Yellowstone Part I - what to expect?
- David Maiwald
- May 30, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 18, 2024
Part I of the Yellowstone Series
In this article:
Introducing Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park - a place as diverse as hardly any other region in North America. Endless forests as far as the eye can see. Pristine lakes, streams and roaring rivers. Deep canyons, towering mountains, and idyllic valleys. Vast prairie-like plains filled with grazing herds of bison, elk, elusive wolves, and bears. And - of course - the world-renowned geysers and colorful prismatic springs. It is hard to nail down what it is exactly that makes Yellowstone National Park so special. There is no one particular attraction. It is rather the combination of them all that makes this place so uniquely and stunningly beautiful. An isolated world separated from the vast plains to its north and east as well as the mountain ranges to its west and south, this National Park protects one of the most diverse landscapes within the Rocky Mountains. An eldorado for outdoor enthusiasts with its countless wildlife viewing, hiking, and camping opportunities.
One attribute, however, does stand out more than any other - and that is the park’s impressive size. The South Entrance is roughly 100 miles (160 km) from the North Entrance which will take you at least three hours to drive. This also means that there are quite some distances in between all of the park’s main attractions. In addition to that there are countless stops and scenic views as well as those famous wild residents that’ll make you stop and pause over and over again. To top it all off, depending on what time of the year you visit your Yellowstone experience will always be different because the park’s four distinct seasons all vary greatly in terms of what you can do and see. So it is safe to say that it is well worth it to plan ahead!
In the following sections, I will take you on a tour along the Grand Loop Road which starts and ends in the Tower Junction area in Yellowstone's northeastern corner. As we drive along, I will draw from the experiences I have made on my multiple visits of the area, and highlight the best sights, hikes, and lodging opportunities, as well as the best times and areas to spot the park's wildlife!
Getting there
Ever since I first visited Yellowstone National Park in the fall of 2022, I returned several times in the spring of 2023, during the winter of 2024, and again in the summer of 2024 to experience that dramatic mix of the park’s beautiful wildlife, colorful volcanic features, and stunning alpine landscapes. Most of my previous visits were parts of extensive road trips through the Mountain States of the U.S. coming from either the south or east. A remote stretch of the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone National Park sits in between Grand Teton National Park and a large number of protected wilderness areas as well as National Forests that separate it from the rural regions of central Wyoming, Northern Idaho, and Southern Montana. So, driving here means mostly long drives through incredibly scenic alpine landscapes. Another way to get there is by flying to Bozeman - the nearest international airport northwest of Yellowstone National Park - and taking a rental car from there. The best way to reach and enter the park usually depends on the time of the year as well as the planned travel route.
Flying into Bozeman brought me closest to the North and West park entrances which also offered convenient ways to stock up or stay overnight in the nearby towns of Gardiner and West Yellowstone respectively. I myself experienced West Yellowstone as more of a busy town compared to Gardiner. However, both towns are conveniently located close to many of Yellowstone’s highlights, most of which are concentrated in the park's northern and western sections. I also used these towns as starting points to continue some of my road trips and to drive further up north - here are some distances to highlight the travel times to and from both, Gardiner and West Yellowstone:
North Entrance (Gardiner, MT) to:
Bozeman Intl. Airport: 90 miles (140 km) / approx. 1.5hrs
Glacier National Park (St. Mary, MT): 377 miles (607 km) / approx. 6hrs
Spokane, WA: 477 miles (767 km) / approx. 7hrs
West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT) to:
Craters of the Moon N.M.: 194 miles (312 km) / approx. 3hrs
Salt Lake City, UT: 321 miles (516 km) / approx. 5hrs
Boise, ID: 388 miles (624 km) / approx. 5.5hrs
The South Entrance was my point of entry on one of my road trips that took me from Denver to Grand Teton National Park and from there further up north to Yellowstone. This scenic route led me through the endless forests and numerous viewpoints of the remote northern stretch of Grand Teton National Park before I reached the South Entrance. There were services available at nearby Headwaters Lodge & Cabins just outside the park - including a gas station and a small convenience store. Since there was no town nearby it was helpful to consider the following travel times:
South Entrance to:
Jackson, WY: 60 miles (100 km) / approx. 1.5hrs
Riverton, WY: 160 miles (260 km) / approx. 3hrs
Denver, CO: 507 miles (815 km) / approx. 8hrs
Both, the East Entrance near Cody as well as the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City were those entrance points that meant the longest drives for me to reach the park. Cody was part of a road trip coming from Eastern Wyoming and the Dakotas, and Cooke City was my base camp during a visit in the winter. Cooke City and Cody both offer great outdoor recreation and lodging opportunities as well as some of the most spectacular scenic drives into Yellowstone National Park - with picturesque mountain passes and colorful tuff canyons. There are basic services available in Cooke City near the Northeast Entrance. However, the remote East Entrance does not offer any services. Here, the little town of Wapiti is the last chance to fill up and stock up for the next 60 miles (100 km) before the Lake Visitor Center inside the park. The following travel times to and from these entrance stations illustrate how comparatively remote they are:
East Entrance (Cody, WY) to:
Cody, WY: 50 miles (80 km) / approx. 1hr
Buffalo, WY: 220 miles (355 km) / approx. 4hrs
Badlands N.P. (Rapid City, SD): 431 miles (693 km) / approx. 7hrs
Northeast Entrance (Cooke City, MT) to:
Billings, MT: 131 miles (211 km) / approx. 2.5hrs
Theodore Roosevelt N.P. (Dickinson, ND): 446 miles (719 km) / approx. 7hrs
While all those travel routes offer spectacular scenic drives, most of Yellowstone’s main attractions are concentrated in the northern and western portions of the park. This is why West Yellowstone, Gardiner, and Cooke City offer the best and most convenient locations for an overnight stay outside the park.
For a visual Yellowstone guide check out my video below. For more detailed information feel free to continue reading through the next parts of this Yellowstone series at the bottom of this page.
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