Best Month to Visit Yellowstone?

[Adrian W]

My son-in-law & daughter are planning on going to see Yellowstone in 2010. We are planning on tagging along or pershaps meeting them up there. This year we are all waiting for their first child to make his appearence. Winter is not an option. I am thinking between June till September. Which would be a good time for the trip. It will be his first trip. We also need some time to go see our son & his family who are moving to Alaska. Your opinions on that trip would be appreciated as well. May have to fly to Alaska. It will be our first time up that way. They plan on using a tent, but if needed they could use the back of our campershell on our pickup as well.

Thanks for any advice on the best month to go.

[Kevin K]

Sept.

[Joy A]

I agree with Sept. nice weather and less crowds.

[Victor Benz]

Iv'e been to Yellowstone twice in the last few years, once at the end of April-first week of May, and once in mid-September.

At the end of April-first week of May, not all roads were open, but Old Faithful was great. Because the park was just opening up roads, and there had not been much traffic, the wildlife was amazing, complete with a wolf pack at Slough Creek. Weather was clear, cool, and pleasant. We didn't camp, but stayed at the North Entrance.

In mid-September, we were very surprised at how full Fishing Bridge CG was. Generally saw more people and fewer animals due to the conditioning that summer. When we left around September 20, we were being chased by a major blizzard. Don't forget that Yellowstone is at 7700 feet elevation. Winter comes quickly. The weather was more variable, and generally cooler than in the spring.

Vic

[Robin G]

Actually anytime of year is a great time to see Yellowstone. Each season has it's own beauty. Of course the busy season is the summer months when tourist flock to the park. But if you don't mind the crowds then even the summer months are a wonderful experience. No matter when you go the beauty will blow you away. Personally, If your going that far up, I would keep driving and go see Glacier National Park, IMHO, Glacier is truly one of the most beautiful National Parks we have. Fall in Montana is my favorite season there. No crowds, and spectacular color. But even summer in Glacier is nice cause it's sooooo big you really don't have a ton of crowds on most days.



You won't be pulling the scamp on your trip? Of course driving thru both parks with a trailer is challenging, And Glacier you can't pull it over the Sun Road, but having the scamp would give you guys options to explore out of the way destinations in comfort without having to worry about finding a motel. Robin

[Julia O.]

But if you don't mind the crowds . . .

I love Yellowstone, and Robin's right -- summer is gorgeous there, but the crowds can be a pretty spectacular hazard -- not just a background thing. The traffic can be intense -- bumper to bumper, crawling by accidents and/or wildlife. And sometimes accidents with wildlife, for those who ignore the buffalo-goring warnings. The tour buses keep the lodges and main attractions full of people, all day long, and you can easily wait an hour for a sandwich at the park run restaurants. If it upsets you to watch people trampling flora and posing their kids by semi-agitated fauna, don't hit this park during the summer. I've seen some memorable bad behavior in YNP, and it's always in June.

I vote for September or May. There's a decent RV park right in West Yellowstone, walking distance to town -- convenient, if you'll be spending any time there.

[Robin G]

If it upsets you to watch people trampling flora and posing their kids by semi-agitated fauna, don't hit this park during the summer. I've seen some memorable bad behavior in YNP, and it's always in June.

Julie, LOL......................... I so agree, but have to say I have seen bad behavior any ole time of year. It makes me crazy that people will put their child in danger to catch a KODAK moment with a buffalo..................... All I can think is, HELLO it's a parasite invested beast that is capable of killing. Geeeeeeeeeeee Lets get a picture of our kids with it! Now that gets me! I hate stupid people.

[Adrian W]

Robin, Concerning, You won't be pulling the scamp on your trip? We will be in the Scamp, no problems pulling it the mountains, etc. My daughter & family will be tenting, but we will be using the Scamp. We have been to Yellowstone twice, in June the first time & in July the second time. We have been to Glacier twice, June and then in July also visited the Canadian side on the last trip, we came down from Canada on that trip. Started over by Victoria, BC, did some time at Jasper & Banff then to Waterton then to Glacier. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/index_e.asp

My son-in-law has not been to Yellowstone, nor Glacier. We are trying to pick a good time for them. Not sure if he has the time to do both, he has not mentioned Glacier. They will be coming from Tucson, AZ a good drive. We will check out the Tetons as well. Too close not to.
for your input.

