National Park Journal
Yellowstone 2021Get the digital version of the National Park Journal with its four separate park editions (Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Yosemite) to discover all-time favorite road trips to the national parks. From Utah’s dazzling deserts, the adobe-lined streets of New Mexico’s charming towns, Wyoming’s authentic outposts, California’s stunning coastline and Colorado’s mountain towns, we feature all the amazing places to explore en route to the parks, no matter where you begin your adventure. Plus , our insider’s guide includes our top things to do in each national park in 48 hours. Discover the best hiking trails, campsites and attractions in our magazine. Our illustrated wildlife guide will help you discover the best of the park's wild animals, including tips on where to find them, and our packing list ensures you don’t leave anything at home.
in this issue
editor’s note
Working on this magazine amid a global pandemic has made me think about vacationing in Yellowstone in profoundly different ways. I am remembering simple moments with razor-sharp clarity. Like breathing in the sweet smell of sagebrush near the iconic Moulton barns in Grand Teton National Park just south of Yellowstone. Waiting in traffic to allow a bison herd to cross the road hours before a full moon rose over the Lamar Valley. Standing in the crowded lobby of the historic Old Faithful Inn and listening to dozens of languages being spoken. At the time, I used to think that there were way too many people in the lobby and lamented that the roads were so crowded. I wanted Yellowstone for myself. But now, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, I…
the first
If it weren’t for an artist and a photographer, Yellowstone National Park might never have become the world’s first national park in 1872. For years rugged explorers returned from the Yellowstone region with stories of a strange landscape dotted with steaming pools and shooting geysers. Most people passed them off as myth. Things changed dramatically in 1871 when artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson joined a 40-day geological survey to document the area. Through brushstrokes of paint and a camera lens, Moran and Jackson captured the wonders of Old Faithful, the beauty of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the splendor of Hayden Valley. When Congress viewed the men’s work in 1871, it had an electrifying effect. In 1872, Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant created Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO: Lower…
the five yellowstone entrances
1 NORTHEAST ENTRANCE Closest to Cooke City, Mont., and its sister village Silver Gate, this entrance gives you the best access to Yellowstone’s legendary Lamar Valley where grizzlies, black bears, bison and wolves roam. The tiny outpost of Cooke City (year-round population is 100) has a downtown that spans only a few blocks but offers good dining and lodging options. In the summer, travelers can reach Cooke City via the Beartooth Highway or the park. In winter, this entrance is closed and the only way into Cooke City is through Yellowstone’s North Entrance near Gardiner, Mont. 2 NORTH ENTRANCE Want to experience some of the West’s most spectacular scenery in a town that can feel like a cross betweenNorthern ExposureandAnimal Planet, given its wild neighbors living up the street in Yellowstone? Head to…
yellowstone’s top six
1 WAKE UP WITH THE WOLVES For your best chance of seeing a wolf, get up before sunrise and head to the Lamar Valley in the park’s northeast corner. 2 HIKE MOUNT WASHBURN It's a great 3.1-mile (one-way) hike to the 10,243-foot summit of Mount Washburn. Because of road closures between Tower-Roosevelt and Chittenden Road, access the trailhead on the Canyon Village side but check for road closure updates beforehand. 3 EAT AT ROOSEVELT LODGE Built in 1920, this log cabin restaurant has a front porch with rocking chairs where you can have a drink and wait for a table to open up inside. 4 SEE MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS Walk on a mile-long boardwalk to see the colorful travertine terraces formed by hot springs rising to the surface and depositing dissolved limestone in dramatic patterns. 5 STROLL MIDWAY…
insider's tips
ONLINE Visit MyYellowstonePark.comto find out where to stay and what to do during your vacation. Interested in exploring other national parks? Check us out at NationalParkTrips.com. WORKSHOPS Join us for our online National Park Night Skies Photography Workshop. With Tamron’s professional photographers, we offer instruction on how to take night skies, sunset and sunrise photos. Learn more at NationalParkTrips.com/ workshops. FREE TRIP PLANNER Start planning your dream vacation by requesting our tip-filled Yellowstone Trip Planner online. You also can request vacation planning materials from our regional partners. ENEWSLETTER Sign up for our stunning weekly national park travel enewsletter online at on MyYellowstonePark.com. We cover tips on what to do and how to avoid the crowds. facebook.com/nationalparktrips @nationalparktrips @nationalparktrips…
protect your parks
Practice the 7 Leave No Trace principles. Go on a guided hike with Yellowstone Forever Institute, the official non-profit fundraising arm of the park. Donate to Yellowstone Forever. Reduce trash in the park by bringing a refillable water bottle. Be a voice for the park by writing an email to your congressional member on one of the pressing issues facing the park. ADVOCACY WORKS In 2019 Congress passed the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, protecting the park from two gold mines near its borders, thanks to efforts by Greater Yellowstone Coalition and others. Learn how you can help protect our parks at MyYellowstonePark.com/park/conservation…
