Yellowstone NP questions...

[cfcRebel]

Hi folks, i just bought a pair of plane tickets to Yellowstone NP for this coming September. I know quite a few of you have been there. Some even more than once. :D But this will be the first NP visit for me and my gf, feel like first time going to school. We have hiking experience but not at the NP level. I want to specially thank Sparker1 for offering some great YNP tips. Hopefully you too can share some of the do's and don's. Here are my questions:

1. How long did u stay in the park? 3 to 5 days or 7 to 9 days or more?
2. When you left Yellowstone NP, do you wish you could stay longer, or do u wish u should have left sooner and visited other parks in WY and UT?
3. Which entrance did u use, South, East or West?
4. What are the "must-see" places? I heard of Old Faithfull and Mammoth Hot Spring. Where else a photographer must visit?
5. We plan to wake up early to catch the sunrise. Where is "the" sunrise/sunset spot(s)?
6. Did u hike 90% of the time, or 90% drive, or 50/50?
7. How did u get food? Pre-packed and stored in your backpack, or the park offers food at every mile?
8. What do i need to bring besides my camera gears(of course) and tons of clean under-garments :lol: ?
9. I cannot afford the luxury cabin with a warm king-size waterbed. What do i need to look out for, to get good deal in lodging? :oops:
10. What are the little things that you think would make the trip a little easier, more enjoyable?

I apologize for the long list of questions. Feel free to tell us things that would help our trip but I did not cover in my questions. :)

I sincerely thank you in advance.

cfc

[saycheez]

I'll try to answer a few of your questions. We stayed for 4 days would of loved to stay longer. I did not hike at all, stayed in Fishing Bridge RV park. It was my first visit. I would recommend you take time at all of the major areas. The drive the entire grand loop of the park does take over 2 hours. We left in July and the East entrance is under construction and I would avoid at all cost. The road linking the canyon area and Roosevelt area is also closed. I took the photo safari out of Lake Hotel for $55. I wish I would of taken it earlier because the photographer knows where to take photos and was able to track some bears and wildlife. It was from 6 am to 11 am. As for food, there is some places to eat but not many if you can pack some I would. We cooked at our campsite.

HOpe you enjoy your trip

[cfcRebel]

Great information Saycheez! I really appreciate your comment. :)

[ssim]

I've spent up to 4 days in the park and still found that is not enough time for me.

It is a glorious park but I like to go in the late spring when the tourist population is not too great and the wildlife is prolific. I was there this spring and was able to get relatively close (within a hundred feet) of a couple of black bears. It was pretty awesome.

There is so much to see in this park it is hard to pick a favorite. The hotsprings make for wonderful shots as do the wildlife.

Whatever you do, make sure you come back and share your results.

[cfcRebel]

Thanks for the helpful information Sheldon. Hopefully in the fall the wildlife is not too disappoiting. :)

[Blue Deuce]

Heres what I can add from visiting the park at least a dozen times or more over the years. I own property appx. 45 miles east of the park on the Yellowstone river and any time someone new comes out with with me they of course want to visit it. Will be there again myself late Sept.

#1. I have stayed as long as three days at a stretch in a primitive campsite. I personally like to shun the modern conveniences if I am going out there. But I might add when my wife tags along we stay in a motel.

#2. I never tire of the park with all its splendor and wildlife. I do get aggravated with the the enormous crowds you can encounter during the summer. If you plan on hiking into the park and away from the roads that transverse the park you (I) will never tire of it.

#3. I perfer the Gardnier and Cooke City entrances because the drive is spectacular. Driving south from Livingston to Gardnier takes you through expansive valleys ( Paradise Valley ) along the river. The drive from Red Lodge to Cooke City along the Bear Tooth Pass is consistently rated one of the most scenic drives in N. America. Plan at least 3 hours for that drive. The Yellowstone entrance is just too touristy for me. I get enough of that here in Orlando.

#4. If you go all the way there you probably wont want to pass on Old Faithful but it doesnt do any thing for me. I enjoy the hot springs and driving the road north of Cooke City which doesnt attract the crowds since it is further from the "main" entrances to see herds of bison and the occasional bear.

#5. Nothing specific to suggest.

#6. If I was going to be there for the first time I would drive the park the first day to scout out which terrain and natural features appealed to me personally. Then I would go back to an area that interested me and get the hell off the road and away from people. Dont forget you will be hiking at high altitudes so you probably wont be able to maintain a pace you are accoustomed to.

