Wife has us scheduled for a week including the 4th of July. I typically hate crowds, bad drivers and tourist traps....so, how do I make the best of this? We're staying at eagle creek near Gardiner. We're meeting my inlaws on what is surely their last road trip due to health and mobility issues.

Can a dog ride on a flatbed if it's in a kennel? Is it worth trying to fish?

Stories I've heard over the last couple of years make it sound like I'm burning vacation time to park in a traffic jam.

You will not like the traffic and people. The park is loaded. Lots of buffalo jambs and stupid tourists. For 45 years I have lived within 2 hrs of Yellowstone Park. Now it is crazy all the time.

Go in the fall.

Did you miss this?

Wife has us scheduled for a week including the 4th of July.

Over 65 years in Yellowstone and 43 of those working in the Park, I will still go in and see the sights and try some fishing. The Firehole is the only river to fish early in the season. 4th of July is still early enough to have high water with poor fishing conditions. There is a lot of water on the Firehole and upper Madison that can be fished that time of year.

Crowds are a daily attraction in Yellowstone, be prepared to be held up due to other’s inconsiderate acts of stupidity…

^^^^
Yup. Go in the fall

Well he has one of two choices. Change the dates or get real comfortable with being annoyed by large crowds. Either way I think I'd tell my wife to stop scheduling schiet without asking me first.....

Look into driving the Beartooth Highway, keep track of the weather.

Beartooth Highway

PS lots of high mountain lakes to fish on that drive, just beware of what state you are in.

Do yourself a favor and skip the tourist attractions, unless you love people. All the gurgling pots and geysers are cool and all, but the North part of the park is where it's at. If you are coming from the East, go to Cody and take 296 to 212 through the Northeast entrance. The Norris to Canyon Village to Mammoth loop is worth it. I avoid anything South of there as all it has is people. Several road projects going on in the park that will add even more delays than normal.

Been several times in May, once in June, and once in October. My advice is avoid the park from mid May to mid September, unless of course you love lots of people and traffic jams.

4th of July??? No way.

We do a family vacation in Pray or Emigrant North of the park most years in a house on the Yellowstone. We spend most of our time in the NF in MT hiking trails and mostly being alone, as well as having our own section of the Yellowstone to fish. We go to the Park once or twice, but spend most of the time in MT.

Was in the Park earlier this week and saw several grizzlies with cubs, several black bear, many elk, and a couple thousand bison. Didn't spend much time there, but my son-in-law went a few times to fish as the Yellowstone was too high and had quite a bit of luck.

If you want to see sheep, takes a little more homework and effort unless you just get lucky. Goats can been seen, but not up close easily.

And as far as staying in or near Gardiner, I'm sure there are some nice people living there, but it's a tourist trap. Way over priced for anything to buy or eat. Even the grocery store is ridiculous. As I said, we stay in Pray or Emigrant and get groceries in Livingston. There is nothing in Gardiner I need at the prices they are selling.

I agree that this is burning vacation time to park in a traffic jam. Treating US20 as a throughway means accepting unpredictable travel times and unplanned delays sometimes long delays. I suspect many people find the stop to enjoy the surroundings is well worthwhile or they wouldn't be there. I suggest maybe repeating the Serenity Prayer from time to time. Making the best of it may mean making sure your wife and her family have a good time.

Not very convenient to your stay but I find that even at the height of the season the service roads to back country ranger stations, for me those mostly east of Ashton Idaho, avoid crowds, the worst of if not all drivers and tourist traps. Mostly I suppose because they also have no roaded access to the highly touted unique to Yellowstone attractions.

I wish I could change the dates but my inlaws are coming 800 miles and they can barely travel any longer. I selfishly take September off to hunt so the dates we are going is my compromise.

Is there anything a guy can shoot at near Gardiner.....chucks, squirrels...etc? I am likely gonna toss in my 223ai just incase.

We were there in June of 2021 when the country was just opening back up after Covid. It was crowded.
You might try to get there early in the morning. It gets more crowded as the day goes on. If you have not been before, see Old Faithful and Mammoth. When you have seen one geyser, fumerole, mud pot, and hot spring you have seen them all. Unless you’re hiking, fishing, or doing something else, a week will be overkill.
A couple of days should be enough for sitting in traffic and seeing thermal features.

Pack a lunch and have a picnic each day. This lets you avoid crowded eating places. You’re not there for the food.

I’m not sure what the road situation is after last year’s flooding. You might want to Google the current conditions and adjust your route accordingly.

While you are on the website you can check information about pets.

Enjoy your visit and the time with your family.

I am glad I went when I did and it was in June 1997.

Not sure if this will help or not, but if you drive through all of the traffic in Yellowstone and get yourself to the Grand Tetons it may thin the crowds a little and we found that there was more there of interest to us than in YNP.