[Robin G]

We will check out the Tetons as well. Too close not to.

Yep! And a beautiful addition to your vacation. Enjoy!

[Greg A]

We went to both Yellowstone and Glacier last July and it was perfect weather. Crowds were minimal thanks to the $4 gas last summer. Some of Glacier probably wouldn't be available in May.

[peterh]

Lynne and I went to Yellowstone last September, and loved it. We will go back . . . but we probably won't go back in September.

It's not that September is a bad month. It was spectacular! It's just that different times of the year offer different sights and experiences. In September, for example, there isn't as much ground water for the Artist Pots to "perk," so our visit there was not as impressive as if we had visited in June, but had we gone in June we would have missed the elk rut season in Mammoth, where we saw elk sparring with one another just outside the historic Mammoth Hotel. Making a second trip some other time of the year will allow us to take in new sights and experiences that weren't to be had on our first trip.

[Donna D.]

I've never been to Yellowstone and I lived fairly close at one time in Idaho.

Maybe the question to ask then, is when is the time of the year to NOT go to Yellowstone and WHY.

[Robin G]

Some of Glacier probably wouldn't be available in May.

Greg's right, Glacier is just starting to gear up this weekend. (thats one thing that drove me nuts when we had the resort, We had guests in who would have spent weeks exploring, but soooooooo many of the Parks highlights weren't up and running till Memorial Day weekend). So much of Glacier is about the going to the sun road, and if they can't get the snow cleared or it snows in May or June it shuts the road down. Not that there isn't a million other sights to see in Glacier but everyone thinks it's all about the Sun Road.



Actually Donna, Truly ever season there is something to find beauty in. I don't think there is a bad time, unless you hate crowds........... Gridlock all for a Kodak moment with a parasite infested beast. Bless the Rangers, how they deal with all the crazy people who don't listen to their warnings....

[peterh]

January.
Daytime highs of 20F (-5c) on a "warm" day. Nighttime temps that are usually sub-zero (below 20c). Record lows of -66F (-54c).

Brrr. Brrr. Brrr.

[Julia O.]

Actually Donna, Truly ever season there is something to find beauty in. I don't think there is a bad time, unless you hate crowds........... Gridlock all for a Kodak moment with a parasite infested beast. Bless the Rangers, how they deal with all the crazy people who don't listen to their warnings....

Robin, you are so right -- there is no season for dumbness! It just changes flavor a little -- falling through ice, getting chased by rutting elk -- that would be the 'winter' and 'spring' version.

Maybe I should also add that I've met great, interesting people in those stopped traffic lines . . . and of course, like everywhere, it's always gorgeous if you can manage to walk ten minutes away from the road!

[Pamela H]

Robin, Concerning, You won't be pulling the scamp on your trip? We will be in the Scamp, no problems pulling it the mountains, etc. My daughter & family will be tenting, but we will be using the Scamp. We have been to Yellowstone twice, in June the first time & in July the second time. We have been to Glacier twice, June and then in July also visited the Canadian side on the last trip, we came down from Canada on that trip. Started over by Victoria, BC, did some time at Jasper & Banff then to Waterton then to Glacier. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/index_e.asp

My son-in-law has not been to Yellowstone, nor Glacier. We are trying to pick a good time for them. Not sure if he has the time to do both, he has not mentioned Glacier. They will be coming from Tucson, AZ a good drive. We will check out the Tetons as well. Too close not to.
for your input.

You might want to rethink the tenting idea in yellowstone...it is highly discouraged and actually disallowed in certain campgrounds. There are bears in 'dem dar woods..." and tents are sort of cellophane wrappers for food for the bears. Read up on concerns posted by yellowstone, including surrounding campgrounds. Yellowstone is awesome, but people often misjudge the dangers of the wildlife.