#7. Bring you own food if possible. Other than the area where Old Faithful is located and the entrance's, food is scarce. In late Sept. they close the few concessians for the winter you might find along the drive. Make sure you have plenty of gas also.

#8. Bring plenty of water and as stated above your own food if possible. Prepare for sudden changes in the weather I have seen it snow out of no where in June. If you do in fact hike having some bear repellent is prudent. You just never know. I never travel there with out my fly rod but the fishing and beauty of the place is why I keep going back. A LOT OF CF CARDS !

#9. I love Cooke City. It was a mining town in the 1800's. Cant be but a hunderd folks living there. Couple of good old fashioned saloons and a few small no frill motels. The view is breath taking.

#10. Enjoy your self, dont get in a hurry and dont forget that Montana and Wyoming have so much more to offer in beauty and things to see than just the National Parks. The locals are friendly and the Buffalo Burgers are great. Plus no state sales tax in MT.

I hope I was of some help and didnt ramble on. Contact me if you have any more questions.

[cfcRebel]

Great stuff Blue Duece! i know the information definitely will get me on the right track. I appreciate you taking the time to write up this helpful guide. :) Thank you.
Sorry to hear about the problem u had with your 1st post this morning.

[IntheRed]

You're in for a real treat. I love Yellowstone! There's no other place like it on earth. Being from Utah, we use either the south or west entrance. Our last visit was four days and definitely not long enough. In the past we've spent anywhere from 7-10 days. We were there one year the week after Labor Day. Not as many crowds that time of year.

Not being much for camping, we stay in West Yellowstone. Yes, it is very touristy, but has grocery stores for packing lunches, etc. and is close to the park entrance. And there's something to be said for a nice shower and clean bed after a day of hiking and sightseeing.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. A breathtaking site! Check out Uncle Tom's Trail. 353 steps down the mountain to near the base of the falls. I also like Hayden Valley. We usually see herds of buffalo there. Also, Tower Falls in the north. That's a great hike.

As for the geysers, Old Faithful is the most well known. But there are others even more spectacular. One of my favorites is Grand Geyser. Check the schedules at the information center.

You can hike as much or as little as you like. It varies with us depending on who's in the group. Last trip we had lots of little kids (under three) and my folks (over 80), so not much hiking. There's so much to do and see you might want to check out the website. http://www.nps.gov/yell/home.htm

Have a great time and we'll look for your photos.

[cfcRebel]

......I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. A breathtaking site! Check out Uncle Tom's Trail. 353 steps down the mountain to near the base of the falls. I also like Hayden Valley. We usually see herds of buffalo there. Also, Tower Falls in the north. That's a great hike.

As for the geysers, Old Faithful is the most well known. But there are others even more spectacular. One of my favorites is Grand Geyser. Check the schedules at the information center.
......

Hi IntheRed! You sure can read my mind!:D Those were my questions - "Where exactly to hike? where to find animals?"
I am soooooo glad to see the detail info you typed above. Please, if u can think of more, take your time to post the info.

I'm SO glad i found this place. The POTN family is so warm and helpful. ****shed some tears of happiness**** :cry:

[Blue Deuce]

Sorry CFC if I wasnt specific enough. I dug out one of my Yellowstone maps that I make notes on. I have seen the following animals in these locations with some frequency. They are transitory creatures so they can be "here today, gone tommorow.

Cooke City to Rooselvelt lodge: Bison, various birds, an occasional bear.

Mammoth hot springs area: Lots of moose,coyotes

Tower Falls to Canyon Village: Elks

West Ent. to MAdison. Moose

You will increase your chances exponentially by getting on the trails. Not aware of what shape you or you GF are in so I cant really tell you what hike to take. The bookstores in the area have untold amount of guides for hikes from a few hours to eternity.

Try this link. http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/hike.htm

[IntheRed]

Hey thanks for the great link, Blue Deuce. Looks like that list includes hikes for every level of fitness.

[cfcRebel]

Sorry CFC if I wasnt specific enough...... Oh no Duece, you have posted great valuable answers to my questions. They are absolutely valuable. Please don't think that you didn't answer specific enough. ;)

[MazerRakhm]

We just drove through Yellowstone on our way to Glacier National Park, (Where I am right now.) man what a tease that was!

Be forewarned that they are doing a lot of construction on the park roads right now, one of them is actually closed entirely at the moment. I don't remember which one, and my wife just left with the car, hopefully when she returns I'll remember to go and check, I think it might be reopened by the time that you said you were going though.