Your mostly screwed then. Probably one of the worst weeks to be there.


What you need to do is find Mill Creek, about 35 miles north of Gardiner and spend a day back there doing hikes. There will still be people, but it will be deserted compared to the Park. Depending on your ability, you can get into some good goat country with a days hike.

If you ever have an opportunity such as this one again, Screw that park and lease this place to surprise your wife before she starts making reservations for you.

It's closer to you anyway..

How do you make the best of this? Go in late September.

Signed,
Been There, Done That

Should be closed period! Tourist are f ucking it up! Mankind is like onto a coyote aka if it can't be f ucked or eaten he'll s hit on it so it can't be used by anyone else!!

Nice!

I'm hoping we can move locations after a day or two and either look at the tetons or....?

Are the entrances open 24hr? I'm up at 4am every day and am fine with moving country early.

Should be... but has been a long since I worked/been there. 14 years.

Expect turon insanity.

Check the regs re: firearms inside national parks. Far different than NF. They're not pretty and every year you hear of someone donating theirs. That being said, the juice ain't worth the squeeze on a short trip. You won't find anything to shoot on public land that isn't in or too near the park without losing most or all of a day.
I will nearly always have a personal defense firearm with me, but again, you won't be carrying it and it's best if no one even knows you have it. All the regulations still apply.

Wear your best "stand in line shoes".

Don’t listen to these guys, everyone wants to know more than the next guy and the closest resident to Yellowstone is still a couple states away.

You can have a firearm in Yellowstone, so don’t worry about that. Leave it out of sight, but you would do that anyway.

Visit every attraction you can, don’t avoid any. Old Faithful is still inspiring, geysers and paint pots are still worthwhile. The Grand Canyon is absolutely amazing and the views from both upper and lower falls is worth any traffic that will slow you down.

No one has been in Yellowstone more than I have, and all these years I still find it interesting regardless of the traffic jams, idiots and Asians. You couldn’t design a park with as many natural wonders to see if you took all the best recreational designers and tried to come up with a better destination.

Having all this negativity and advice to go in the fall, doesn’t change the fact that Yellowstone is a magnificent Park and worth seeing, take your flyrod and camera and you won’t be sorry…

I had forgotten that the possession of firearms rules were eased a few years back.
Still don't think it would be worth bringing a rifle for a short trip including others. Just my opinion tho.

Thanks Shrap. I am trying to do this for my family and ease my personal bias. My wife is cool with bailing a few days early, but the inlaws are fading fast in their late 70's and all. I do have some nice full frame camera gear to exercise.

Go early in the morning and you will beat the gate snarls. 6:00 may be too early for some of your family, but it beats the waiting in line at the gate. West Yellowstone is the highest volume gate, you really do want to go early.

When I got my moose near Cooke City, I asked the ranger at the gate what I needed to do to go through Yellowstone with a moose when I got it. There was so much red tape, I just went through at 5:30 AM while he was still in bed and made it so much easier…

If you have time Cody is worth the side trip. The gun museum, Irma motel, etc. Went there in 95. Need to go back. The book "Death in Yellowstone" is worth the read. Fun to put the history together as you go through the park.

I don't bring my dog to Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks, it's just easier without having to care for him too. Has to be on a leash, not welcome on the hiking trails, not permitted in most of the buildings.

Not a lot of fun for the dog, and difficult on the owner. I just kennel mine near home if I'm going with the family.

Yellowstone is great, GTNP is real fine too. It'll be crowded, traffic will be slow, but... I try to get there every year, or at most every couple of years. I think that you can have a great time there, even in mid-summer. Yes, bring the fly rod! Need a special fishing license to fish the waters of the park as I recall, but that's easy to get.

Enjoy!

Guy

Best advice I can give is to get into the park early. By early, I mean you should be in past Mammoth by 445. Daybreak is the best time to be there anyway. And you won't have any company other than the sights and wildlife.

Get over past Mammoth and head east.Spend your morning in the Lamar, then head out of the park over Beartooth and make a day trip of that. Maybe incorporate Dead Indian Pass intoitand return via Cody. Or drive up through Red Lodge and then to the interstate, over to Livingston and back down to Gardiner.

Another day, same thing but head south of Mammoth early. Just hit what you can and what interests you and the exit the park late morning-midday. And go elsewhere.

That time of year, that is the best you can do. Be there before sunrise. You will see more and deal with way fewer tourons.

Going out the east entrance used to be a good drive for wildlife. Not sure how that stacks up anymore. Cody is ok, but big-time touristy.

View Old Faithful from. The outside deck in the lodge...grab a beer. It is upstairs, take the spiral staircase upstairs immediately after entering on your left iirc.

If you go to mill creek pm me.

Also, as I said before look into driving through the park to Cooke city and enjoy the views on the highway into Red Lodge.

