West Yellowstone, MT - Yellowstone NP (8/30 - 9/5/24)

After biking in Idaho, we decided to go visit another epic National Park since we were in the area. Yellowstone National Park with it's 2.2 million acres is probably the most unique park we have ever visited. We have been here before, but this park is so great and vast we wanted to return to enjoy many of the amazing things to see and do here.

This is a photo of the Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River. If you can see the people just to the right of the top of the falls, you can realize just how big this really is. I was surprised just how much water was pumping over the falls so late in the summer.

Of course, coming to this park, you need to stop by and see Old Faithful to see one of the over 10,000 geothermal features in the park. Although I neglected to take a photo, we stayed at the Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone very near the park entrance.

This park is also home to many species of wild animals you will come across venturing through here. Although it is kind of hard to see, there is a bear Mom (bottom right) and her two cubs (top left) in this picture. They were out for a stroll on the side of a mountain one morning.

The bison are especially visible and seem to not care too much about the human onlookers.

In addition to the many geysers, there are thousands of hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots all resting on top of live volcano (caldera).

This looks like ice/snow, but it was near 90 degrees and this was just another example of a geothermal creation constantly building layer upon layer.

Another coyote sighting roaming the creek.

I think this was a fox jumping to get a small rodent for dinner.

Although not as large as the Lower and Upper Falls, these falls (Undine) on the Lava Flow Creek was worth stopping to take in the view.

Bison are frequently found in herds roaming in the fields near the road.

This a view of the Lower Falls. Not quite as tall, but still scenic.

Here is another coyote strolling near the parkway.

The colors in these geothermal features are amazing.

Here is another look of the Upper Falls from a viewpoint further away.

Elk are also frequently found grazing by the roadside.

With many mountains, streams, and lakes the views are non-stop.

The bison have adapted to the geothermals quite well and just see this place as a normal place to live.

The elk is probably the most common animal in the park.

Here is a closeup of a bison chowing down. Look at him sticking his tongue out at us.

One day we took a day off from the park and went to Whitefish west of the park. This is a view from the Whitefish Mountain Resort where we rode the gondola to see the views and do some hiking. After Yellowstone we move to Arco, ID to visit the Craters of the Moon National Park and then on to Utah for more parks and trails.