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Yellowstone National Park Holidays USA

Yellowstone was America's first National Park, established back in 1872 offering awesome scenery, amazing wildlife and unspolit wilderness. It was recently featured in the BBC documentary - now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

In this Yellowstone travel guide, we provide useful facts about the park with tips on planning a self-drive holiday to Yellowstone from the UK.

We also provide an overview of the best Yellowstone National Park lodging, accommodation and cabins as well as a list of recommended hotels in gateway towns close to the park entrances to help reduce driving times.

Overview and Park History

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, making it the most volcanically active region on the planet.

An increasingly popular destination for scenic USA holidays, Yellowstone National Park is 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.

Planning a Yellowstone Holiday

Yellowstone holidays involve an 11 hour flight from the UK and quite a lot of driving, but the park's attractions more than make up for any travel inconveniences.

Winter Road Closures

Various sections of the park road system close over winter (which can be a six month period!) so the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park is from May to the beginning of September when the road network should be open.

From early November through to late April, all access roads south through the park are closed to wheeled vehicles, including the road to Old Faithful Geyser. Due to the sheer amount of snowfall Yellowstone receives, during the winter season only two roads are ploughed for accessibility:

Booking Flights and Accommodation

We recommend booking your Transatlantic Flights to Salt Lake City, Utah (the closest US city to Yellowstone National Park) and then choosing one or more hotels close to the park's main entrances as an flight-hotel package. This allows the greatest flexibility on travel dates and allows you to tailor your itinerary to see more of the park. Hotels in West Yellowstone and Gardiner, Montana are a short drive from the park - see our hotel recommendations for more information.

If you're planning a Yellowstone holiday it's worth noting that the driving distance from Salt Lake City to the park entrance is around 390 miles - taking about 6 hours by car. The alternative is to fly from Salt Lake City to Jackson, Wyoming with Delta Airlines - Jackson being a slightly more manageable 129 miles (3 hours) from West Yellowstone.

Expedia offer a good choice of Yellowstone accommodation close to the park entrances.

Packing For the Trip

The ground level in Yellowstone park approaches 8000 feet in elevation, so pack warm clothes and jackets as it can get cold at any time of the year!

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

To find availability at the best Yellowstone lodging inside the park itself may require booking one year in advance especially during the park's busy summer months, although budget 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 (easily 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 Accommodation

Accommodation inside Yellowstone National Park is handled by Xanterra Parks and Resorts who manage online reservations for all Yellowstone lodges, cabins and hotels. Aside from Old Faithful Inn, some of the best Yellowstone lodging is listed below:-

Hotels in Nearby Gateway Towns

 

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