Just driving through the park we saw a lot of wildlife; a coyote, bison, deer, and elk!

There were some really nice towns with hotels/lodges just outside of the park itself. We entered on the East side (The better looking of the two towns we saw.), and exited through the North exit by Mamoth Springs.

A drive through of the park convinced us that we'll need at least a week to explore and hike through it!

Enjoy your trip!

[Maureen Souza]

Geyser Basin is a great place with a walking trail through it as well. I also highly recommend seeing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. You will be given a map when you enter the park and you will notice that the place looks like a figure 8. I recommend you do one loop over a couple of days and the other loop another couple of days. It is an amazing place.... have a great trip!

[Chazs]

We visited in 2002. I had plans to get into the park around 4:00AM to take some sunrise shots. As it happened, I never had the opportunity. I'm still kicking myself for it. Get up REALLY early at least one day and wait for the light to rise and shine.

[dale65bama]

I went to YNP/Grand Teton a few years ago - I needed either a transfusion of red blood cells or a week to get acclimated to the altitude before I did much. The Paint Pot Geyser Basin is at 7,000 ft - pretty high for a flatlander from Florida!:confused:

There are some neat out-of-the-way places at the SW corner of YNP accessible only from Idaho (Cave Falls). That same area has Mount Sawtelle, with a narrow gravel road up to the FAA radar station at about 9,500 ft and some spectacular views! Rubber knees from oxygen deprivation after a couple of minutes.:p

At the time, I was shooting with a Pentax K-1000 - did a bout 30 rolls! Today it is digital and I would probably write that many CD-R's full. Be sure you have plenty of media - CF cards, CD-R, spare batteries and the means to recharge them).

Maybe next year for another trip West!

[cfcRebel]

Be forewarned that they are doing a lot of construction on the park roads right now, one of them is actually closed entirely at the moment. I don't remember which one, and my wife just left with the car, hopefully when she returns I'll remember to go and check, I think it might be reopened by the time that you said you were going though. I will be there in the beginning of Sept. Hopefully the construction is minimal. I will check the park website for updates. Thanks Kevin. :) Enjoy your Glacier NP trip.

Geyser Basin is a great place with a walking trail through it as well. I also highly recommend seeing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. You will be given a map when you enter the park and you will notice that the place looks like a figure 8. I recommend you do one loop over a couple of days and the other loop another couple of days. It is an amazing place.... have a great trip! Thanks Maureen. I will make sure Geyser Basin is one of my stops. Great info! ;)

We visited in 2002. I had plans to get into the park around 4:00AM to take some sunrise shots. As it happened, I never had the opportunity. I'm still kicking myself for it. Get up REALLY early at least one day and wait for the light to rise and shine. Sunrise/sunset is a must-see for me. Thanks for the tips Chazs. :)

At the time, I was shooting with a Pentax K-1000 - did a bout 30 rolls! Today it is digital and I would probably write that many CD-R's full. Be sure you have plenty of media - CF cards, CD-R, spare batteries and the means to recharge them). Unfortunately i don't have a laptop or Epson P2000. But I will make sure i bring plenty of CF's. ;) Nice shot of the bison and the fall! Thanks dale65bama.

[formula4speed]

Its been years since I visited but as I recall the whole place is just one big photo opportunity. You can't go wrong anywhere, its really just a spectacular place that you have to see to believe.

[cfcRebel]

Its been years since I visited but as I recall the whole place is just one big photo opportunity. You can't go wrong anywhere, its really just a spectacular place that you have to see to believe. Now i think my 4Gb CF is not enough for this trip.:lol:
I wish i had your 12-24 WA to capture as many thing in one frame as possible. :)

[formula4speed]

I do plan on making a return trip there or going to Yosemite, not sure which as of yet. But I would bring as much memory as I could, probably a PSD like the PD70X and a couple extra batteries. Lenses as on many vacations just never seem wide or long enough, the scenery you just have to see pictures can hardly do it justice although that doesn't stop us from trying. There is a good amount of wildlife and I'd wish I had my 400 5.6L back then but don't get stuck on bison. Its exciting when you see one for the first time, you start snapping pictures and giggling like a school girl cause you're up close to the wildlife then later in the trip you find yourself tripping over them because they are everywhere. Your 18-55 will be decent as a wide angle but if you think you can rent/buy/borrow a superwide I think you'd be happy that you did.

