10 tips to help you plan the perfect trip to Yellowstone National Park

Riverside Geyser

Over the years, traveling has been one of the biggest highlights for my family & I. It's something we love to invest in and make a reality as often as possible.

My hope for you friends, is that traveling during this past crazy 14-15 months (of life during the pandemic & all the chaos that has ensued) has been a possibility/reality in one way or another, but for those who've had to put travel plans on the back burner (perhaps due to numerous trips being cancelled or forfeited due to the pandemic) maybe it's time to pull those plans back onto the front burner, crank up the heat & get yourself ready for a trip you won't forget. Join me while we talk about one of my families favorite places to visit in the United States. We hope you will grow to love it & place it on your must see list (if it isn't there already😉) & that these 10 tips will help prepare you & your family or friends for the grand adventure you are sure to have when you visit this amazing national park.  

Upper Falls

Today in the "Joy of Travel" series I hope to inspire you to plan a vacation/trip with some insights and travel tips. We're going to be visiting Yellowstone National park a place that I truly believe will leave you speechless, in awe and filled with wonder. Since our trip last Summer it has become one of my families favorite places in the U.S.. I invite you to join us on our adventure and encourage you to add all of our suggestions below to your list of places/stops to see when you head to the park. 

If you're planning to travel to Yellowstone in 2021 or 2022 odds are there will still be (several) new protocols in place due to the pandemic and some adjustments to your plans or itinerary may be needed. Sadly, there are a lot of unknowns of how much or how little each new mandate or phase of opening/closures etc. will/could effect the availability of things in the park, or may cause a limit/restrictions to be put in place that could affect your chance to visit the park. Regardless of when you plan to see Yellowstone there are numerous things to consider. Read on to discover some of my tips, insights and suggestions that will help make your special trip to Yellowstone one you will remember & full of happy memories with your loved ones. :) 

10 Travel tips for Yellowstone:

1) Decide what time of year you plan to visit the park. If you will be traveling in Summer you'll want to head to the park as soon as possible & make those reservations asap (as most accommodations are booked months in advance & tend to book up fast). If visiting in the fall or winter it's important to note that not all of the roads will be fully accessible & that some places or locations may be closed for the season.

-If you are somewhat of a last minute planner and just made the choice to pack your bags and head to Yellowstone, one of the first things you should look into is what type of accommodations will fit your travel plans the best. Whether you will be traveling solo or with a group  there are some great small cabins, hotels, & vacation rentals that will be able to hold everyone in your party. 

Our cute little Cabin

-My top recommendation for accommodations is to look into Grizzly Rv park & cabins in West Yellowstone. Not only are the cabins cute, cozy and accommodating, they are located within a 5 minute drive of the West Yellowstone entrance. 🙌 These awesome cabins may look rustic but they have all the amenities needed yet/while providing everything you need for a perfect getaway in Yellowstone. 

*The cabins provide some of the most comfy beds we've slept on. Each cabin is equipped with a queen bed, bunkbed (sleeps 2), a table that seats 4, all of the linens & towels you will need for your stay and is conveniently located just  a short walk from the communal bathroom/shower area. The bath area is divided men & women's areas as well as a separate area for laundry & a fitness center (we didn't use the fitness center or laundry but thought they were great to have available if we needed them). 

2) After you figure out some of the logistics, it's time to make your list of the top attractions/locations you want to see while you visit Yellowstone national park. The park is chalk full of natural wonders every where you look & depending on how many days/much time you have you may need to limit your stops to your top picks. 

-If there are several things you wish to see in a given area highlight those on your list (I like to color code places in a specific area all the same color, it makes it easier to locate them in a hurry), then you can deduct from those if needed and make a top 10 or top 5 if you are more limited on time. 

-Once your list(s) are made, I suggest looking at which part of the park you want to visit first & what your top priorities are and plan to visit them first. Unless of course visiting them later in the day (after the crowds have died down) is a better course of action. 

