Quote:
Originally Posted by Angry_Pirate
I assume I will need to take some warm clothing?
|
Yes. Almost all of the park is 6000 feet or more above sea level, and some areas are close to 12,000 feet, with areas varying widely between. So the temperature might be short sleeve in one area, but coats in another. We made both our trips in mid-june, and went thru blizzards both trips, but also had times when we were in shirt sleeves. And, the weather/temps can change quickly. We started a day at Old Faithful in sleeves, but three hours later, we were hiking back to the van for out coats as a front moved in, and snow began to fall!! You should have less chances of cold weather in July, but don't discount the chances!
I'm glad you picked up an extra day for each park!! That really opens up the possibilities. Especially if you can stay overnight in West Yellowstone, and save the drive time back and forth to Billings (Or was it Bozeman?) With extra time, plan on taking a picnic lunch for one or more days. However, be very aware of the risk of bears. They know where the picnic areas are, as well as the humans!!
I'd recommend Mammoth Hot Springs at the North Gate (Gardiner, MT), but it was flowing poorly last time we were there (10 years ago??) and tends to fluctuate as to it's formations. But, it does give you a chance to see the north gate, which is the historic gate that is seen on many photos of the past. I can't remember the name, but there was a restaurant in Gardiner that serves a wide variety of game meats (I had a really nice buffalo burger there). As you head north thru town on the one and only main drag, the place was on the left, overlooking the river.
The park road system is basically a large rectangle (running north to south), pinched in a little in the middle, with a road across the middle connecting the two sides. So, if one road is closed, you can still get around, but it may take considerably longer if you wish to go thru the middle road, but have to detour north or south. However, there is plenty to see on any of the roads, and each quadrant of the park is totally different from the each other in terms of topography, sights, animals and viewing distances.
A 100% item to NOT forget..... One (or many more) sets of good binoculars. The more you have, the less fighting there will be when (not IF) you sight something in the distance. Be aware, when the traffic comes to a complete standstill, there's a better than even chance it's because someone saw/sees a bear. The Park Rangers are fairly quick about making people move on, but plan on standstills, and have something to occupy the time!