Artist Point". It truly seems as if someone has freshly painted it on a piece of canvas. We couldn't help ourselves with clicking a hundred pictures there, believe me its' that picturesque.
Then we went to the Lamar valley, where we could see Bison grazing in the valley. There are two hot spots for seeing wildlife in Yellowstone: Lamar and Hayden valley. We even encountered Bison crossing the road in front of our car. That night we stayed at the Canyonlands Lodge. Xanterra is the company which manages all the park lodges and cabins. It was a great experience. Food was really good, they offer all kinds of cuisines. Vegetarians like me have plenty of options there, so you needn't panic :)
2nd day- We started our day with Norris Geyser basin. This is an amazing landscape with various geysers and mud pools. This place has around 100 geysers, both active well as dotmant. Our next destination of the day was "The Grand Prismatic" and you can well guess how it would be from its' name. You will find all rainbow hues in that geyser.
Then we went to the very well-known and the oldest geyser of Yellowstone. "The Old Faithful". This is the largest and the oldest geyser in Yellowstone. It erupts in every 90 mins, so people time their day to see the amazing Old faithful erupting. People say that your Yellowstone visit is incomplete without seeing The Old Faithful erupt. We were lucky to stay in a lodge near that, so we got a chance to see it erupt almost 7-8 times. Yellowstone has visitors from all over the World every year and no one goes back without visiting The Old Faithful and The Grand Prismatic. That night we stayed at the Old faithful lodge and it was another amazing experience.
3rd day- we visited Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way, we took a small trail to the Fairy Falls. The trail was a beautiful one, along the narrow, winding river. Then we took a dip in the Firehole River. There is a small swimming area there. Not all rivers are open for swimming in Yellowstone. If you are visiting this area, don't forget to take a dip in this river. It will be refreshing after a hike. On our way to Mammoth, we got a chance to see Elk (a species of deer). People say that Mammoth is an Elk county and we could see hundreds of them grazing on the road side and in front of our hotel. Then we took the trail to the Mammoth hot springs. I was awestruck to see the hot-spring formations there. That very night we stayed at the Grand Mammoth Hotel.
4th Day- This was our last day in Yellowstone and we were going gaga over nature by now :) Early morning, we went to the Gardner river. This was a natural hot spring and it felt like a Jacuzzi. Don't miss this place when you are in Mammoth area. Some people also call it the 'Boiling River'. It was so relaxing after the 4 day adventure that after sitting on a rock near the hot spring, I almost dreaded to go back.
After that we went ahead with the next phase of our trip to the National parks in Utah. Check out my next blog on Arches National Park :)
All I want to say is that Yellowstone is such a beauty. If you haven't visited yet, plan a trip soon to this fabulous place.
Some Recommendations
- Best months to travel- This region is characterized by long, cold winters and short, relatively mild summers. Summer is the the best time to be Yellowstone. The days are sunny, the nights are clear, and the humidity is low. So, June-September are the best months to travel.
- Climate- Temperature in summer is typically between 75° to 85°F (24°-29°C) on an average. Nights, even during the warmest months, will be cool, with temperatures dropping into the 40s (4°-9°C), so you'll want to include a jacket in your luggage. Cold and snow can linger into April and May. Blizzards can even hit the area in mid-June, although temperatures are generally warming.
It is between 60s or 70s (16°-26°C) by early June. So, during spring, a warm jacket, rain gear, and water-resistant walking shoes could be good. - Accommodation is available inside the park. Xanterra is the company that manages the lodges inside the park: http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/ . Lodges and Inns are available outside the park also. I would suggest you to stay inside the park as you will save a lot of time in commuting to and fro from the park. Try to stay everyday in a different place (eg: one day in Old faithful lodge, another day in Mammoth Hotel etc), this way you can explore and enjoy the beauty of the park in that area really well and won't waste time in driving.
- Activities- Hiking (there are numerous hikes there, just ask the nearest visitor centor for the best hikes in the area you are in), fishing, swimming (don't miss the Firehole river near Old Faithful), rafting in Yellowstone river or Snake river and don't forget to relax in the hot spring in the Boiling river near Mammoth hot springs.
- Important things to carry- sunscreen, rain gear, good trekking/walking shoes, hat/cap, binoculars and a good camera (you don't want to miss the beauty and the wildlife there).
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