Old Faithful

3) As mentioned above, one thing to consider (it could end up saving you a ton of time & allow you to see more places in a shorter amount of time) is that the best time to visit some of the top attractions may just be at off hours. For example: Consider waking up before dawn to check out sunrise in Lamar Valley & the opportunity to view more animals while they tend to be out and about, or plan to check out Old Faithful around sunset when the crowds are thin & the lighting is spectacular (especially if it is slightly overcast). 

-If you're able to take advantage of the above, you will be gaining a lot more freedom with the rest of your day to head where ever your heart pleases. Of course seeing some sights may require planning ahead and prepping to arrive as early as possible in the day. 

While we visited (in June of 2020) the park was still just barely getting back to being open operating after months of being closed due to pandemic shut downs. It could be in your best interest to plan your trip to Yellowstone during a slower season to avoid a packed park.

Bison grazing near our car

Some of the benefits we enjoyed were: 

〰Less crowds

〰Easier time finding parking

〰Ability to get around the park relatively easy & with little traffic

〰More animals were out and about

〰Less people meant we could linger longer if we particularly enjoyed a viewpoint or location

4) Things to consider while planning the highlights for your upcoming trip: 

Annual Pass

-My first recommendation is to look into purchasing an "America the beautiful" pass which provides unlimited entry into every national park for a year. Passholders also gain entrance into most BLM lands, state parks, recreation sites, national forestry parks & fish and wildlife locations. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm  

*There are special military discounts as well as discounts for senior citizens. So be sure to look into those if you will have either of them in your travel group to take advantage of those great offers.

*If you happen to have a 4th grader (or will have) in the family be sure to take advantage of the "Every kid in a park" program offered by the national park service. It is an awesome program that will allow your family to visit as many national parks as you can within the year your child is a 4th grader. We really loved taking advantage of this program when our kids were in 4th grade & it got us hooked on all the benefits of being a passholder.

5) Food options were very limited within the park (as of June 2020), even if more options become available it is a good idea to consider bringing/packing in a meal or two. Also a good idea to purchase snacks and drinks to keep with you while you're in the park. 

*We stocked up at the beginning of our 1st day in the park at a grocery store just outside the park. Prices were a little higher than if we were able to stock up at a bigger chain store elsewhere but we found what we needed and were very glad we had food with us when hunger pangs struck. 

6) If you plan to hike or go backpacking it is strongly recommended by park rangers that you carry bear spray with you at all times (there are both grizzlies & black bears that can be found in many areas within the park). Better to be safe than sorry!

We purchased ours at Big 5, but there are several options available at all outdoor stores such as Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods, REI or Bass Pro Shops. 

*Speaking of bears, it is also recommended that food is kept in a bear locker or bear proof containers and always kept away from your camp (if you plan to camp). It's also good to note that bears have opened locked cars when searching for food, so plan & be prepared to store all food safely. 

7) Know where restrooms are located and which ones will be opened before you depart on any hikes or go out exploring around one of the trails. 

*While we were visiting Yellowstone several restrooms were kept closed to minimize the need for constant cleaning/sanitizing crews etc.

Beryl Hot Spring

-Since things are ever adapting/changing and new developments keep arising there are bound to be changes to what is open and what is closed within the park. I would highly recommend researching before you arrive or at least checking with a park ranger upon entry to the park to avoid any unnecessary surprises. 

8) Plan to carry a credit or debit card with you into the park for any purchases (while we visited the park had just gone cashless transaction only) & it could have been a tricky situation if we had needed to pay for something and only had cash. 

