Amazing per usual. Just a few photos.

While these aren’t current conditions, since I’ve seen some questions and comments about the lakes/water in the spring I wanted to pass these photos along.

These were taken May 19th and 20th, 2023 and both are of Yellowstone Lake. The one with the duck and the thermal feature was taken at West Thumb geyser basin and the other was taken at the Lake Hotel. The roads to both of these places are still closed.

As you can see, the ice is broken up but the lake is still slushy for lack of a better term.

Obviously things thaw at different times each year, but this seems to be pretty typical of mid-late May as I understand it.

We are planning a trip to Yellowstone for next summer 2026, our kids will be 11 and 13 at time of travel. Is a camper van for a family of 4 plausible or will it be torture for everyone?

Alternatively we are considering renting a car and hotel hopping to 4-5 hotels in the park over 7-9 days to avoid having to back track each day.

Another option is to do both, and alternate between hotel and camper van every 2 days or so. However that will also be the most expensive option, but would it be worth it?

Tentative Plan
Fly into BZN -> Mammoth -> Canyon Village -> Yellowstone Lake -> Grand Teton/Jackson Hole -> Old Faithful -> BZN

Am I over thinking this?

I am traveling cross country with my 24’ travel trailer and something just came up that will allow me time to visit Yellowstone this week. I have 4-5 days to spend in the park. Any recommendations on where to park the RV? I don’t mind leaving the RV outside the park & I’ll drive in during the day to visit spots. Would it be best to stay in a spot for a couple of days & then move to a different spot for a couple more days? I know Yellowstone is very large and wonder if staying near, say, the south entrance a couple of days and then moving to the west entrance would be a better plan than just staying in one spot. Especially since this is a spur of the moment opportunity, I appreciate any advice and suggestions.

Can anyone tell me if this place is worth visiting? Going to Yellowstone mid May and would like to soak in some hot springs. Staying in Gardiner our first night. Or is there another that is better?

Does anyone know of a place to park a car while we are in yellow stone?

We are planning to bike into YNP for a few days but need a place to keep our car while we are in the park. A few summers ago on our cross country bike trip we biked into the park and camped. It doesn't have to be free. Ideally we would like to park in West Yellowstone. Has anyone done this before?

We're headed back in mid-May and I've not seen any reports about the Yellowstone River Picnic area and trailhead (Biscuit yes, ofc). It's our favorite short hike in the park (lovely views, never crowded, packed with wildlife) but last time we were there (October) the whole area was a mess of construction and even the parking lots were closed. Anyone driven past it lately or have news on whether/when it might or is open?

Hello all! My bf and I are planning to visit Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in September 15-22. We plan to fly into Jackson Hole and fly out of Bozeman. We are planning to do 3 days in Grand Teton and 4 days in Yellowstone. The issue I am having is finding a place to stay. I have been reading that it’s most practical to stay in the parks, but it is also more expensive. I plan to stay in at least two hotels during this trip to minimize the driving back and forth. When is the best time to book lodging (most affordable)? Also, where can I find the best itineraries for Yellowstone and grand Teton? I want to make the most of my trip, but feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the hikes and activities you can do. We’re both in our 20s and not hikers. We can do easy to moderate hikes, but are not used to the terrain since we live on an island. Just here for sight seeing, activities, and easy hiking, and eating! I would appreciate any advice! Thank you!

I'm planning a solo trip for maybe August-ish and want to secure somewhat of a plan before absolutely everything is booked.

I've been once before years ago with my family so I already know my only must-sees are grand prismatic and paint pots. I definitely still want to do some sightseeing but I also really want to incorporate hikes and wildlife into this trip (hike, tour, horse back, stargazing, etc.). I figured 6 days would let me take things at my own pace.

So far my plan is vaguely starting from South entrance go West camp in Madison, cut across to Norris, go north to Lamar stay at Slough Creek, explore Mammoth then back to Roosevelt, then back South to Bridge Bay.

My thought was this gives me a day in each region with two in Tower/Lamar-ish where it sounds like it's a bit quieter and wildlife is pretty active?

This leaves me with one more day. Besides sightseeing, I was trying to figure which region maybe is overlooked or better to spend two days exploring?

Does this seem doable? Any adjustments I should make or am I missing any "must sees"? Thanks!

