Bucket List Vacations

Bucket List

Bucket List VACATIONS An itinerary for visiting Yellowstone National Park by Jen Campbell Boles

Photo by Jen Campbell Boles Drive around the Lake Norman area right now, and one thing is obvious—people are ready to be outside. After a year of being stuck at home, everyone is ready to be outdoors. This is also the trend with 2021 vacation planning, which is why trips to America’s National Parks are more popular than ever before. If you are thinking of visiting National Parks this year, Yellowstone should be at the top of your list.

Photos by Jen Campbell Boles

Expect to see plenty of wildlife and hydrothermal and geologic wonders in Yellowstone National Park, and opportunities for more sightseeing in Wyoming and Montana.

Getting there

First, let’s talk logistics, should you fly or drive? Like with everything travel, the answer is “it depends.” Right now, it depends on your comfort level. Despite all of the studies that show flying during the pandemic is safe, many people are still hesitant. If you drive, plan on at least three days to get there if you only stop to sleep. However, there is so much to see along the way, I recommend driving only if you have weeks to spare.

Bozeman, Mont. and Jackson Hole, Wyo. are the most popular airports for Yellowstone. Your gut reaction may be to fly into one location and out of the other. However, the drop fees for one-way rentals are expensive. Plus, Yellowstone is really a big loop so as long as you don’t mind a little backtracking, then you can fly in and out of either airport.

Millions of acres

Yellowstone National Park is over 2.2 million acres! Thus, you cannot expect to visit the park in one day. For the sake of this article, we will start our journey at the West entrance. It is, by far, the most popular entrance since it is closest to Old Faithful, possibly the most famous geyser in the world. Make sure to explore all of the geothermal sites in this part of the park including Norris Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring, which must be seen from ground level and above to truly appreciate it.

If you continue south along the loop, you’ll see the turn off to the South entrance where you will drive through Grand Teton National Park en route to Jackson Hole, Wyo. for a few days of cowboy life. Once you make your way back to the Yellowstone loop, head north along the shore of Yellowstone Lake which is dotted with geothermal activity, so keep your eyes peeled.

As you continue along the loop, the option to turn towards the East entrance will present itself. If you have ever wanted to visit Cody, Wyo., this is where to turn off. Otherwise, continue north towards Canyon Village. Make sure to stop at Sulphur Cauldron and Mud Volcano along the way.

Canyon Village is surrounded by the spectacular waterfalls of Yellowstone. From here, you will start your journey along the North loop to make your way towards Mammoth Springs. At Tower Junction, you will have to make a choice. Do you want to take a detour from the loop to travel along the most remote area of the park, Lamar Valley, where the buffalo roam free and you are most likely to see the most wildlife in the park? You will have to backtrack to the loop, but Lamar Valley is worth the extra work.

When you return to the North loop, you will be treated to the sites of Mammoth Springs where you can stop overnight or drive a little further to the town of Gardiner. Here you can go white water rafting. Gardinier is only a little over an hour from Bozeman, so you can head there afterwards.

There are so many ways to customize a Yellowstone vacation including authentic experiences like glamping under the Big Sky or visiting a dude ranch. While Yellowstone can be a year-round destination, summer and fall are the most popular times to visit with fall being less crowded. However, sometimes you just need to go when you have the opportunity, so just go!

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