Yellowstone National Park is such a magical and intriguing place, with natural thermal activity of around 300 geysers and 10,000 thermal features. The wildlife is plentiful and lively with sightings of bears, moose, elk, buffalo, and more. The landscape is so diverse with 290 waterfalls, rivers, lakes, forests, canyons, and grassland. If you haven?t visited Yellowstone National Park, you should pack the family up in the car, hit the road and head to this famously, wonderful place.
Photo by Yellowstone National Park
Can?t Miss Places to Visit
You?ll want to plan on a couple of days or more to visit the park. There are so many things to experience, and you won?t want to miss a thing. There are two ?loops? in the park, and I suggest you take at least one day per loop to truly enjoy all that Yellowstone has to offer.
The south loop is where you?ll find the famous Old Faithful geyser along with other geysers and hot pools. Old Faithful is a favorite of visitors. You?ll also want to take the time to visit the amazing, rainbow-colored Grand Prismatic Spring area just a little to the north and west of Old Faithful. You?ve probably seen this beauty before in books, calendars, and on websites.Continue driving north and stop to look at the very colorful Fountain Paint Pots and Artist Paint Pot in the Norris Basin. Turn east to head to The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and be amazed by the beautiful waterfalls. They will truly take your breath away. Head south to experience the Mud Volcano area. You might want to plug your nose for that one. It has an interesting smell there. If you continue south on the road, you?ll get a glimpse of the gigantic Yellowstone Lake before ending back at Old Faithful.
The north loop has just as much to offer as the south loop. Turn your car back to the north again and either take the west side up to Mammoth Hot Springs where you?ll be amazed at the breathtaking views of the terraces, or take the east side and head toward Tower Falls where you?ll be able to watch the 132 ft. waterfall flow into the river below. Whichever way you choose, be sure to watch out for wildlife near the roads. Remember to not approach the animals as they are wild and dangerous.
NPS photo by Neal Herbert
Activities All Year Long
Yellowstone provides opportunities for activities throughout the year. So, no matter what time of year you decide to visit, there are plenty of things to do. Warm weather activities involve camping, hiking and biking trails, scenic road trips, fishing and boating.
Winter activities are a fun way to experience Yellowstone in a very different way. Try snowmobiling through the park on the trails, or cross-country skiing. There?s also ice fishing available to those die hard fishermen.
Taking a trip to visit Yellowstone National Park is worth every mile you take. People from around the world come here to enjoy an experience they?ll never forget. I guarantee you won?t forget either.
