Tip of the Week Archive

What to See and Do

Education

• Opened at the end of August 2006, the beautifully upgraded Canyon Visitor Center displays the volcanic source of Yellowstone's wonders in ways that all can understand. Exhibits about the caldera eruptions, subsequent lava flows, glacial effects, and earthquakes bring you up to date on scientific knowledge about the park's geology. Don't miss it on your next visit to the Canyon area!

Hydrothermal Features

• If you visit Mammoth Hot Springs, be sure to ask at the visitor center about where to see the best thermal activity, which varies greatly from month to month.
• The springs at Mammoth Hot Springs are not for soaking your body, but some of them are a treat for the eyes. To visit the best features, you may need to climb a lot of stairs. But the hot spring activity varies greatly, and some years you will see beautifully active springs and terraces not far from the settled area at Mammoth and near the Upper Terrace Drive.
• On a short loop walk at Fountain Paint Pot, you'll pass a delicately colored plopping mud pot, a fumarole, and several hot pools on the way to frequently erupting geysers. Try to catch Fountain Geyser in one of its beautiful 100-foot (30 m) eruptions; it plays every few hours.
• Some of the best photos of Grand Prismatic Spring have been taken from the air, but if you are determined to reach a good viewpoint you might climb Midway Bluff or the burned-over hill skirted by the Fairy Falls Trail.

  Wildlife

• Autumn is the time when elk bulls can be heard making their high-pitched bugling sound as they round up their harem.
• Two large animals you are sure to see during even a short park visit are bison and elk. Bears, moose, and wolves are more elusive.
• It's easy to tell squirrels from chipmunks (both very plentiful in Yellowstone): chipmunks have stripes on their faces and bodies, but squirrels have them only on their bodies. Please don't feed either one!
• Two kinds of birds may want to share your idyllic picnics: gray jays and Clark's nutcrackers.
• Although white-tailed deer occur in Yellowstone, the big-eared mule deer are much more common.
• Remember that you must not approach or feed any wildlife in the park. You must stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from other wildlife, including bison, elk, and coyotes.
• From Soda Butte westward on the Northeast Entrance Road, look for wolves. The Slough Creek and Druid packs dominate the area. Between Tower and Mammoth junctions, you may see members of the Oxbow and Leopold packs, and in Hayden Valley, Mollie's pack and the Hayden Valley pack.
• The third week of October every year is Wolf Awareness Week. See this Defenders of Wildlife page for more information and wolf facts.
• Recent estimates put the number of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem at about 500 to 600 (with at least half that many in the park itself); black bears exist there in similar numbers.
• To decide whether a bear you see at a distance is a black or a grizzly, try to observe its overall size. Adult black bears are usually about 3 feet (90 cm) in shoulder height; a grizzly boar may be 4.5 feet (1.4 m) high.

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Views

• To treat yourself to an incredibly expansive view of the whole southeast quadrant of Yellowstone Park, look out from the lakeshore platform in front of Lake Hotel, where you'll see many square miles of lake and dozens of mountains on three sides.
• A good place to see the northern edge of the present Yellowstone caldera is along the east-west stretch of road that leads from Madison Junction to Gibbon Falls.
• For an unusual and uncrowded view into the Yellowstone River canyon across the river from the busy Tower Fall area, take the Specimen Ridge Trail from the Yellowstone River picnic area. You can see Calcite Springs and sometimes spy osprey or peregrine falcon nests in the canyon.

Entrances

• Both approaches to the Northeast Entrance, from either Billings, Montana or Cody, Wyoming, take you over beautiful high mountain passes on the way into the park.
• Entering the park through the Northeast Entrance, you'll find some mountains with "layer-cake geology."
• Lower in elevation than any of the other entrances, the North Entrance has always been the most accessible by road (and formerly by rail) from Montana towns such as Helena, Butte, Billings, or Bozeman.
• If you approach the West Entrance via U.S. Highway 191, you travel through the Gallatin River canyon. Here along the river and in Gallatin National Forest, opportunities for camping, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, kayaking, and float trips abound.
• Mountain lovers and back-country hikers would do well to choose the South Entrance. The entire southern section of the park is remote mountain country of undeveloped high meadow and forest.
• The East Entrance will be your first choice if you're interested in Native American lore or western museums (in Cody), or horseback riding and guest ranches. Between Cody and the park, you can indulge in every sort of outdoor activity, from golf and fishing to backpacking and windsurfing.

