Yellowstone National Park is a truly awe-inspiring place, preserving the natural landscape of Earth from billions of years ago. Everything here seems harmonious and beautiful, where people and nature blend together, creating the best realm of harmony between heaven and man. Here are some of the best routes for a self-driving tour of Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1978. It is one of the most famous national parks in the United States. The movie “2012” was filmed here.
Yellowstone National Park is located at the junction of three states. Nearby are the famous Grand Teton National Park and Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, which is the best transfer station for visiting Yellowstone and its surrounding areas. After a field trip, I have specially planned a 4-day deep tour of Yellowstone National Park. Let’s take a look!
1、Salt Lake City Essence Tour
Temple Square >> Utah Governor’s Mansion >> Brigham Young’s Home >> Idaho Falls
On the first day, we will visit the essence of Salt Lake City. The first stop is the famous Mormon holy land – “Temple Square” located in the city center.
Here, you will be able to take an in-depth tour of famous buildings such as the Salt Lake Temple, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, and the Seagull Monument.
After that, visit the former residence of the prophet “Brigham Young” and the Utah Governor’s Mansion, which has been around for over a hundred years.
In the evening, we will go to admire the beauty of the world’s largest artificial waterfall – Idaho Falls!
2、National Park Deep Tour
Yellowstone National Park
We will have a whole day to take an in-depth tour of Yellowstone National Park, where nature’s bounty is on full display:
Misty canyons, roaring waterfalls, colorful hot springs, American bison and wild deer leisurely strolling through the grasslands, water birds resting by the water.
The beauty of Yellowstone can only be truly appreciated when you experience it firsthand.
Yellowstone National Park >> Grand Teton National Park >> Jackson Town
In the morning, you can continue to explore Yellowstone National Park and admire its wonders;
In the afternoon, we will follow the Snake River Valley into Grand Teton National Park.
There are towering peaks covered with snow that never melts. The snow-capped mountains are reflected in the Grand Teton Lake. The scenery is peaceful and serene, like a fairyland.
After leaving Grand Teton, we will enter the unique western town of Jackson and admire the elk antler arch and the cowboy streets in the town center. We will return to Salt Lake City in the evening.
3、Great Salt Lake Essence Tour
State Capitol Building >> Great Salt Lake
In the morning, we will visit the Utah State Capitol Building, known as the “Little White House,” and then go to visit the Great Salt Lake, known as the American “Dead Sea.”
The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, with a high salt content and picturesque scenery. It is also a paradise for birds and other animals.
4、Materials Needed for Visiting Yellowstone
See the picture below, “Guide to National Parks of the
US” + several Yellowstone brochures (detailed descriptions of attractions) + Yellowstone map (the one with Yellowstone written on it).
The Guide must be purchased yourself. You can get the maps and brochures in the park.
The following picture shows the unfolded Yellowstone map.
If you enter from the west gate, the recommended tour order is:
Fountain Paint Pot, Old Faithful, West Thumb, Lake
Village, Canyon Village, Mammoth Hot Springs. Other attractions can be added as you wish and time permits.
All six of these places have accommodations.
In the morning, you can go to Lower Geyser Basin (see the rainbow-colored hot springs) while the sun is shining, then go to Upper Geyser Basin (remember to reserve a seat in advance for Old Faithful). The scenery is the main attraction; at noon, enjoy a quick meal at Old Faithful. In the afternoon, go to West Thumb (the scenery of Yellowstone Lake and various small ponds). In the evening, go back to stay at Old Faithful Inn. You can ask if there is any fishing.
As for Fishing Bridge, Lake Village and Bridge Bay, sorry, I only passed by, I didn’t look carefully. It seems there are boats. Please arrange the activities as needed.
Canyon Village has a magnificent canyon and Yellowstone River. You need to climb a slope, and you need to drive a distance to see the waterfall up close. You need to check the map.
Mammoth Hot Spring has layers of terraced hot springs that look like rice terraces. Walk along the boardwalk. The scenery is still the main attraction.