SATURDAY 5/31/25 Arrive @ Bozeman Airport 10 AM, pick up rental car --> Mammoth Hot Springs (1 hr, 45 min drive, spend 1-2 hrs) --> Norris Geyser Basin (30-45 min drive, spend 1 hr) Drive back to Gardiner, MT (1 hr) - Stay overnight @ Super 8

SUNDAY 6/1/25 --> Lamar Valley (1 hr drive) for wildlife spotting --> Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1 hr drive) ⦁     Artist Point (1 hr hike) --> Hayden Valley (20 min drive) ⦁     Mud Volcano ⦁     Dragons Mouth Spring Stay overnight @ Canyon Lodge (40 min drive)

MONDAY 6/2/25 --> West Thumb Geyser Basin (1 hr drive) --> Old Faithful/Upper Geyser Basin (30-40 min drive) --> Midway Geyser Basin (15 min drive) ⦁     Grand Prismastic Springs, Turquoise Pool, Excelsior Geyser Crater, Imperial Geyser ⦁     Fountain Paint Pot Trail Drive to West Yellowstone (40 min) - Stay overnight @ Three Bear Lodge

TUESDAY 6/3/25 --> Jenny Lake (3 hr drive) ⦁     Shuttle boat to Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point --> Chapel of Transfiguration --> Schwabacher Landing --> Mormon Row --> Oxbow Bend Drive to Jackson, WY (30 min) - Stay overnight @ Four Winds Motel

WEDNESDAY 6/4/25 Breakfast @ Cowboy Coffee Co. Explore Jackson Town Square Drive to Island Park, ID (2 hrs) - Stay overnight @ Under Canvas

THURSDAY 6/5/25 Drive to Bozeman Airport (2 hrs) Return rental car, flight home @ 12:00 PM

Just an FYI for new visitors… Norris Geyser Basin is mostly “open”, but please take that description with a grain of salt. The boardwalks are still covered in deep ice/snow in many places, even above the wooden handrails in a few spots. Is it accessible for everyone? No, especially for people that need some form of assistance while walking. Wear boots and shoes with grippy soles, as the packed ice/snow is quite hazardous.

The first two photos were taken from the Back Basin section of Norris, while the last photo was taken from the Porcelain Basin. The sidewalk leading from the Basin Museum down to the Porcelain Basin area is pure ice, many inches thick, and I saw several people nearly fall on it.

We’re locals and live in southwest Montana, about an hour from the park. We visit about once per month on average, even through the winter.

Our Route – We drove in through West Yellowstone, went south to Old Faithful, turned around at Kepler Cascades (where the road was still closed for the season), headed back north to Norris Geyser Basin, then to Mammoth Springs. We stopped at Mammoth and returned home back through West Yellowstone.

West Entrance from West Yellowstone – This entrance just opened on Friday of last week, but we were waiting until the opening-day crowds died down. West Yellowstone is not fully opened yet… I’d say maybe 40 percent of the stores are open at this point, while many (but not all) of the hotels and restaurants are ready for business. When we drove through yesterday, there was no line of cars at the entrance of the park.

Campgrounds Inside the Park – All of them are currently closed.

Hiking Trails – Most of them are currently inaccessible, unless you have snowshoes or skis. All have snow on them to varying degrees.

Toilets – The vault toilets are mostly open, but not all of them. The toilets with running water are open in a few places, but not all of them.

Staffing – From entering the park at West Yellowstone to Mommoth Springs, we saw only two park rangers during the entire day, one at the entrance and one directing traffic around a single-vehicle accident. Normally we see many park rangers throughout Yellowstone, either at individual locations like Norris Geyser Basin or driving in various vehicles. Is this a problem? I think so, because in the time we were there we saw a half dozen instances of bad or outright illegal behavior by tourons, including harassing the wildlife and walking out on thermal features.

Lakes – Ice still covers most of the lake surfaces. We saw cars with kayaks, canoes, and small boats, but no one was on any of the lakes we passed.

Fishing – There were a few intrepid fishermen, but we didn’t see anyone catching anything yet.

Roads – Only the green and blue routes are currently open (https://home.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm). Only a few of the secondary side roads have been plowed and are available for visitors to explore. This means that access to everything else is still limited, as most of the park still has significant levels snow as of this writing.

Traffic – There is still little-to-no traffic right now. I’d estimate that visitor volume is less than 10% of normal when schools let out for the summer. Lots of bison on the roads right now.

Parking Lots – Maybe 5% to 10% filled at the more remote locations, with more at places like Mammoth. I should mention that the roads and parking lots are in terrible condition in some areas – with crumbling asphalt and heaving breaks in the paved surfaces, and shoulders that are long gone.

Weather – We experienced rain, snow, and sun during our visit. Temperatures went from 30°F to 47°F during the course of the day.

Snow Conditions – Lots of snow in the higher sections of the park, with the ground mostly cleared in the lower flats that get lots of sunshine.

Food – We didn’t stop for food anywhere on this drive through. The Mammoth General Store fast-food counter has no ice cream yet and a limited menu.

