Yellowstone National Park: Need to Know

Feb 20

Written By Caroline Barrett

Grand Prismatic, colorful hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Yellowstone 101

Entrances: 5

North Entrance, open year-round, a short drive to Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley.

Northeast Entrance, situated right in between the Beartooth Highway and Lamar Valley. Home to the tiny community of Cooke City.
East Entrance, situated about an hour outside of Cody, Wyoming. Cody is known for its rodeos but also offers visitors more store and restaurant options than some of the smaller gateway towns.
South Entrance, connects Yellowstone National Park and Teton National Park.
West Entrance, brings you to the highest concentration of geysers in the world.

How long:

Plan to spend 2-4 days minimum exploring the park. If you are interested in hiking or doing activities in the park plan on spending more time there.

When:

Roads open for driving at the end of April/early May and close around Oct. This is weather dependent and can vary year to year. If planning an early season trip consider staying in Gardiner or West Yellowstone because this will give you the best chance of being able to drive into the park no matter the weather. The road from Gardiner to Mammoth is plowed year round.

Where to Camp:

Option 1: In the Park. Most of the park's campgrounds are run by Xanterra and can be booked through their site. They tend to be large, crowded and offer very basic amenities. They also book up incredibly quickly. On the plus side they are cheap and conveniently located.

Option 2: Outside of the Park, private campground. These tend to offer more overnight options, walking distance to restaurants and activities, and more amenities. Think bathroom shower facilities, laundry, full hookups and maybe a pool or playground for the kids.

Gardiner: Small town on the Yellowstone River. The oldest gateway town. Elk tend to hang out in this area. Convent drive to the Bozeman International Airport.
West Yellowstone: Closest town to the Upper Geyser Basin. Also a good jumping off point to see more of Montana to the West. Convent drive to the Bozeman International Airport.
Cody: While Cody is the largest town near Yellowstone it is an hour outside of Yellowstone East Entrance. Known for their rodeos.