9) If you have hopes/plans to see animals while in the park it would be a good idea to bring binoculars & a camera with a telephoto lens (if you have them). Some animals may not be visible to the naked eye without these so you will want something that will help you locate these hard to spot critters. Both of these have several great options on Amazon, also good places to look for binoculars are: your local outdoor recreation store, Target or Sam's Club/Fred Meyer's. Depending on the type of camera you are looking for it may require more research or perhaps visiting a specialty store that sells higher end cameras & lenses. *Don't forget to bring extra batteries, battery packs, chargers & sd cards or other external storage location to back up photos. :)

Sunset in Midway Geyser Basin

10) Consider how many days you will be visiting the park & plan to focus on one or two areas per day. That will help to ensure you have more time to immerse yourself into each area of the park and fully enjoy them instead of rushing about and potentially missing out on an awesome part due to time constraints. 

-If you have the time before your trip to the park, spend some time researching which things on your list of places to see are in close proximity and map out which places are your top priority. This will help keep you on a schedule and can help eliminate zigzagging around the park or wasting time in the car trying to zip across a large area of the park hoping to see something that is in another location etc.

BONUS TIPS: Pack layers that are easy to carry with you in a backpack if you will be out and about as the weather can change drastically depending on which area of the park you are in. Also plan to bring water with you each day. While we were in the park last summer (2020) numerous food/beverage locations were closed or restricted. Many water refill areas & drinking fountains were also closed. So it is best to plan ahead ;) 

*If you plan to hike or go backpacking make sure to apply early for a back country permit as they can go quickly! 

*Packing a poncho, lightweight waterproof jacket or small umbrella can come in very handy if/when weather changes occur. Having one of these in your bag or backpack will ensure you aren't caught off guard or unprepared. 

*Planning ahead and bringing along easy to carry, high energy snacks will help keep you & your crew satisfied while you're out and about & should minimize hunger pangs until you're able to have a larger meal. 

So now that you've got your lists of what to bring or do before your trip it's time to make a list of places you want to see while you are in the park. Check out my next post for a list of "must see places located within Yellowstone National Park" at the following link: 

View from Mammoth Hot Springs

Homeschool families: See below for several tips that can be helpful if you're planning a family trip to Yellowstone as an enrichment or educational visit. 

*One of the things you might want to look into prior to your trip are: the hours of operation & availability of Albright Visitor center due to hours & availability changes during the pandemic. You may also want to visit some of the historic areas located in Mammoth Hot Springs such as: The original hotel built in 1911 or a visit to the original general store that have been in use since the late 1800's. There is also an old Post Office still in use that was constructed in the early 1930's. Each of these will give a glimpse into the past & enrich your visit to the Mammoth Hot Springs area inside Yellowstone National Park.

More ideas of things to plan/prep ahead for an educational trip: 

*Printouts including historical facts & park information

*Travel Journal or national park journal (we found one that contains info about all the national parks &  purchased on for each child to record info and memories about their visits to each park we visit). These will be fun places to record interesting facts, new discoveries & fun memories during the trip.

*Sign younger kids up for the junior ranger program & take full advantage of all the learning activities, ranger talks, and national parks passport etc that is offered (things may be different during the pandemic so some research beforehand could prove very helpful).

*Printouts with a list of animals that live in the park to use as a check off

*Look into packing or purchasing a travel atlas for your kiddos to help plan out your route (if you will be road-tripping to the park).

*Let the kids pick out their top 5 choices of sights to see or areas to visit. I've learned over the years that kids tend to be more engaged & have more fun on a trip if they are involved in some of the planning. :)

Happy planning friends & here's to an unforgettable visit to Yellowstone National Park and all the amazing memories you will create with your crew!😀 

~K

*Join me for more travel planning, packing tips/hacks and other travel tips here: https://www.instagram.com/thishomeschoolerslife/  & checkout the other posts in "The Joy of Travel" series. Check out the links to previous posts Part 3 here:

https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2021/05/travel-tips-for-visiting-glacier.html

Part 2 here: https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-joy-of-travel-how-to-plan-prep-to.html

Part 1 here: https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2021/04/packing-hacks-travel-tips-for-whatever.html

*I'd love to learn about what tips were most helpful or suggestions for tips or insights you'd like to see included in future posts so drop those in the comments or send me a message via the contact me to the right 👉