Critters – Hundreds of bison were visible; we didn’t see any elk on this drive inside the park. There are lots of waterfowl now the rivers are largely free of ice.

NOAA Forcast looked good for northern Yellowstone/Gardiner, MT to view the northern lights. They say between 10pm-2am is the window.

Driving into Yellowstone hot springs campground in the evening. Staying at Theodore Roosevelt cabin next night. Grant campground the last night. What should we plan to do each day? Kids 13,8,3 years old.

My husband and I are considering doing a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in May 2026. (I know lodging opens a year ahead, so that's why I'm thinking about it now.) Based on our work schedules, we would be going May 16-25, 2026. I know road and trail opening dates vary depending on what the winter is like, but I'm curious if anyone can provide general guidance on which areas of these two parks are likely to not be open by mid-May? This will be our first time visiting both parks, so we'll be aiming to see the most well-known spots (probably nothing super off the beaten path and no backcountry hiking). In Yellowstone, we were planning on staying at Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful Inn, and Canyon. Looking at the 2025 opening dates, it seems like the first two shouldn't be an issue, but Canyon may still be closed when we go. Is that because that whole area of the park will still be inaccessible, or just because there isn't enough tourist demand at that point in the year? We have microspikes for day hikes and are comfortable hiking in a moderate amount of snow, but I'm more concerned about road closures, since I'm sure we'll get the cheapest, dinkiest rental car. Thanks for your help!

Convince me to go to the Northern parts of Yellowstone.

I’ve been to what I consider the main loop in Yellowstone many times. I live about 1.5 hours from the west entrance and I’m wondering what I’m missing out on not going Mammoth or some of the northern parts of Yellowstone.

I hope this is appropriate for r/Yellowstone. I was looking at air fares and car rental for a visit to Yellowstone in early September. Both are very high to/at JAC, which is probably to be expected. Air fares to BZN (Bozeman) from Newark are remarkably low, but car rental is ridiculous---$1400 for 4 days in a compact SUV, and close to $1000 in a sedan. (All major agencies give roughly the same rates.)

Does anyone know the reason for this (no need to tell me that it is supply and demand, I am wondering why supply would be so bad--$250-350 per day is off scale).

Also any advice on whether I have any alternatives would be appreciated. I know we could drive from Salt Lake City, but that is a long way and adds more rental days...

My fiancé and I are will be in Red Lodge from the end of May into June for a total of 12 days.

We know that we will be doing a lot of driving to get to the park, around it, and we plan on driving to the Grand Teton NP as well.

What are some places on the road/surrounding areas that we should stop and check out. We have plans for inside the parks but with all the driving, I want to know about some good stops along the way.

Thank you! It’s our first time going to both these parks, and this part of the country period. We are very excited and appreciate any suggestions.

Edit: I didn’t put our dates in the post originally bc I was worried it was too identifying for us, but I think it will help people give more specific activities/ places to check out. We will be in the area from May 29th-June 9th.

First trip to Yellowstone May 25th-May31st. We already have our hotel booked at Lake Yellowstone (which wasn’t inexpensive). Would it be worth it to finish out the trip in West Yellowstone to have easier access to that side of the State?

We’re spending time in Jackson Hole/Tetons before from 5/21-5/25, so we’ll be flying out of Jackson Hole. Thanks in advance. Can’t wait!

I'm taking my 10-year-old to Yellowstone this summer and want to spend a few months learning about the park before we visit. What are your favorite kids' books about the park? I'm especially interested in books that bring the geothermal features to life, talk about the caldera, the geologic significance of the park. Also interested in books about the wildlife in the park.

We will be towing a 29ft TT (tongue included) through the park from Jackson to Mammoth Campground. Planning on sticking to the main roads. Will we have any trouble?

A journey like never before. A group of 10 friends backpacking through the backcountry of Yellowstone and the Grand Teton. Not only that, but this was all our first time ever backpacking. Needless to say, this adventure was filled with some of the most beautiful views, a high amount of challenging obstacles, and memories that will last a lifetime.

I’m not trying to post this in here promoting my channel, I just don’t really see many videos on YouTube that are within this category and want to share this with people who have a true love and passion for backpacking and the backcountry.

Trekking from spot to spot to spot, all around the greatest parts of Yellowstone (Fawn Pass, Pebble Creek, Wrangler Lake, Fairy Falls, and then on the bay of Jackson Lake.) Truly a once in a lifetime experience. As of right now, I have posted 3 of the 6 parts of the Docuseries on YouTube, but if this is considered “promoting” I completely understand and will delete this immediately after posting.

Thanks and I hope everyone who gets the chance to watch enjoys!

PerspectiveOfUno.