Yellowstone Trip Report 2021
Updated: Nov 13, 2022
In late September 2021, I made a spur of the moment decision to spend three days exploring Yellowstone after a surprise snowstorm dumped several feet of snow onto the area, thus scrapping my plans to backpack the Teton Crest Trail. Camping and trudging through snow is not really my idea of fun, even for someone who does appreciate some type II fun now and again. So that’s how I ended up showing up to Yellowstone with a map and no plan.
Day 1, September 19th:
After stealth camping in some random field surrounded by cows in rural Wyoming, I made my way towards the east entrance of the park via Cody. The day started off sunny as I drove past several stunning landscapes so naturally I made a couple of stops to snap some photos.
Be sure to scroll through the photos using the arrow button to see them all!
As soon as I passed the entrance sign, however, the winter storm that had dumped snow into the higher elevations of Grand Teton National Park decided to set up shop in Yellowstone. It was an unexpected but fun way to start the trip, and I made a quick stop at Sylvan Lake to enjoy the snow.
I then headed to the Mud Volcano and Sulphur Caldron area which features various mud pots and springs. The Mud Volcano area has a ⅔ mile boardwalk/paved loop that takes you around the various thermal features. I thought the Dragon’s Mouth Spring was particularly neat as the sounds made from the churning water were so loud that one could imagine that they were coming from a dragon. Nearby Sulphur Caldron is a hot spring that you’ll smell before you see! It is one of the most acidic springs in Yellowstone at a pH of 1-2 aka stomach acid. I also took in a view of the Yellowstone River just across the street before heading towards Hayden Valley for some wildlife spotting.
While Lamar Valley is more famous for seeing wildlife, Hayden Valley is another great place to break out the binoculars and see who’s out and about (I’m referring to the animals here but I suppose one could count certain tourists in the mix too). With it being midday I didn’t see too much, but I enjoyed watching a small herd of bison cross the river and got to see a bald eagle as well. I would love to see the Yellowstone wolves someday but it wasn’t in the cards this time.
After hanging out at Hayden Valley for awhile, I made my way along the middle section of the park’s two loop drives (Yellowstone stone has an upper and lower loop that meet in the middle to create a figure 8) towards the Norris Geyser Basin, making a quick detour down a side road to see the Virginia Cascades.
The Norris Geyser Basin area is the oldest and hottest thermal area of the park and has two main areas: the Porcelain Basin and the Black Basin with a total of about 2.25 miles of boardwalks to walk along. This area is perhaps best known for the unpredictable Steamboat Geyser which can erupt up to 300 feet high but can go years in between eruptions. My favorite geyser here was the Sunday Geyser which was this stunning aquamarine color with milky white edges.
As it got closer to evening, I started heading east along the northern part of the upper loop towards my dispersed camping site for the night near Cooke City. Along the way I stopped to check out a couple of waterfalls. Undine Falls is a beautiful tiered waterfall surrounded by trees and can be viewed from a small pullout/overlook just off the road. Wraith Falls required a short 1 mile out and back easy hike through a meadow and conifer forest. The falls really weren’t too much to look at but I did enjoy the walk and even ran across a bison lounging about.
Day 2, September 20th:
My second day in Yellowstone started off with a leisurely and beautiful drive through Lamar Valley, known as the best place in the park to watch wildlife. The area was gorgeous with the sparkling Yellowstone River winding its way through the valley surrounded by snow-dusted mountains. I saw a few pronghorns but not much else in terms of animals but really enjoyed the scenery.
Excited to stretch my legs, I went for a hike along the Hellroaring Trail which was a nice surprise! Most of the hike was down through a colorful meadow with views of the river below. After about a mile I came to a cool bridge over the river. Just past the bridge I came across a perfectly preserved black bear paw print but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I didn’t see the bear itself.
Next up was the Mammoth Hot Springs section of the park in the northwest section. Not quite ready to put away my boots for the day, I decided to hike the 6 mile Beaver Ponds Loop which I also really liked! It was a fairly tranquil trail that passed by several, you guessed it, beaver ponds. The trail also climbed up and passed through open hill-top meadows that provided great views of the mountains. Unfortunately the views were marred a bit as that day was the day they found the body of Gabby Petito, the young woman murdered by her POS boyfriend in neighboring Grand Teton NP. I did a lot of reflecting on the murders and disappearances of women throughout the country, not just Gabby but those who historically don’t get as much media attention: indigenous women, women of color, and trans women. If you’re looking to learn more or donate to an organization that works to find these women and spread awareness, check out https://mmiwusa.org/.
I then headed to the Gardiner entrance to check out the famous arch inscribed with “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It is such an iconic site, so quintessentially National Park-esque, that everyone should take the time to see it. A wonderful reminder that the National Parks are for all.
To cap off a long, wonderful day, I walked around the incredible terraces of the Mammoth Hot Springs before heading back to camp. There’s really no words to accurately portray it so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Day 3, September 21st:
I woke up dark and early to catch a rare site indeed: an uncrowded Old Faithful. Normally the crowds are numbered in the hundreds during the daytime, but if you go to watch Old Faithful at sunrise, there are only a couple of dozen people. It was freaking freezing but so worth it! It was so cool to see something that I’ve been hearing about for years.
After watching Old Faithful go off I made my way to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, known for its two massive waterfalls that thunder into a deep canyon carved by the river. The main attraction is known as Artist Point which provides an amazing overlook of the Lower Falls. There were several other awesome viewpoints along the canyon road.
After marveling at the waterfalls I backtracked to the Old Faithful area, passing by Gibbon Falls on the way.
I took a stroll along the Upper Geyser Basin, one of the most popular areas of the park. I got to see a couple of eruptions but ended up missing most of them, including the Castle Geyser that I spent 30 minutes waiting for that ended up being one of the dud eruptions haha. Of course I don’t remember most of their names but the thermal features were pretty to look at regardless!
After walking around the geyser basin for a while I headed to the Fairy Falls Trailhead to see the Grand Prismatic Spring from above which was a bit crowded but so unbelievably gorgeous. Getting to see all the colors from above really put the grandeur of the spring into perspective.
I ended my time in Yellowstone by having a drink at the incredible Old Faithful Inn. This hotel just blew my mind. The interior is completely decorated with wood beams and a tree house at the very top. I would love to stay there one day.
Needless to say, Yellowstone is freaking amazing and should be on everyone's bucket list. They say that due to Yellowstone’s size and the sheer number of things to see and do there, that a strict itinerary is absolutely necessary. Honestly, I think having a rough idea of the park’s layout and a general idea of what things you want to see and do is sufficient, especially if you’re not tied down to a particular hotel/lodging schedule (dispersed camping for the win!). Definitely can't wait to come back someday!
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