Regards

Bone up on your Chinese and Japanese if you want to know what is said. Mostly Asians being the ones mucking up the traffic. They do provide some unplanned entertainment though, when they walk right up to the buffalo to snap a picture, and get launched into outer space. I haven't seen one trying to ride a bear yet.

This in spades. Change your attitude and make the best of it. Only you can decide whether you're going to have a good time or not.

High country: I also HIGHLY recommend early to mid-September for your visit!
Cancel the reservations and re-schedule.
If that is not possible then be sure to hit "Artist Point" at mid-day (noonish) for the best shadow free photography and viewing of the falls of the Yellowstone.
50 years ago the VarmintWife and I used to catch a dandy large-ish Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout every cast from the shore of Yellowstone Lake right where the highway (Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway) from Cody and the East Entrance first meets Yellowstone Lake. We use the brass looking "U" shaped bent metal lure with red dots (these are sold at all the stores in Yellowstone Park).
Cast way out and slow retrieve.
Alas this fishery was nearly wiped out when the illegally planted Lake Trout came to over-population (they eat the young native Yellowstone Cutthroats). The Cutthroat are coming back but as yet not like they used to be.
In recent years I have gone more to flyfishing anyway.
I get through the park 3 or 4 times a year now (instead of just twice a year before I retired and moved to Montana 26 years ago) and I am now accustomed to (resigned to) Bear Jambs and Elk Jambs and Buffalo Jambs and last year got into 3 Grizzly Jambs on one trip. I was even stuck in a Badger Jamb two years ago. You DON'T want to hit a Wolf jamb! Been there done that.
Be CERTAIN to travel over the OUTSTANDING Beartooth Scenic Highway via the North Entrance Cooke City to Red Lodge route - take your time on this trip stopping at every pullout and lake and glassing with binocs or spotting scopes.
Think positive and enjoy nature.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Went for a drive up the Beartooth Highway last year right after the 4th of July parade in Cody. 100% agree this is a must see while in the area. Can't remember the exact mountain goat count that we saw but I think it was around 80. Had lunch in Cooke City. Great day but most of the Park and highways leading to the pass were closed due to the incredible flooding several weeks prior. Great views to be had from the Chief Joseph highway (formerly Dead Indian) Sunlight Basin area as well.

Not really a parade guy but it was kind of entertaining. Had my 93 year old father with us, we had a good day.

Yellowstone to me is a toxic waste dump. Sits on top of a very likely volcanic disaster they say is gonna blow any day now. Been saying it. It is big. Lots of antelope and elk. The old architecture is great. A zoo of people. Too much driving but people are courteous with the stop and go wildlife watching. Getting out to see the bear was ridiculous. The poor ranger had to tell me very clearly what he wanted me to do. Maybe I'm stupid like the rest who never saw the bear. They had the buffalo roundup when we were there, which seemed totally staged and phony. They definitely missed a few. Glacier and Tetons are more spectacular, even Zion. The falls are pretty. Had no idea they called that the Grand Canyon. That's a boast. My wife loved the toxic waste pools. Even the elk eat some of it. One bull tried to get in our camper van. Weird place. You might like it....

We went last year and the Lamar Valley road was closed so we couldn't get out the N/E entrance. I've been over Beartooth pass a couple of times. That is the best most scenic drive to get into or out of Yellowstone. It was a bummer to be blocked away from the big bison herds in the Lamar.

As to firearms I've never been told anything negative about the rifle I carry in plain view on top of our gear and duffel bags. Never can tell when you might drive up on some idiot being mauled by a bear. When we spent the night in Silvergate MT. right outside the N/E gate we were warned that there was a grizzly pillaging ice chests in the back of trucks at night.

Make the best of it you can. There's only one Yellowstone. Since I was a little kid, my goal was to buy the Park and kick all the people out. Probably not going to happen so enjoy what you have. Best wishes. 👍

I won’t belabor the commentary regarding the crowds. They are just the inevitable summer scourge with which you will have to learn to tolerate.

On the hand, the Park is a big chunk of real estate, and with a little effort, you can enjoy some very special country and not have to share it with the masses. There are countless miles of maintained pack trails that have trailheads located on the Park’s road system. Find a trail that is not in a river or creek bottom and put an hour of brisk hiking into play. After which time, you and your wife can sit down and soak up the real Park in almost assured solitude…

I rode through it Yellowstone West to Cody in July 2019.

Sorry, it’s required that you go see Old Faithful 🙄. I mean you almost have to. I was there four+ hours waiting out the rain. When you see Old Faithful erupt three times in a row it’s much more impressive, the first one is sorta anticlimactic.

The food in the crowded restaurants varies between ordinary and awful, pack your own food and beverage in for the day if you can. An ice chest is your friend.

If your party is interested in firearms the museum in Cody is spectacular.

