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Yellowstone National Park Holidays USA

Underneath Yellowstone National Park USA lies a large Super Volcano which last erupted some 640,000 years ago. The massive caldera left was 45km by 75km, making this Super Volcano is one of the largest in the world. The underlying magma created Yellowstone's world famous geysers and the park's 10,000 volcanic effects.

A popular destination for scenic USA holidays, Yellowstone National Park was actually America's first National Park, established back in 1872. It's located in Wyoming in the western United States, bordering the US States of Idaho and Montana.

Yellowstone is one of the largest US National Parks at over 2.2 million acres, in fact there are over 300 miles of roads which includes the famous Figure of 8 Grand Loop which takes in most of the park's many attractions including the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser. Along the way there are numerous opportunties to encounter Yellowstone's abundant wildlife including Grizzly Bears, Wolves, Bison, Elk and Moose.

In this Yellowstone travel guide, we provide useful facts about the park with information on how to get there as well as an overview of Yellowstone National Park lodging, cabins and accommodation.

Getting There From The UK

Yellowstone holidays involve an 11 hour flight from the UK and subsequently quite a lot of driving. If you're planning a Yellowstone holiday, we recommend booking international flights to Salt Lake City, Utah. The driving distance from Salt Lake City is around 390 miles - taking between 4.5 and 5 hours by car.

offer some of the best flight deals as well as a good choice of Yellowstone accommodation close to the park entrances, so you can choose your own travel dates and itinerary easily.

Yellowstone Directions

The most scenic route into the National Park from Salt Lake City is via Jackson, Wyoming through the majestic Grand Teton National Park - Jackson itself being only 56 miles from Yellowstone Park's southern Entrance. Along the way you'll experience the beautiful scenery of Utah, the authentic wild-west town of Jackson and the fantastic Rocky Mountain backdrop of the Grand Teton National Park with peaks of over 13700 feet, making the extra driving time more than worthwhile.

Alternatively, the fastest route to Yellowstone from Salt Lake City airport involves taking I-215 North to I-15 North. I-15 North takes you to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Then at Idaho Falls, take Highway 20 North to West Yellowstone and the West Entrance of Yellowstone.

Here are basic driving directions to Yellowstone National Park:-

Yellowstone Park Highlights

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone offers the park's best scenery and colour. Take the North Rim Drive to Inspiration Point and then onto Grandview. From here there's a short trail to Red Rock Point. This offers breathtaking views of Lower Falls at 308 feet.

Following the road it crosses the Yellowstone River at Chittenden Bridge leading to Artist Point. Shortly after the bridge, you will find Uncle Tom's Trail which descends half way to the canyon floor with spectacular views of Lower Falls. Another trail leads to Upper Falls (109 feet).

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs, close to the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park are fascinating terraces of of Calcium Carbonate brightly coloured by Algae. The picture (left) is of Minerva Terrace. Here, 500 gallons of mineral laden water flow each minute.

For nearby Yellowstone lodging, try the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel which offers clean, but basic cabins situated near the park's north entrance. Call +1 (866) 613-9330 for hotel reservations.

From Mammoth, the figure 8 Grand Loop takes you to either Norris Junction or Tower Junction.

Lower Geyser Basin

The Lower Geyser Basin is has some of the park's most impressive Geysers. Fountain Paint Pots (pictured left) is reached by a short trail from its associated parking area.

Close by, don't miss Firehole Lake Drive, home to some of the most spectacular geysers.

Upper Geyser Basin

The Upper Geyser Basin is home to Yellowstone National Park's famous Old Faithful Geyser which erupts to 130 feet approximately hourly.

The Upper Geyser Basin region has a number of Yellowstone's best geothermal features including Morning Glory Pool and the scenic Firehole River.

Yellowstone Weather

Since most of Yellowstone National Park is over 7,500 feet in elevation, expect cool unpredictable weather. Nights can be cold even in summer, with lows near freezing. Even if you intend staying in cabins or regular Yellowstone lodging take warm clothes at any time of the year!

The best times to take holidays to Yellowstone National Park are between May and early September when the weather is warmest, Expect daytime highs in the mid 70's in mid summer. It's also worth noting that some Yellowstone National Park lodging closes at the end of September as winter comes early here! Winter tempartures often reach -40C and the park can receive up to 50 feet of annual snowfall!

Yellowstone National Park Lodging

You can book Yellowstone National Park lodging and flights with . Just enter Yellowstone into the destination field, along with your travel dates to find discount hotels and lodging close to Yellowstone National Park.

To find availability at the best Yellowstone lodging may require booking one year in advance especially during the park's busy summer months, although accommodation close to the park's entrances can usually be obtained in the towns of West Yellowstone (close to the Park's west entrance) or Gardiner, Montana (drivable to the Park's north entrance).

Old Faithful Inn

Some historic Yellowstone National Park lodging dates back to the early 1900's, including Old Faithful Inn, which is located next to the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser.

The Old Faithful Inn was built in 1903 and has 327 rooms. Some cabins are en-suite, others have access to shared bathroom facilities. Accommodation is fairly basic, but then you don't visit Yellowstone to watch TV and stay in your room!

There is a full service restaurant and Deli at the hotel, a gift store and organised tours of the park are available.

In Park Lodging

Lodging inside Yellowstone National Park is handled by Xanterra Parks and Resorts. Aside from Old Faithful Inn, some of the best Yellowstone lodging is listed below:-

Lodging in Nearby Gateway Towns

If you're planning your Yellowstone USA holidays, it's worth noting that the nearby towns of West Yellowstone, Montana (convenient for the west entrance) and Gardiner, Montana (close to the north entrance) provide a choice of close by Yellowstone National Park lodging options. Silver Gate, Montana offers further lodging within easy access of the north east park entrance.

 

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