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Autumn

• Fall is short but wonderful in Yellowstone National Park! The month of September and part of October make up Yellowstone's autumn; because of the high altitude, after about mid October there are likely to be more snowy days than warm ones.
• Autumn is when the bull elk are bugling their unearthly sounds to assert their dominance over the area (and over the cows), bears are coming to the lower altitudes to forage for the foods they need to gorge on before hibernation, and the aspen trees are turning golden. Best of all, the visitors have thinned out remarkably.
• Head over to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to marvel at the world's most spectacular combination of rainbow-colored canyon walls and breathtaking waterfalls. The light is great for photography this time of year, and the trails, lakes, and mountains await you.

Winter

• So-called ghost trees, covered with ice, and a huge ice pyramid at Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River are two of the fabulous winter sights in Yellowstone.
• From mid December until sometime in May, the West, East and South park entrances are closed to cars and trucks but open to skiers, snowshoers, snowcoaches, and snowmobiles. Call the Yellowstone National Park information office (307-344-7381) for current road information.
• In winter, the park offers ranger-led snowshoe walks along the Riverside Trail inside the West Entrance. Participants are asked to bring their own snowshoes, dress warmly with layered clothes, and to bring sunglasses, a light snack, and water.

Recreation

• Horses are available at Canyon, Mammoth and Tower-Roosevelt junctions, for hire from the park concessionaire. The Gallatin Range in the northwest corner and the Lamar Valley are popular areas for horseback riding.
• In Shoshone National Forest, at the foot of Beartooth Butte, lies crystal-clear Beartooth Lake. There you'll find a campground with 21 sites, a picnic area, and a boat ramp. Call (307) 527-6241 to reach the Shoshone National Forest.
• Yellowstone park ranger-interpreters answer questions, predict geyser eruptions, present evening amphitheater programs, and lead daytime hikes. Rangers are available at ranger stations and visitor centers at many points in the park, but the Lake Village ranger station is now closed.

