FINALLY Booked My Tent Site for Yellowstone ... Now to Plan

astrostu · April 11, 2010

Last year, in mid-May, I took a 1200-mile road trip through most of southern Utah, visiting about 10 state and national parks and monuments in the space of a week. And taking several hundred photos.

This year, I'm narrowing my focus and I JUST YESTERDAY booked my campsite for Yellowstone (by the West entrance). I'm driving up May 14 (Friday), and driving back May 20 (Thursday), so I have 5 full days there. I've only been there once, and that was 6 years ago, and I lost all my photos in a hard drive crash just a few weeks later. I'm definitely looking forward to going back.

I know there's SO much to see there, and because of my timing I know part of the park (SE side) will still be closed, but most should be open ... like Tower Falls, Old Faithful, Mammoth Springs, lots of the purdy rainbowy hot springs, etc.

Besides just generally bragging about taking a week vacation to a neat place, if anyone has a few specific places that I just HAVE to visit while I'm there, please recommend.

Glort · April 11, 2010

Wouldn't this post be more appropriate in the landscape or wildlife sections?

astrostu · April 11, 2010

Glort wrote:

Wouldn't this post be more appropriate in the landscape or wildlife sections?

I thought those were more for photographs, and this for discussion.

angevin1 · April 11, 2010

Glort wrote:

Wouldn't this post be more appropriate in the landscape or wildlife sections?

Actually I was thinking Journeys...and I'd also like to read the answers~:D

Pat664422 · April 12, 2010

Congrats on your upcoming trip.

What I've started doing when going to National Parks is buying books on when the best times to photograph the highlights of the park. I am sure there are plenty for yellowstone. I did this for yosemite and it helped me to get one of my favorite pictures:

http://patspix.smugmug.com/Yosemite-National-Park/Yosemite-National-Park/8578753_iW4p4#632956952_csQSY-L-LB

For Yellowstone, the areas we enjoyed the most were the Old Faithful geyser area and Canyon. Those are the two places I would spend most of my time whenever I go back. Undine Falls was one of the prettier waterfalls I think:

http://patspix.smugmug.com/Vacation/Yellowstone-National-Park/Yellowstone-Highlights/6678388_Gzcay#333809889_iBgwS-L-LB

I would definitely try to see other geysers beside Old Faithful. It's an icon and everything, but Castle, Riverside, and Grand are much more impressive. The ranger station will give you a schedule with their windows. We were lucky enough to see 6 geysers in one day. Here's riverside:

http://patspix.smugmug.com/Vacation/Yellowstone-National-Park/Yellowstone-Highlights/6678388_Gzcay#353969746_r5GE3-L-LB

I took a photo tour with a park ranger and he gave me a great tip. At certain times early in the morning you can get rainbows in 3 different parts Lower Falls. One of the earlier locations was Artist's Point, but the one I got was closer to the actual Falls on the way to Artist's Point. You'd need a moderate telephoto lens (70-200 or so). On our tour we ran late however and we only got the last one and it was also one of my favorite pics:

http://patspix.smugmug.com/Vacation/Yellowstone-National-Park/Yellowstone-Highlights/6678388_Gzcay#628405739_gLSnx-L-LB

Something else I also do for my national park trips is rent Nikon's best lenses since I can't afford them yet. I rented the 24-70 2.8 for Yosemite and was really happy with that one. Good luck!

scootac · April 12, 2010

If you're interested in wildlife, try the road between Gardiner and the northeast entrance. Always seems to be plenty of opportunities along there.

FINALLY Booked My Tent Site for Yellowstone ... Now to Plan

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