5 STAR REVIEW
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It fully deserves the 5 star rating +, and that’s based on more visits to this place than I can count on two hands. My family has been there a lot! In fact, my husband Andy used to drive a milk truck route through the park during his college days at MSU in Bozeman. He also guided tours through the park for Xanterra. Our daughter Natalya loves this place so much that we’ve taken a birthday trip for 3 of her 4 birthdays.
Each year on Labor Day weekend, Natalya’s birthday weekend, we pack our camping bags and head to West Yellowstone via Red Lodge, Montana and the scenic All-American Beartooth Highway. We end up leaving the park through the north entrance and stopping at Chico Hot Springs on our way back to Billings. The park has 5 entrances. Start here with park.com’s Yellowstone 101 guide as you plan your trip. Visit Montana is also a great guide as you start to plan your trip. In fact, this year for Natalya’s 5th birthday trip, we plan to explore the Mammoth to Chico Hot Springs area with Chico as our base camp. This seems a little more manageable and relaxing for us with two busy kids (1 & almost 5). In the past, we’ve camped in a tent inside the park (beautiful). We’ve also cabin camped at the West Yellowstone West Gate KOA which has a heated indoor pool.
make your list: 5 ynp must sees
Grand Prismatic Spring – The most photographed thermal site in YNP because of its vibrant colors and enormous size.
Wildlife Viewing – Download & print my Where to see Wildlife in YNP Guide or screen shot it. Internet connection isn’t always great in the park, so take a hard copy.
Additional Geysers: Black Sand Basin: Emerald Pool, Sunset Lake
Beautiful, just beautiful. Get your camera out!
Old Faithful – Not a hit for our daughter Natalya when she was 2 (laying on the boardwalk). She was more into the animals…but you’ll be guaranteed to see this famous Geyser go off as it happens some 20 times/day on average. Make sure to grab lunch at the cafeteria. They have great cake. We always get a few slices to share for Natalya’s Labor Day weekend birthday.
Mammoth Hot Springs – See the springs, the famous elk herd in town, walk through the historic buildings & pick out a souvenir at the great gift shop.
YNP is the perfect place to end to summer and ease into the crisp fall temperatures. Pack a hoodie, a camera, marshmallows…and get ready to build a campfire and epic memories on this trip. We also love Yellowstone in the spring, but it is not accessible until Memorial Day weekend via the Scenic Beartooth Highway. The wait is worth it. The view is breathtaking and you get to drive between walls of snow two to 3 times taller than your car.
