Accommodations- The one park road that is kept open all winter takes you from the North Entrance to the Northeast Entrance via Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower-Roosevelt. See the Park Map.
- Only two park lodgings are open in winter—the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Go to Xanterra's Yellowstone site for more information and reservations. For the hardy, Mammoth Campground is always open.
- To stay in Yellowstone Park's hotels and cabins, you usually need reservations several months in advance, but you can get lucky at the last minute. Even some of the campgrounds require reservations, and most of the others fill up early in the day. You can also stay in one of the surrounding communities, but then more driving is required to see the sights.
- If you want to stay in lodgings within the park, make your reservations in winter and early spring with Xanterra Parks & Resorts at (307) 344-7311 or through their Web site: www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com.
- Here are your cabin options within the park, listed from roughly the least to the most expensive:
- Roosevelt Lodge Cabins
- Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
- Lake
Lodge Cabins
- Lake Yellowstone Hotel Cabins
- Mammoth Cabins
- Canyon Cabins
- Old Faithful Snow Lodge Cabins
- In approximate ascending order of price and creature comforts, the hotel options within the park are:
- Old Faithful Inn (simplest rooms)
- Mammoth Hot
Springs Hotel
- Grant Village
- Canyon Lodge
- Old Faithful Snow Lodge
- Lake Yellowstone Hotel
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- When you reserve a room at
Old Faithful Inn, opened in 1904, ask for a room in the "Old House" if you don't care about having a private bathroom but do care about unique ambience.
- Campgrounds fill early in the day in July and August, but in four you may reserve sites in advance. These are Madison, Canyon, Bridge Bay, and Grant Village campgrounds (see the map).
- You can reserve sites for recreational vehicles at Fishing Bridge RV Park.
- The Yellowstone Treasures guidebook describes all the park hotels in detail. In addition, it tells you about the facilities at different park junctions, locating them for you with icons on the maps and summing them up in a chart at the back (page 364, 3rd ed.). That way, you can plan where to stop for food and gas in advance or as you go.
Logistics
- The entrance fees for private vehicles went up on May 1, 2006. For a week's pass to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, drivers of passenger vehicles now pay $25 and of motorcycles, $20. The parks keep 80% of this fee to help fund necessary projects.
- Dinner reservations are required at Grant Dining Room, Old Faithful Inn, and Lake Hotel.
- Cell phones have limited usefulness in Yellowstone, but relay towers are gradually being added throughout the park. Many geyser enthusiasts ("geyser gazers") use FRS radios to keep in touch, especially in Upper Geyser Basin.
- At last count, there were 10 automated teller machines in Yellowstone, one or more in each settled area, except for Bridge Bay and Tower-Roosevelt.
- Motorized boating is restricted to Yellowstone and Lewis Lakes. After buying a permit, you may launch a motorboat from the ramps at Bridge Bay Marina, Grant Village, or Lewis Lake Campground.
- Only non-motorized boats are allowed in the most remote sections of the three so-called fingers of Yellowstone Lake: Flat Mountain Arm, South Arm, and Southeast Arm. This is primarily to protect the nesting pelicans, terns, and seagulls.
- Fishing season in Yellowstone ends the first Sunday in November. If you want to fish, you'll need to read the N.P.S. Fishing Regulations. The major changes are that you may only use barbless hooks and that regulations differ slightly in the new Native Trout Conservation area versus the Wild Trout Enhancement area. Fishing permits for age 16 and older are $15 for three days, $20 for seven days, or $35 for annual permit.
- Since Yellowstone's elevation averages about 8000 feet (2400 m) above sea level, visitors of any age may suffer from altitude sickness. Minor symptoms, such as shortness of breath or loss of appetite, will usually disappear in a few days, but more serious problems, including nosebleeds, muscle pain, nausea, or rapid heartbeat, should be treated.
- Photographers and anyone who wears eyeglasses should know that the spray from geysers contains silica, which can damage glass. Wipe off lenses and eyeglasses immediately if they are dampened by spray.
- River, stream, and lake water is very cold and may contain organisms dangerous to your health. However, swimming is allowed in a few places where river and hot spring water mix naturally.
- Hikers should be aware that bears might be near the trails. Never approach a bear closer than 100 yards (90 m), do not hike alone, and make some noise as you go to let them know you're there. Overnight hikers must obtain a permit and follow the park regulations for making camp and securing food.
- You'll find self-service laundry facilities at four places in the park: Canyon Village, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village and Lake Village.
- Get to know the Yellowstone seasons. At 7000 to 8000 foot elevations, spring does not come until sometime in May, and even then some roads may be blocked by snow. Bring layers of clothing but plenty of sunscreen.
- Does Yellowstone offer medical services? Mammoth Hot Springs Village has a clinic open all year. Open in summer only are the clinics at Old Faithful Village and Lake Village.
Roads
- See the National Park Service's Road Construction Delays and Closures page for information about scheduled delays on the park roads.
- Work began in summer 2009 on a new segment of road that carries traffic away from the Gibbon River about 7 miles southwest of Norris Junction.
- A mud slide caused by heavy rains on July 18, 2004 forced the temporary closure of the East Entrance. Mud from six inches to as much as four feet deep covered a section of the road between the Sylvan Lake barricade and the park's East Entrance station.
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