YELLOWSTONE

Welcome to your Yellowstone Itinerary!
 

On a whim, my husband planned a trip to Yellowstone National Park for Labor Day. We made a lot of mistakes, and some were stumbled upon perfectly. A few things to know about Yellowstone: it’s really close to the Tetons in Wyoming. I had no idea. Don’t laugh.. I’ve never looked into this before. The Tetons have been on my bucket list, and I got to see them by accident. If they are not on your way I would highly recommend taking time to at least drive through them. They are breathtaking!

We were driving from Denver in a Rivian. It was on this trip that we realized charging was about equal to 7.00 a gallon of gas. And the trip took a few extra hours with the charging vs driving. Even with those downsides PUPPY MODE was everything on this trip! Dogs are not allowed anywhere in Yellowstone. Practically anywhere… they are allowed in the parking lot. You will see NO DOG signs right as you are about to go on your walk, but too far from the car. The other thing about driving an electric car through Yellowstone is that the only quick charging is near the upper loop. We tried a few times to get on the trickle charge near Old Faithful, but no one was moving their cars. 

The west entrance seems to be the best way to enter the park if you can’t stay in the park. If you are a veteran like me and have the national park pass, go to the far right lane for pre-paid. You don’t need reservations to get in. Just pay and go.

The biggest thing to know is that there are TWO loops you can do. The lower loop and the upper loop. If you only have one day, do the lower loop. Each loop is about 100 miles and can take a long time. Bring snacks, a cooler, and patience. Stay away from the wildlife.. they are wild. Seriously, we were in our car and I got nervous when a buffalo looked like it wanted to charge us. There are gas stations in the park, but I do recommend starting on a full tank. 

The biggest issue is how you intend to get in. I highly recommend staying in the park. We thought we were, but the hotel that advertised like it was in the park was actually 30min from the entrance. Like I said it was a quick search, booked it in like 10min and went the next day. It took us ONE HOUR AND 1/2 to get into the west gate each day and about a hour to leave the park. We finally just started going 6am to skip the crowds.

We met a very nice lady who told us about a kill site. There was a buffalo that had passed, and wolves and bears were fighting over it. The park finds these sites and will have a ranger posted with a scope. Just look for the ranger, and he will let you see through his scope. It was the coolest thing I saw on this trip. 

There is so much to see and do. It could take you two days or weeks. If you have one day, see Old Faithful, then West Thumb Geyser Basin and Lower Falls. That will get one of everything in. There is a timetable for Old Faithful as to when it should go off. It is very accurate within 10min.

FYI: The Mammoth Hot Springs are not very active when I went. There were a lot of disappointed people who had seen it before. It’s a long drive up to the upper loop too. I wasn’t that impressed with the upper loop. The only thing I felt would be really worth it is if there were a kill site and Lamar Valley had a lot of wildlife in the morning. 

Here is your two-day Itinerary beginning at the west entrance: 

Day 1 – Lower Loop Highlights (Geothermal & Canyon Country) 

• Madison Junction – morning wildlife spotting.
  – Fountain Paint Pot Trail – bubbling mud pots and hot springs.
  – Grand Prismatic Spring – short hike to an overlook for famous views.
  – Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin – geyser eruptions and boardwalk walk. 
• – West Thumb Geyser Basin – hot springs along Yellowstone Lake.
  – Hayden Valley – bison, bears, and raptors.
  – Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone – Artist Point and waterfalls.
• Lower and upper falls
  

Day 2: Upper Loop Highlights (Mammoth & Wildlife) 

• Tower-Roosevelt – scenic drive and black bear habitat. 
• Lamar Valley – wolf watching and bison herds.
• Mammoth Hot Springs – travertine terraces.
• Norris Geyser Basin – surreal geothermal basin.