Yellowstone National Park is our nation’s first national park and is popular for good reason. The geothermal features found throughout the park are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. We spent 4 nights at Canyon Campground, sleeping in a tent. We were supposed to be there for 5 nights, but we were both ready to leave a day early. While we enjoyed our time at the park, there are some things I wish I would have known before we went. Hopefully these tips will help when planning your own visit!

Weather: Everyone always says to dress in layers – that’s obvious advice no matter where you’re going. We were prepared for a bit of difference in weather, having packed shorts and tank tops as well as jeans and sweaters. However, we weren’t ready for such a drastic difference in temperature – it went from 80’s during the day to 30’s at night – a 50 degree swing! It was freezing at night while we were trying to sleep (yes, freezing – it got down below 32 one night!) and made it really uncomfortable. We were there mid-August and weren’t prepared for temperatures to be found in Michigan in December. This was a big factor in leaving a day early – I just couldn’t deal with another night being that cold. If you go to Yellowstone, check the weather forecast for the nighttime temperatures in addition to the daytime temperatures – I hadn’t done this and wish I would have so we could have been better prepared.

It was rather cold and rainy one afternoon while we were out, so we fixed dinner in our car, all bundled up!

Driving: Yellowstone is huge! There are two main loops that transverse the park making a figure-eight. We were staying in the middle, where the two loops overlap. A central location, making it easy to get anywhere else in the park. Easy, yes, but long. We spent a lot more time driving than we had expected – probably 2-3 hours every day in the car. We hadn’t expected to do that much driving, so we didn’t have quite as much time at the different sites as we thought. Also, keep in mind that speed limits are low – between 15mph to 35mph – and people frequently drive slower than posted. Make sure to factor in the drive time, and give yourself plenty of time to get somewhere.

This was shortly after we entered the park – a bison making his way down the road. Cars were backed up for a bit as they had to wait to pass and then were slow to drive by to snap pictures.

Crowds: The popular sites are popular for a reason – they are spectacular! However, they also draw crowds. Since the ground can be covered in hot springs and other features, so they have built boardwalks for tourists to safely walk around. The boardwalks are around 4 feet wide, which is plenty of space when there are just two of you walking around. When there are a couple hundred people, all trying to get that perfect shot of the feature or themselves, it gets a little crazy. Luckily, it’s easy to get away from the crowds – simply take a hike, visit some of the lesser-known sites, or go early morning or late evening. On our hike around Yellowstone Lake, we only saw 4 or 5 other people the entire time – it was exactly the type of atmosphere we were hoping for at Yellowstone.

Take a look at the crowd behind me waiting for Old Faithful to erupt – people were lined up for a while!

Wildlife: One of the primary reasons for visiting Yellowstone is to see the wildlife. When we first entered the park, we drove past a bison walking down the side of the road. We saw numerous other bison throughout our stay – walking through the river, grazing in the meadows, and one that was laying down next to the Lake Hotel. We also saw some elk in the wooded area and some deer in another meadow. We didn’t get up early enough to see any of the animals at dawn, like we had done at Custer State Park, but I imagine we would have seen more had we done that. We talked to others who had seen some bears, wolfs, and coyotes in the park as well. Aside from bison, which are fairly common, it would be worth the effort to wake up at dawn and go on your own wildlife safari.

This elk was easy to spot – she was grazing on the lawn of the old fort and lodge grounds. The others weren’t as easy to see, since they tended to be in the trees and further back from the road.

Meals/Food: We camped for our time while we were in Yellowstone, so we planned ahead and took enough meals to last for about a week. We cooked breakfasts and dinners at our campsite and ate lunches while we were out sightseeing. There was a general store at our campground which had a lot more food than any other campground store I have been to in the past. It was more like a small grocery store than just a camping-specific store, and prices were comparable to a regular grocery store (instead of inflated like some campground stores). We had a drink at a couple of the hotels/lodges within the park, which were priced like any other bar or restaurant. Usually we worry about meals when camping, trying to make sure we have everything that we will need. However, at Yellowstone, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to purchase whatever you might need or enjoy a meal out without paying more than you would at any other location.

This was a typical breakfast that we had assembled ahead of time – hashbrown packets! Frozen hashbrowns, onion, bacon, cheese, and a bit of ranch dressing. They were delicious, especially on a cold morning!

Technology: We had heard that cell service was limited and that WiFi wasn’t available except for at a few of the lodges. Well, this was true! I called my parents from our campsite and the reception was fine, but as we were driving around the park, there were times when we didn’t have service. As for WiFi, it was available at the 2 hotels we went to: Old Faithful Inn and the Lake Hotel. You have to pay for it – I think it was around $5 for one hour. We didn’t purchase WiFi at all, but I did use data on my phone a couple of times to look things up. We used the cigarette lighter in our car to charge our phones and cameras, which worked pretty well. Be prepared to disconnect while you are at Yellowstone – for us, it was a nice break away from the internet!

There are other suggestions and advice I could give if you are interested in planning a trip to Yellowstone – I’d be more than happy to share it! We enjoyed our time at the park and are very happy we went. It was special to be there for the 100th anniversary of the NPS – an unplanned surprise. The geothermal features within the park are amazing and by far the highlight of our visit. For anyone wanting to experience nature at its wildest, I recommend a few days or week at Yellowstone – just keep these tips in mind!