Yellowstone is so big, you can’t finish it in a week…
As an aside, the weather in Yellowstone National Park is unpredictable. I went in July and it was sunny and clear in the morning, but then the wind picked up and it rained heavily at noon. It even snowed in the mountains…Please bring all your clothes for spring, summer, autumn and winter when you go out.
5、Best Time to Visit Yellowstone
Yellowstone is open year-round, but remember:
Winter: Road closures may occur due to weather conditions. Many roads are not accessible to ordinary vehicles after snowfall.
Summer: Thousands upon thousands of tourists during the summer. You need to book rooms within the park six months in advance.
If you want to avoid the crowds and see all the beautiful scenery, the best time is before the summer break (May-early June) and early autumn (September-October).
6、Reasonable Itinerary
Yellowstone is considered to be “vast.” Attractions within the park are scattered across every corner, with roads laid out like a figure eight.
If you want to fully explore the different geological formations and landscapes of the national park, you will need at least two whole days. If you want to observe wild animals like bears, wolves and so on, you will need to stay in place for a while.
Taking everything into consideration, it is recommended to ensure that the entire trip is at least four nights long.
7、How to Get to Yellowstone National Park
Option 1 (long driving time):
Fly to Salt Lake City International Airport, then drive from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park. It takes about 6 hours each way.
Option 2 (expensive airfare & limited car rental resources):
Fly directly to an airport near Yellowstone, such as Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, or Jackson Hole Airport at the foot of the Teton Range.
Option 3 (best value for money):
Fly to Billings Logan International Airport, northeast of Yellowstone. Drive 2.5 hours to Gardiner, a small town just outside the north gate of Yellowstone, and then drive another 10 minutes to enter Yellowstone.
8、Key Points for Exploring Yellowstone
You must drive yourself. Driving yourself will give you the most flexibility and allow you to experience the scenic highway all the way.
There are about a dozen conventional attractions. It is recommended that you learn about the schedule and precautions of the attractions in advance (such as the eruption time of Old Faithful, the sunset time, etc.) to avoid missing out on the highlights.
For water activities, you can rent boats or kayaks on Yellowstone Lake, and there are tour companies at the north gate of Yellowstone that organize rafting activities.
If you want to observe wildlife, the northeast corner of Yellowstone is the best choice.
There are countless hiking trails in Yellowstone, but for safety reasons, please hike along designated trails and in groups. Never attempt to develop new trails. The reason is that the geological structure of Yellowstone is special. The entire park is actually a huge volcano. You never know what kind of hot spring cave or geothermal vent you might step on next.
If time permits, it is recommended to visit Grand Teton National Park and visit Jackson Hole, one of the wealthiest towns in the United States (a summer resort for the rich and famous). At the same time, you can improve your food.
Yellowstone is undoubtedly beautiful beyond compare, but it is just the “tip of the iceberg” of the U.S. National Park System, just like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park.
9、Similar Places in China
In terms of area, the largest Moerdaoga National Forest Park in China is 570,000 hectares, which is not small, but Yellowstone National Park is only 890,000 hectares.
It is mainly the diversity of geological landforms + biodiversity that cannot be compared. Well, the information I have is limited.
Even if there are national forest parks in China with the same rich geological landforms + biodiversity, the level of the food chain for animals will definitely not be comparable. Yellowstone National Park has bears, bison, and wolves.
Qiangtang Nature Reserve in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Don’t you want fewer people?
Yellowstone National Park has become an amusement park, okay? The Qiangtang Nature Reserve has 247,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness, the second largest terrestrial nature reserve in the world after Greenland National Park.
If you include the adjacent areas to the east, west, and north, the Cocoxiri, Kunlun Mountains Wilderness, and Altun Mountains Wilderness are contiguous. They may cover an area of over 600,000 square kilometers, which is practically a super-sized pristine wilderness on Earth.
This wilderness is also a paradise for animals. Tibetan wild asses and Tibetan antelopes are everywhere. Other species include golden eagles, brown bears, wolves, lynx, rabbits, marmots, foxes, pika, etc. Biodiversity is no less than Yellowstone National Park.
The geological landscape is also very beautiful, with snow-capped mountains, grasslands, deserts, glaciers, lakes, hot springs, and volcanoes.
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