Yellowstone National Park - Experience Wonderland

Yellowstone National Park is America's first and foremost National Park. Established in 1872 by the United States Congress for the preservation of its many wonders and for the enjoyment of the people.

Yellowstone National Park - is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, and includes small areas of Montana and Idaho as well. In addition to its superb Rocky Mountain scenery, the park is one of the world's principal wildlife preserves. It's also the site of America's greatest concentration of geysers and hot springs, which form a visible and spectacular link with the primeval forces of the Earth's creation.

Yellowstone is also the oldest national park in the country. In fact, the original idea of setting aside natural resources like Yellowstone began here when some of the territory's first explorers began a unique campaign to preserve the beauty of these lands for generations to follow. Here more than two million acres of a high mountain-ringed plateau have been set aside for permanent protection as a natural preserve. It's been called America's finest and most diverse vacationland.

Yellowstone is a treasure that inspires awe in travelers from around the world, boasting more geysers than anywhere else on the globe.

Yellowstone in its early days was known simply as "Wonderland." It is the destination of a lifetime for all ages.Yellowstone National Park and the larger Yellowstone region feature numerous hotel and other lodging facilities. Lodging inside Yellowstone is highly desirable but limited.

What is the best time to visit Yellowstone?

Although Yellowstone National Park is open year around, certain times are better to visit than others. The park is primarily open from May to October, with the months of July and August attracting the largest number of visitors. May, June and September are somewhat less crowded, and the weather during this time can still be a bit cool due to Yellowstone’s high altitude. For winter visitation, the months of January and February are best.

Can you drive in Yellowstone?

The northern section of Yellowstone, from the North entrance at Gardner, Montana to the Northeast entrance at Cooke City, Montana, is open to automobile traffic throughout the year. All roads in the Park are generally open from June through late October, depending upon weather conditions and/or road construction projects. Roads in the park in addition to the northern section are partially open from late April through May, late October, and the first week of November.

When open, the main roads in Yellowstone are accessible by automobiles and motor homes alike. Motor homes and otherwise oversized vehicles, however, are not allowed on many of the side roads in the park.

What would happen if the volcano in Yellowstone erupted?

The Yellowstone supervolcano is different from a regular volcano. Residing underneath Yellowstone, the supervolcano generates enormous amounts of heat near the surface of the ground that in turn powers the thousands of geysers, hot pools, mud pots and steam vents in the park. Geological studies indicate that over the course of recent millions of years the supervolcano has erupted approximately every 600,000 years. There are no indications it will erupt anytime soon.

Humanity may have disappeared from planet earth by the time Yellowstone’s supervolcano again erupts. But should that not be the case, and if the land mass of the United States (or whatever it may be called by that time) is roughly the same as now, the eruption could cause various levels of devastation and damage over perhaps one-half of the land mass, while potentially triggering global climate change.

When is Yellowstone open?

Although Yellowstone National Park is open year around, the park is fully accessible only from late May/early June to late October.

The northern section of the park’s roadway, from the North entrance at Gardiner, Montana to the northeast entrance at Cooke City, Montana is the only portion open year around.

Mid-December through early March is winter season, during which oversnow vehicles are permitted on snow-groomed roadways of the lower loop of the park, and from Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Geyser Basin.

From mid-March to mid-April park crews work on clearing the roads of snow. In early-to-mid April the park’s roads open for about two weeks of bicycle access only.

Lower elevation roads begin opening to automobile traffic in late April, and by about early June, depending on weather conditions, all of the roads in the Park are open to automobile traffic.

Then, depending on weather conditions, higher elevation roadways in Yellowstone begin closing in late October. All roads except the northern section close by the second week of the November. And in mid-December, some park roads, as noted above, open for oversnow vehicles.

Where should I stay in Yellowstone?

If you wish to lodge inside of Yellowstone National Park, it is best to plan well ahead of time as most of the rooms inside the park fill a year ahead of time.

The park is very large. When choosing a lodging option, one approach is to pick a hotel or lodge near attractions you wish to visit.

Be advised that lodging inside Yellowstone contains no televisions, swimming pools or many other modern amenities.

Built in 1903/04, the Old Faithful Inn is the most iconic and most popular lodge in Yellowstone. A world-renowned lodge made of lodgepole pine logs, the Inn features a variety of rooms and is situated in Old Faithful Village adjacent to the Upper Geyser Basin and near Old Faithful Geyser, the most popular attraction in the park. Other lodging options in the village include the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (hotel rooms and cabins) and the Old Faithful Lodge (cabins).

Many other lodging options are also available in Yellowstone.

Lake Village is home to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins, the most upscale lodging facilities in the park. Also in Lake Village are the Lake Lodge and Cabins, another popular lodging option.

Also in the interior of Yellowstone is the newly-remodeled Canyon Lodge and Cabins, located near the Grand Canyon and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.

North of the Canyon Lodge and Cabins is the Roosevelt Lodge, the smallest of the lodging villages and the most rustic cabins in the park.

The Mammoth Hotel and Cabins in Mammoth Hot Springs are located near Yellowstone’s northern entrance. Grant Village Hotel, a 1960s-era structure, is near the southern entrance.

In addition to lodges, hotels and cabins, many roadside public campgrounds are available throughout Yellowstone.

Where should I stay near Yellowstone?

Each of the five entrances to Yellowstone is adjacent or near a gateway community. The various lodging options in the gateway communities run the gamut from relatively inexpensive to upscale and expensive, and include national chain lodging properties as well as unique, local accommodations.

Your choice of lodging in a given gateway community will involve some driving time to see Yellowstone. During your Yellowstone visit you may want to make reservations in more than one gateway community in order to more easily see more of the park.

The west entrance is the most popular park entrance. Adjacent to the west entrance is the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, a gateway community featuring many lodging options from guest ranches to hotels to home rentals to glamping and camping. West Yellowstone is 30 miles from Old Faithful Village.

At the northern entrance to the park the small town of Gardiner, Montana offers a variety of hotels and home rentals. Gardiner is five miles from Yellowstone’s Mammoth Village.

Near Yellowstone’s northeast entrance are the adjacent communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana. Accommodations include hotels and rentals. Cooke City and Silver Gate are in the vicinity of the famed Lamar Valley, renowned as the best place to watch the park’s wolves.

Within fifty miles east of the park’s east entrance are a number of hotels, campgrounds and dude ranches. The famous Old West town of Cody, Wyoming is fifty miles from Yellowstone’s east entrance and offers many hotel and cabin options.

Grand Teton National Park is south of Yellowstone. Hotel rooms and cabins are available in Grand Teton National Park and in Jackson, Wyoming, yet further to the South.

Where should I stay when Yellowstone is full?

There are many lodging options near Yellowstone. Your choice will depend on your personal preference and how far you wish to drive to see the sights you wish to visit in Yellowstone.

West Yellowstone, Montana offers the greatest number of hotel rooms and cabins, Cooke City / Silver Gate, Montana the least.

Gardiner is close to the north entrance of Yellowstone, but does not have as many rooms as does West Yellowstone.

Cody, Wyoming (to the east) and Jackson, Wyoming (south) are each about an hour from Yellowstone.