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  Recommended Walks

• Hiking in Yellowstone can mean anything from going a few hundred yards from your car to spending a week backpacking in the remotest backcountry. Parts of longer backcountry trails are included in the Yellowstone Treasures guidebook when they're not difficult and are particularly interesting.
• Some delightful short hikes can be taken by going partway on a long backcountry trail. For example, start the Seven-Mile Hole Trail along Yellowstone Canyon's north rim or head toward Point Sublime on the south rim. The South Rim trail was reconstructed in 2008.
• Besides the famous Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, waterfalls you can easily walk to include Crystal Falls on the north rim of Yellowstone River's Canyon, Moose Falls near the South Entrance, Wraith Falls between Mammoth and Tower, and Lost Creek Falls behind Roosevelt Lodge at Tower-Roosevelt Junction.
• Few visitors to Canyon see Crystal Falls on Cascade Creek. You can reach it from the parking area on Brink of Upper Falls Road. This 0.5 mile walk is recommended in the Yellowstone Treasures guidebook.
• Beautiful lakes that are not far to walk to from roads include Cascade and Clear lakes near Canyon, Harlequin Lake near Madison, and Trout Lake on the Northeast Entrance Road.
• Near Old Faithful Village there are walks in every direction. Walks of several miles take you to the vast collection of fascinating geysers and hot springs in Upper Geyser Basin. Shorter walks around Black Sand Basin, Biscuit Basin, and Midway Geyser Basin are also rewarding, as is the 4.5-mile round trip to Lone Star Geyser.
• From mid June to mid July and beyond, wildflowers are everywhere. Four hikes especially suited to flower-lovers are the trail to Trout Lake (Northeast Entrance Road), the Lost Lake Trail starting at Petrified Tree near Tower Junction, and the Snow Pass and Beaver Ponds trails at Mammoth. Picking flowers is not allowed in national parks.
• For a pleasant short hike, park at the upstream end of Pebble Creek Campground (9.7 miles after the Northeast Entrance) and start the Pebble Creek Trail. Layers and layers of limestone about 350 million years old are exposed in cliffs in a lovely canyon. Look closely at the rock to see bits of tiny marine organisms.
• If you park at Lookout Point on North Rim Drive in the Canyon area, a paved but very steep trail (1 mile/1.5 km round trip) takes you to Red Rock Point, the best place to see, hear and feel the power of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.
• Near Old Faithful Geyser, the trail to Observation Point climbs about 150 feet (45 m) in elevation in less than half a mile (0.8 km), to give you an excellent view overlooking much of Upper Geyser Basin. You can continue to Solitary Geyser on this trail.
• The unpaved trail from Morning Glory Pool to Biscuit Basin takes you about 0.8 mile (1.3 km) over a hill to several splendid springs and geysers. Since few people explore beyond Morning Glory, it's a great place to escape the crowds and see some Yellowstone treasures. This extension to Biscuit Basin is fully described in the guidebook.
• For a fantastic view of Yellowstone Lake and a trail with some interesting small hydrothermal features and great wildflowers, take the Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail south from West Thumb Geyser Basin.
• While at Canyon Village, don't miss the Brink of (Lower) Falls Trail from the North Rim Drive. Although you hike about 600 feet (180 m) down, you'll know it's worth the effort when you arrive at the very point where the tremendous body of water drops over its brink. (Then you've got to go back up!)
• Two must-see areas for their unique geysers, hot springs, and mudpots are Norris Geyser Basin and the Mud Volcano area. A loop at either one of these can be hiked in an hour or less.
• When you're in the area of Old Faithful Geyser, be sure to check at the visitor center for eruption prediction times for more geysers you can catch by taking short local hikes. See the nugget about Wonderful Geysers for details and pictures.
• Three miles north of Old Faithful Village, for a pleasant short hike away from crowds and geysers, take the pretty Mystic Falls Trail, beginning at the west side of Biscuit Basin. Be sure to go left at the second trail junction (the trail to the falls is not well marked).
• Three miles east of Fishing Bridge Junction is the trailhead for the Storm Point Nature Trail. Rangers lead group walks here daily all summer, or you can go on your own and see the many birds and the beautiful shore of Yellowstone Lake.
• If you want to stretch your legs while driving on the South Entrance Road, take a look at lovely Moose Falls—just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the entrance station (and usually lacking a sign)—or hike to lily-pad-covered Riddle Lake for a view of Mt. Sheridan.
• At Mammoth you can take a ranger-guided tour or a short walk around the historic buildings of Fort Yellowstone, where the U.S. Cavalry was stationed a century ago. You can pick up a booklet called "The Army Years" at the Albright Visitor Center.

• Precautions for Your Geyser Walks
  
  • There is no drinking water available at any point on these trails.
  • The only restroom is a chemical toilet near Morning Glory Pool.
  • Stay on the walkways and watch children vigilantly; the water is hot and the crust near the hot springs and geysers is thin and brittle.
  • Do not touch the water, since you can be scalded at 120°F (49°C) and the temperature in these pools and geysers ranges from 142° to 205°F (61–96°C).

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This Web Site

• Confused about where things are in the park? Take a look at our overview map, which links to more information about many of the sights of Yellowstone.
• Did you know you could test yourself after reading some of the articles on this Web site, by trying out one of the Trivia Quizzes?
• If you'd like to get acquainted with the family behind this Web site, take a look at our bios.
• Did you enjoy the History Corner on this Web site? The items we used come from the "Chronology: Yellowstone Since 1800" time line in the Yellowstone Treasures guidebook.
• You are welcome to share your comments on this Web site or the park by e-mailing us.
• Yellowstone has so many things to see, you will have to pick and choose among them when you visit. For help in planning a first visit, see the Recommended Sights page.
• As an extra clue to the reader, the topical essays in the Yellowstone Treasures guidebook are color coded. There's a pale shade of yellow for geology, green for living things, blue for history and beige for other subjects.
• The icons on the Yellowstone Treasures maps give you plenty of information about park facilities. See the map of Norris Geyser Basin for example, which shows you recommended trails, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, and the location of the telephone.

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