Pam

[Randya]

Like everyone says, it depends on what you want to do or see. Early is my favorite (like now), more wildlife near the roads and meadows, feeding on the first green grasses. Early morning and right before dusk. We go three times a year, our route is up the northfork out of Cody, camp near the east entrance, and make day trips. We also go into Sunlight Basin and camp, and go in from there. In 25 years of trips, I have never camped in the park! I have stayed at cabins and the lodge, but never camped, and I have no idea why. Crowds I guess, but as for tenting, I wouldn't worry, you stand a greater chance of getting ran over than bothered by a bear. I tent camp every fall in the Absorkas, or Thurofare, for a week and some times two, never had a problem there either, and I know grizzlys are there in force.

[Steve Foster]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520251,00.html

Might want to wait it out a few weeks for the smell to go away

[John Campbell]

I'm late getting in on this, and must say that most of you are correct. There is no perfect time to visit Yellowstone because the park is dynamic and constantly changing. What you want to see and do can greatly influence your best time.

Many locals visit the park just after the roads are plowed and the gates open in late May -- in part because bears are often easiest to see at this time as they feed on winter killed game. The roads are relatively free of cars then too, but the trails are often still closed because of the snow. All campgrounds are not open then either.

Early June remains a nice time. Animals are still plentiful at lower elevations and the roads are still less busy as many families are still waiting for their kids to get out of school before a visit. At lower elevations, the wildflowers are just beginning to appear.

Mid to late June and early July is when the wildflowers are at their peak display. Birds are still in nice breeding plumage and plentiful. Elk generally will have started off to higher elevations and thus are harder to find. Bears are at the same visibility level they are most of the year -- which means you may not be in the right place at the right time and never see a bear, or you might just happen to have a ringside seat to a sow and cub digging away on a hillside. The small mammals such as the ground squirrels are very visible and often overlooked by visitors searching the distant slopes for the small dot of a bear or wolf. In early July, wolf pups can make their appearance outside of a den and some years make for a great show (and huge traffic/parking dilemma.) Waterfalls and cascades are usually going full blast at this time and well worth the trek off road for a visit.

Late July and August will find the largest crowds on the roads and in the campgrounds -- but will also have the warmest weather. All streams will be open now for fishing. Later season wildflowers will be blooming, but the show is less spectacular than earlier. Bison are still abundant and easy to see in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys. Many of the thermal features are easiest to see at this time because their steam is less present than in cooler months.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons in the park. Roads are less crowded (though the fall numbers of people are now higher than they were in the past). In early October, the Elk have moved to lower elevations and the males have begun their bugling. Several large males and their harems are usually right in town at Mammoth Hot Springs and you'll rarely have a chance to see these large animals this close other than in a zoo. (But every trip into the park will show you some stupid tourist getting far too close to an elk, bison or bear for the extra special photo, so follow the rules and keep your distance.) Nights are cooler, commonly dropping below freezing and days too can be cool. Aspen are often at their peak color around the mid to lower elevations of the park near the first of October.

Thermal features are generally nice all year. They don't migrate to higher elevations nor do they hide from the tourists. As someone else has pointed out, the mud features are usually less dynamic than early in the season, but there is still a ton of hot water and steam to see everywhere.

I disagree about the warning to not camp in a tent. The park is filled with people camping in tents in the front country campgrounds and backcountry sites all summer long. Yes, there are a few sites in and near the park that are "hard sided only", but most campgrounds will have tents and tent trailers in use. You are more likely to get killed or hurt driving on the roadway than a bear bothering you in a tent. Falling into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or another of the steep canyons has killed too many people in recent years, so watch your footing here. Nevertheless, you should choose the type of camping you are most comfortable with. I suspect most readers on this site will have a panel of fiberglass between them and the outside when they sleep.

Yellowstone is really a great place. It does not have the sweeping vistas of jagged peaks like the Tetons to the south, but it has beautiful rivers, fantastic open valleys, great thermal features, many animals and great flowers. There really is no bad time of year to visit -- just different.

Sorry I rattled on so long.

[Joel P.]

http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/strea...m?parkcode=yell

Fun to watch if you cannot be there! (Old Faithful Web Cam)