[cfcRebel]

.... but don't get stuck on bison. Its exciting when you see one for the first time, you start snapping pictures and giggling like a school girl cause you're up close to the wildlife then later in the trip you find yourself tripping over them because they are everywhere. .... I'm sure that will still happen when i see one. :lol: The only wildlife of that size i have ever shot is the Golden Bull on Wall Street when i went to Manhanttan. LOL!

[IntheRed]

Yeah, bison are pretty fun to see. We got some nice shots right from the car of a herd crossing the road. One of them walked right along side so plenty of opportunity there.

I hope you see an elk with a great big rack. Now that's an impressive sight. We saw lots of them on our last two trips. However, I'll admit it got to be no big deal after a while. We'd be driving along and see a bunch of cars stopped. "What are they looking at? Oh, just more elk. No need to stop."

We saw a big horn sheep on the drive up to Mammoth. But it was too far up the hillside to even get a picture. Also saw some moose. Nothing with a big rack but they're interesting creatures. Also saw a couple of coyotes, one stalking some prey. And we got some nice shots of a bald eagle in Hayden Valley. Be sure to watch for Osprey when you're at the Grand Canyon. You can see their nests. We also saw one fishing on a little drive along the river just after you enter the park from the west. It's fun to watch them dive for a fish, though hard to capture a photo. A little farther along there's a good spot where you can usually see a swan. You just never know what you'll see so you have to keep your camera handy.

Can you tell I absolutely love Yellowstone! There's so much to see and do that you should prepare yourself for a sensory overload.

[cfcRebel]

IntheRed, you story is making me so excited, almost want to jump on a plane and go there NOW. :D
I will make sure my camera is ready all the time. I definitely hope to see the Osprey nest (or any nest :)). I need to do more cardio work and get back in shape before the trip.

[MazerRakhm]

IntheRed, you story is making me so excited, almost want to jump on a plane and go there NOW. :D
I will make sure my camera is ready all the time. I definitely hope to see the Osprey nest (or any nest :)). I need to do more cardio work and get back in shape before the trip.


:shock: That reminds me! While we were driving through the park an osprey swooped down on the road in front of us grabbed a little furry thing and flew off... And the camera wasn't ready!

Oh, I also checked the construction notices and you should be ok, all of the roads are supposed to be back open by mid Aug.

[cfcRebel]

:shock: That reminds me! While we were driving through the park an osprey swooped down on the road in front of us grabbed a little furry thing and flew off... And the camera wasn't ready!

Oh, I also checked the construction notices and you should be ok, all of the roads are supposed to be back open by mid Aug. Oh wow! What an amazing encounter!:shock: Maybe my gf should be the one who drives. So i can hold the camera and standby at all time. :D
Thanks for checking the construction notices Kevin. Can't wait to see the Glacier NP pictures from you.

[cfcRebel]

Two more days i'll be heading to Yellowstone NP. I know i'm gonna lost sleeps these nites. Too exciting! :D
Camera, lenses, batteries, charger....... man, too amny things to pack.

[MazerRakhm]

Have fun, good luck!

We'll still be here waiting for pictures when you get back! :wink:

[cfcRebel]

Have fun, good luck!

We'll still be here waiting for pictures when you get back! :wink:Thanks Kevin. I'll make sure my gears are put in full use.:D Pressure's on!

[RiverRatt]

Man if your going to Yellowstone, don't forget to go south to Jackson Hole. The views of the Teton Mt. Range is breathtaking. Get up early for these shots, as the day goes on the sun washes out the mountains. We stayed in West Yellowstone ourselves and went into the park daily. West Yellowstone has the Grizzley Interprative center and a Wolf Interprative center, Both offer good photo opps for close ups. Sept. will be a great time to go, because of the altitude the fall colors should be showing themselves. Have fun wish I was going.

[cfcRebel]

Man if your going to Yellowstone, don't forget to go south to Jackson Hole. The views of the Teton Mt. Range is breathtaking. Get up early for these shots, as the day goes on the sun washes out the mountains. We stayed in West Yellowstone ourselves and went into the park daily. West Yellowstone has the Grizzley Interprative center and a Wolf Interprative center, Both offer good photo opps for close ups. Sept. will be a great time to go, because of the altitude the fall colors should be showing themselves. Have fun wish I was going.Thanks RiverRatt. I'll be staying in the park for 7 days. Then I'll spend 2 days at Grand Teton/Jackson Hole. Hopefully the fall colors come in prefect timing. :) Any must-visit place in Jackson Hole?