The National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois is a must see.

https://www.nmmv.org/

You make it way too hard. You sit out on the porch (roof) of the Old Faithful Inn off the second floor and wait while enjoying an adult beverage or ice cream and latte. Great way to spend an hour or two with a good view of Old Faithful.

Find a walk in spot to fish for the Sat and Sunday. Hike a mile from the highway, and there will be very few about.

Next go around, do your trip after Labor Day.

sorry man

rather have my balls pounded with a wooden hammer

Than to be in Yellowstone the week of July 4th

Been there once and can’t wait to go back but will stay at the Old Faithful Inn at least one night. We did all the entrances and stayed way to long and had to drive back home Straight through to get back to work and that about killed the wife and I. I’m going to buy a small fire extinguisher of bear spray when I go back. We were at one of the stores in the park and was talking to a guy that works there about the bear spray and he said it works 100% of the time if you can wait until the bear is so close you can get it in their mouth and eyes but not to many people can wait that long 😆. Like idiots we didn’t buy any!!! We went and looked at a waterfall and came back and hopped in the vehicle and drove down the road and turned around and came back and looked over and their was a grizzly right where we had been. The only major traffic jams we had were from grizzlies and then the park rangers would be along pretty quick and give us all a tongue lashing and to get back moving.

I always bring my spotting scope to YNP to look at distant animals. My favorite place to look is in Antelope valley area. However, very often Asians will approach you and, since you look like you know what you are doing, will inquire if they can ‘see too’. Depending on what sort of mood I’m in, I might let them look, otherwise, I politely tell them I see nothing.

Do the best you can this trip with the in-laws and go back some other time in late September or early October for a more comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

Thanks guys. I just made it home from quick trip to seeley lake on a whim. Montana has so many more deer than we do it makes me sick.

The many joys of Yellowstone Park.

Sights and scenes that shouldn't be missed.



It’s been said that you can’t fix stupid, but hang on for this one.  

If a certain tourist keeps up his shenanigans in Yellowstone Park, bears there might get a chance to permanently fix his stupid.

In a colossal display of unmitigated idiocy, a recently-circulated Instagram video shows a man jumping out of his car parked next to a bear (said to be a black bear) just a few yards from the road in Yellowstone.

As his buddy shoots video from the passenger seat, he jumps out of the car and runs directly at the bear, growling, grunting and making barking noises.

The baffled bear turns tail and runs off into some nearby trees.

Then the guy turns back toward the camera, rips off his shirt, flexes and does what appears to be a poor impression of a silverback gorilla.



The video of these blindingly stupid antics was shared on the aptly named “Tourons of Yellowstone” social media.

It’s indicated that the incident isn’t this aspiring emperor of idiots’ first such offence and that the video had been shared with Yellowstone Park authorities.

Yellowstone officials have seen the video and are on the case, Park Service spokeswoman Linda Veress told Cowboy State Daily on Monday afternoon.

“We're aware of these videos and are investigating. The charge in an incident like this would be a Class B misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and $5,000 fine,” she said.  “The charge/s could include for example disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (create/maintain a hazardous condition), and/or approaching wildlife.”

For his own sake, the perpetrator should probably hope that park rangers catch up with him before he decides to take a run at a mature grizzly and become the embodiment of: Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. 


https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/0...an-who-jumps-out-of-car-to-harass-bears/

When I worked there it was always fun to randomly pull over by the side of the road and peer intently into the woods. Pretty soon dozens of cars would do the same thing looking for the non-existent animal. Then we would just drive off with a smile.

9 AM. The masses get up at 7:30, wait for everyone in the party to get all their morning stuff done, go get some breakfast, and show up at the gate at 9 AM. If you get to the gate at 8 or before, you will be ahead of the wave and traffic and parking will not be an issue. Same on the outbound. They all want to be back out of the park by 7ish so the traffic starts to get heavy around 5 and continues till 7. Before or after that is not a problem. Don't make problem where there isn't one. I travel in there quite a bit and it's not as bad as the negative comments would make it out to be.

As was said before, just get off the road or improved trails by half a mile, and you'll have nearly complete solitude. Hike a mile or two, and you'll have the place to yourself.

Even some of the geyser trails are pretty quiet. Lots of great places to sit on a bench and read a book, waiting for a geyser to do it's thing.... or not. Experiencing Yellowstone is best done outside of a car and away from the crowds.

Well day one is the books and I think I'm done here. The geysers are cool and there were lots of Buffalo....but beyond the thermal stuff we have very similar stuff hidden in my area.

The crowds were insane. We left gardiner at 530am and the stops were already nearly packed.

We're heading to Cody as soon as we can.

I seen a replay of this guy today on Buffalo. I was rooting for the buffler.

The Cody Museum is easily worth the drive.