Travel & Outdoor
National Park Journal
Yellowstone 2020Get 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
The Grand Prismatic is known for its crowds and vibrant rainbow colors that line its edges. It's slightly larger than a football field. But at 11 p.m. in late August, none of the colors was visible. And it didn’t matter. We were there to shoot the Milky Way hanging above us. But first, we had to cross the very dark, empty parking lot, which rolled up into a black morass of trees, to get to the boardwalk. I clutched my bear spray in my hand just in case a grizzly was also taking a midnight stroll. As we walked down the boardwalk, the stars sparkled in the blackness above like concert groupies, fanning out from the main act on the night stage, the Milky Way. We stopped, took photos and then walked…
insider's tips
ONLINE Visit MyYellowstonePark.com to 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 and in-person National Park Photography Workshop series. 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. YELLOWSTONE ENTRANCE FEES Buy your pass at a park entrance station, purchase a digital pass at Recreation.gov or order a card online at…
the first park
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. PHOTOS:…
park entrances
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. NORTH ENTRANCE Want to experience some of the West’s most spectacular scenery in a town that can feel like a cross between Northern Exposure and Animal Planet, given its wild neighbors living up the street in Yellowstone? Head…
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 SEE TOWER FALL & HIKE MOUNT WASHBURN Stop at the 132-foot Tower Fall. Then drive up the 8,859-foot Dunraven Pass. At the top, park and hike the 3.1-mile (one way) trail to Mt. Washburn’s 10,243-foot summit. 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 GEYSER BASIN See one of…
where to stay
OLD FAITHFUL INN Built in 1903-04, the Old Faithful Inn is arguably Yellowstone’s most iconic hotel. It’s a National Historic Landmark and the world’s largest log cabin structure. Its lobby was designed to create a sense of community, and you will literally find people from all over the world, gathering here and listening to the live music in the lobby. It’s a two minute stroll from Old Faithful. Make dinner reservations at Old Faithful Dining Room for a special evening or eat breakfast or lunch there since it is first-come, first-served. OLD FAITHFUL LODGE CABINS Built during the 1920s, the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins offer great access to the iconic Old Faithful geyser. It’s about a two-minute stroll to Old Faithful from the cabins. Old Faithful Lodge Cabins should not be confused with…
