Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming, Montana & Idaho
Some friends and I decided we wanted to take a road trip and were trying to decide on the destination. I came across photographs on Instagram of one of the Geysers in Yellowstone, showed the photo to one of my friends and that was that. We were Yellowstone bound. Mostly in Wyoming the National Park spreads into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone became the first National Park in eighteen seventy-two. There is so much history in this park and it is captivating. I had the opportunity to visit Yellowstone when I was younger but did not remember much and I was looking forward to revisiting as an adult.
We decided to stay in Wapiti, about forty miles outside of the park as it was a more affordable option. We chose to stay at Wheels of Wonderment in the twin cabins that came equipped with air conditioning, heat and electricity. Our lodging exceeded my expectations. The cabins were nice, the communal bathrooms were always clean and came with a massage chair, they had goats and llamas we could pet and feed, a shared fire pit and it was located on a river. I would stay here again without hesitation.
We left Denver around one in the afternoon and it took us about ten hours to get to Wheels of Wonderment. We settled in, looked at the stars for a bit and went to bed. The next morning, we woke up, had coffee and set off for the day. The drive was beautiful. Yellowstone is three thousand five hundred square miles which is a lot of ground to cover. We mapped out two five-hour routes to do over two days.
On our first day, our first stop was Yellowstone Lake and it was stunning. The weather was perfect, sunny skies, perfect clouds and a temperature in the sixties. We stopped and took some pictures, walked around for a bit and skipped rocks. Well, they skipped rocks, I threw rocks.
Then we went to West Thumb Geyser Basin, it was a beautiful blue color. The geysers are unlike anything I have seen before. They are hot, bubbly, steamy, smell like sulfur and are the most fascinating colors. No two are alike and they are all interesting. We were able to see Old Faithful, Morning Glory Pool, Grand Prismatic Spring, Turquoise Pool, Lower Geyser Basin and Norris Geyser Basin on our first day. We finished the day by driving through the breathtaking Hayden Valley where we were able to see many bison.
Before we went on the trip, my mom told me that when she saw Old Faithful, she was disappointed. She thought it would be bigger and more interesting. What makes Old Faithful intriguing is that it is faithful in the eruption times. It erupts every forty-four to one hundred and twenty-five minutes and has been doing so since two thousand. It is also the first geyser in Yellowstone to receive a name. I can see her point when just looking at the surface of the geyser and not knowing the history.
Midday, we stopped at a picnic site and set up at a picnic table. We laid out our blanket on the table and had almond butter and honey sandwiches, carrots, cherries, chips and cookies. We got eaten by mosquitoes and it reminded me of when I was younger, which made me yearn for simpler days of road tripping. My parents took my brother and I on a road trip every year. They would put us in a minivan, pack a cooler and off we went. We have been all over the United States and I am grateful for those memories.
The following day we visited the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Falls. The Mammoth Hot Springs was definitely my favorite. The coloring and formation of the limestone was unlike anything I have seen or will ever see again.
We ran into a bison traffic jam that lasted for about an hour. It was surprising to me that people were getting out of their cars and walking up to the bison. While these animals are beautiful and seem docile, they are very dangerous. When you arrive to the park you are warned to keep your distance.
After two days of touring we decided we wanted to take a rest day before driving another nine hours back to Denver. We decided to stay at our campground for most of the day. We fed the goats and llamas, spend time in the massage chairs and just relaxed. We went into Cody for dinner like we did every evening. Then at night we made a fire, roasted marshmallows and made smores and we took in the stars.
Yellowstone was amazing as an adult and purely fascinating. I’m happy that I decided to revisit. It is always a pleasant surprise when things exceed your expectation. The park, geysers, weather, food and lodging all exceeded my expectations. This trip made me want to purchase a Sprinter Van and travel the United States, then Europe, then the rest of the world. Maybe one day.
Check out our routes in Yellowstone below.
For more information on Wheels of Wonderment, go to https://wowmccg.com/.
For more information on Yellowstone National Park, go to https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm.
