Tucked into the northwest corner of Wyoming and spilling over into parts of Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone is America’s and the world’s first national park, dedicated in 1872. The first European to spy Yellowstone and its otherworldly geothermal attractions is believed to be John Colter, who first arrived in current-day Montana as a member of the Corps of Discovery. He parted with Lewis and Clark as the Corps made their way east in the summer of 1806 and began exploring the region that would become known as Yellowstone the following year. His descriptions of the region’s geysers and fumaroles were met with derision by many of his contemporaries, who sometimes called the region “Colter’s Hell.”
Yellowstone encompasses 3,400 square miles of forest, grassland, and wetland terrain, most of which rests at an altitude above 7,700 feet; it’s one of the largest intact temperate-zone ecosystems remaining in the world. The park is synonymous with large mammals—bison, elk, moose, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bears—and most famously, grizzly bears and wolves. But it was Yellowstone’s unique geothermal properties, not its abundant animal life, that prompted Congress and Ulysses S. Grant to dedicate the park; Yellowstone contains more than 10,000 geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles. (Two-thirds of the world’s geysers are found here.) There are roughly 300 miles of public roads within the park. The most popular route for visitors is the Grand Loop Road, which makes a 140-mile figure eight through the middle of the park. Many of Yellowstone’s iconic landmarks are in proximity to the Grand Loop, including Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Mammoth Hot Springs. (Old Faithful geyser erupts roughly every ninety-one minutes, if you were wondering.) A hike that can be accessed along the loop is Mount Washburn, and Al strongly recommends it. “You join the trailhead at Dunraven Pass, and the trail was once a road—though you wouldn’t think so, as there are so many switchbacks. It’s about three miles one way and fairly strenuous at times, but it’s worth it. The views from the fire lookout (at more than ten thousand feet) are nothing short of astounding. On a clear day, you can see forty or fifty miles in every direction.”
There are twelve campgrounds in Yellowstone with a total of more than 2,100 sites available. “We have a wide range of front-country opportunities,” Al explained. “If you travel in an RV and prefer hookups, the Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only option, but several of the other large campgrounds—Canyon, Grant Village, and Madison—can accommodate anything from small tents to bus-style RVs. These campgrounds [and Bridge Bay] all accept reservations, and they are highly recommended during the high season. These spots all offer the classic national-park large-campground experience. The restrooms have flush toilets and there’s potable water. Each also has an amphitheater and a nightly ranger program. Each ranger brings his or her own background and expertise to their program; many have been here twenty or thirty years. If you’ve never attended one of these programs, you don’t know what you’re missing. Yellowstone also has seven first-come, first-served campgrounds that offer a smaller campground experience. These campgrounds have water; some have flush toilets, some vault. The first-come, first-served campgrounds fill really early. It breaks my heart to see visitors driving around late in the afternoon, trying to find a spot. They’re probably not going to have much luck.
“If you’re a first-time visitor to Yellowstone, I’d suggest you make a reservation at one of the larger campgrounds. Once you get the lay of the land, you’re better equipped to look at the first-come, first-served sites. If you have to rely on a first-come, first-served site, plan to get to the campground where you want to get a site first thing in the morning.”
A chance to view Yellowstone’s iconic residents is a big part of the experience for many visitors. While sometimes you’ll get lucky and come upon a herd of elk or a bear as you’re driving along the Loop Road, it helps to have a plan. “I always encourage visitors to think about the animal you’re hoping to see—its habitats and how it lives—when you’re looking for it,” Al advised. “If you’re walking through Mammoth Hot Springs in the middle of August and are disappointed that you haven’t seen a bear, consider if you’d want to be around all that thermal activity if you were wearing a fur coat? You’d probably rather be up at a higher elevation and in the shade! Bears—and many other animals—are most active in the cooler parts of the day, and they’re going to be where the food is. Part of our goal at the visitor centers is to help people have the best possible experience in the park. Stop and ask rangers where the best places are to look for the animal you’re hoping to see. If you have persistence and a bit of luck, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing wildlife experience . . . though it’s important to remember that all of these animals are truly wild. They can run faster than you and can injure you if they take offense to your presence. I’m wary of all of our wildlife. Visitors should be too.”
* * *
AL NASH began his National Park Service career as a seasonal ranger-naturalist in Yellowstone in 1995, after a lengthy career in radio and television news. He worked in a variety of positions in interpretation, wildland fire, and public affairs in Yosemite National Park, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and NPS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., before returning to Yellowstone as the park’s chief of public affairs in January 2006. Al began his broadcast career in his home state of Michigan, starting as a Top 40 disc jockey at the college radio station while earning a BS in television production at Ferris State University. His television career began at WOI-TV, the ABC affiliate in Des Moines, as he completed an MS in journalism and mass communications at Iowa State University. He first came to the Northern Rockies in 1986 as news director of the Montana Television Network. During his seven years at KTVQ-2 in Billings, he helped guide the CBS network–affiliated stations in establishing award-winning, independent local news operations in Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, and Butte. Al enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. An avid private pilot, he is an active volunteer of the Civil Air Patrol, where he holds the rank of lieutenant colonel and serves as both chief of staff of CAP’s Montana Wing and director of public affairs for the organization’s five-state Rocky Mountain Region.
If You Go
Getting There: Visitors can fly into West Yellowstone via Salt Lake City on SkyWest Airlines (www.skywest.com) or Bozeman, Montana roughly two hours from the park’s west entrance, which is served by several carriers, including Alaska Airlines (800-252-7522; www.alaskaair.com) and Delta (800-221-1212; www.delta.com).
Best Time to Visit: Some campgrounds open as early as May 1, others in mid-June. Most close by early October. July and August have the warmest weather and the biggest crowds. September can be lovely, though there’s always a chance of snow.
Campgrounds: There are twelve campgrounds in Yellowstone; five (Madison, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Bridge Bay, Canyon, and Grant Village) accept advance reservations (866-439-7375; www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com). The other seven campgrounds (Mammoth, Norris, Tower Fall, Indian Creek, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Lewis Lake) are first come, first served . . . and competition for space during peak season is fierce.
Activities: Wildlife viewing, hiking, boating, biking, fishing, and horseback riding.
Published in 2016 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS
Text copyright © 2016 Chris Santella
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Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die Page 21