Yellowstone National Park offers one of the best views of nature - in fact I would say, it is the ooh-la-la of the BEST. With beautiful hot sulphur springs erupting from the ground and snow-clad mountains in the background, the park takes away your breath for a moment (actually for several moments!). The park which stretches over three states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, lies on a volcano. My trip to yellowstone with our friends on Memorial Day weekend was a very memorable trip. The park opens on that weekend and then closes before thanksgiving weekend because of the extreme winter weather in that area.
In my opinion, Memorial day weekend is the best weekend to visit yellowstone as it gets really crowded there on other long weeeknds due to the summer-ish weather during that time. The roads inside the park are one-lane and when people spot wild-life while driving, they stop their cars/trucks on the way (as there are hardly any shoulders) to take pictures, causing the traffic to come to a halt.
It was amazing to see snow, sleet, hail, rain, sun at the same time in yellowstone. One mile, it would be snowing, the other mile it would be sunny and then the next mile one could see sleet. More than awesome! There were snow-covered mountains one side and dry mountains just opposite them. Lots of hot sulpur springs with steam coming out made it look heavenly. The park was so beautiful that I did not even want to blink!
We stayed at a hotel just outside the west entrance of the park. West yellowstone is a small town and the nearest entrance if you arrive from Utah. We flew from Sacramento to Salt Lake City and then drove to West Yellowstone. The drive is 6 hours which doesn't seem too bad as the view is scenic. There are not many gas stations or rest areas on the way. So, make sure to fill your gas tanks as you spot the gas stations. There are a few local airports around which are near to yellowstone but are quite expensive and there are not many flight options.
There are some lodges inside the park but they get booked really fast. We tried booking a couple of months before our trip but could not find a vacancy. Staying in a Best Western hotel just outside the park was not a bad option at all.
We spent 2 full days in the park. Recommended places inside the park are: Old Faithful, Mammoth springs and the Upper, Lower and Tower falls besides many other beautiful spots you see on the way. We also visited the north entrance of the park which is close to Livingstone - a small town.
People there did not seem to be very tourist-oriented as most restaurants and shops were closed on Sunday evening of the long weekend. The roosevelt arch/gate at the entrance was beautiful. On the 3rd day of our trip, we started our way back via Grand Tetons. Grand Tetons is another park which is connected to Yellowstone park. It is a must visit. There is no separate entrance fee for Grand Teton if you exit from Yellowstone. The same entrance fee is valid for Grand Tetons as well. Grand Tetons is another breath-taking park. There were such beautiful views on the way from Yellowstone to Grand Tetons that we had to stop after almost every mile for the views.
If you visit Grand Tetons,then you must go to the restaurants inside the park. The views from this building/lodge (which has 2-3 restaurants, coffee shops, conference centers etc.) are breath taking. The eating place inside the building has gorgeous views. The ambiance is awesome and the food is good. It is not too expensive either - a must visit. This place falls in the state of Wyoming.
On the way back from Grand Tetons to Utah is a town called Jackson Hole. It is a small relaxing town. I am glad we stopped here for a while. The way back from Grand Teton to Salt Lake city is again a scenic drive, passing through the large potato farms of Idaho. The 5-hour drive was a very scenic drive.
If you get to Salt Lake city early and have time there, then you should visit the Salt Lake park. It has a $5 entrance and is almost 40 minutes drive from the airport but is well worth it. It is a beautiful place.
Yellowstone-Grand Teton is a must visit. I have yet to read about any park better than this one. Visit it and you'll fall in love with it!
Link to pictures: Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Hi, The information was very helpful and thanks.
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