Nature requires ear plugs? I don't think so!
Written: Dec 03 '03 (Updated Dec 03 '03)
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Pros: Geysers, waterfalls, canyons
Cons: Trying to sleep, crowds
The Bottom Line: Yellowstone would have been great if camping wasn't part of my visit.
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| tch7's Full Review: Yellowstone National Park |
Yellowstone was great in certain aspects, and it was one of the worst places I've ever visited in other aspects. Although I was getting tired of being on the road in the US, I still didn't want to return home, but after staying in Yellowstone, I just wanted to go straight home. The main reason for the shift in my attitude was the people, not the amount of people, but the general attitude of the people. The only real redeeming factor was the scenery, but even that wasn't as spectacular as I had always heard.
Rather than continue into my chastising of the Americans who ruined this part of my trip, I think it would be best if I try to make it clear as to what I am saying before I offend dozens of people. I am Canadian, so I am used to a slightly different culture, but my opinion is not based on me thinking I'm of a superior nationality. Secondly, is that I'm being general about my statements, and therefore it doesn't apply to everybody, nor does it mean they were all Americans. Basically, keep in mind that I'm not aiming to denounce Americans; I'm explaining my experience, which then developed an opinion that won't bode well with the patriotic sorts. I have a terrible niche of offending people without intending to, so I'm hoping that by providing this slight warning will help prevent such results, as I've had my fair share of bad results in the past and have no desire to repeat them.
I've slept better next to highways and trains in comparison to being with nature at Yellowstone (Bridge Bay to be exact). I have no idea why the noise level was higher at Yellowstone than anywhere else, or why people seemed to have a lower level of respect for others than other places; perhaps I was just experiencing too much of America in a short period of time and it caused me to break down. On the best night, I achieved a little over an hour of sleep, even though I went to bed at 10:30 and got out of bed at 7:30. The main problem was people talking in loud voices, and then when it did go quiet there would be a sudden burst of laughter that would wake you right back up, which went on at all hours of the night. The people watching TV also didn't help, which begs the question why you go camping if you're going to do exactly what you would do at home.
The second problem was people shortcutting through our site to get to the bathroom. Seeing as though we paid near $30 a night, we have technically leased that land and therefore by walking through it you are trespassing - but I'm not that big of a nazi. I don't mind if people do that when you aren't present at your site during the day, but when you walk right next to a tent where people are trying to sleep, you ought to be smacked. Is it *really* that hard to understand that just because somebody is surrounded by a layer or two of fabric, that they can still hear everything around them?
Then, at about 5:30 every morning, many people would start making breakfast, unless there is some odd ritual where people bang pots and pans around for no reason. Finally, by about 8:00 AM, the campground would fall nearly silent until night reproached.
I'm used to the above type of behavior, as I experience it everywhere I go (except the backcountry), but I have never had to deal with it on such a large scale. We'd ask some people to quiet down, but then you would just hear somebody else. Granted, everybody we dealt with was very kind, but nobody seemed to realize that the noise they made impacted others unless it was pointed out to them.
Otherwise, Bridge Bay was a decent campground, but there wasn't much privacy for most of the sites. The map that we got at the east entrance to the park said it had showers, but we never found them. It was in a good location, as it put you in the middle of most of the major attractions, as well as being close Grand Teton National Park. Just across the road was Yellowstone Lake, where we saw a moose one night, and it was nice to walk along the shore during the sunset.
Prices were high, but there aren't any major cities around so they are somewhat understandable. Campgrounds were around $25-30 a night - I don't know how much the lodges and such were, but I don't imagine they were cheap/easy to get. Groceries were limited and something you should stock up on before entering the park, both for money and selection purposes. The 7-day park pass was $20 per vehicle and also gets you access to Grand Teton National Park. Overall, the prices are what can be expected for a national park that isn't near any large cities.
The roads are in poor shape, busy, and narrow in some places. As a result, every summer there is some form of construction going on, which typically completely shuts down a section in the parks figure-eight setup, so make sure you check out what's closed before you go. I've provided a link near the bottom of this review that provides clear information on road status. As for the roads that are open, vehicle lineups do occur and in some places there is just never an opportunity to pass, so you just need to be patient.
Everybody knows that Yellowstone sees a lot of visitors each year; so don't go expecting to be at one with nature. Everywhere is busy, but it isn't in your face constantly, so it isn't too bad. Please, do not walk around with a walky talky so you can keep in touch with your spouse every 30 seconds like one woman was doing at Old Faithful; being independent once and a while doesn't hurt.
Now, on to the areas & attractions that I visited:
Old Faithful
Nothing beats getting warm & smelly mist all over you on a scorching day. Old Faithful is where everybody goes, but few people actually bother with looking at the rest of the Upper Geyser Basin, which was just as interesting. Old Faithful isn't spectacular; the only real reason that it is such as hit is because it is one of the most regular geysers in the world. There are others in the park that are bigger all around, but very rarely erupt - just like volcanoes. I suggest you visit this area, but do more than just look at Old Faithful. Do the easy walk to Morning Glory Pool at the very least. After touring the Upper Geyser Basin, we were growing tired of geysers and decided to pass on the Lower Geyser Basin.
Old Faithful to Madison
There is the main road, and from it are a few branches to slight detours that provide some scenery. The Firehole Lake Drive was dull and not worth it, but the Firehole Canyon Drive was quite scenic and definitely worth it. We drove to Madison from Old Faithful via the less interesting way, checked out the tiny "Museum" at Madison, and then returned using the Firehole Canyon route. Although nothing major is along the way, it is a picturesque area that was worth driving through. A number of people were stopped at one spot along the road and were swimming in the warm waters of the Firehole river, but I'm not sure exactly where that was.
Old Faithful to South & East Entrances
Other than viewing the slow rebirth of the forest after the fires of 1988, there isn't a whole lot of interesting stops for the typical tourist. There is the large Yellowstone Lake, but I'm not sure what is permitted on it, but there were a number of boats out there. There are a number of picnic stops, but other than that there isn't much of any real interest.
Mud Pots
What was once bubbling mud is now mainly dried up ground. Other than a few parts, like the Dragons Mouth, there really isn't anything going on of any interest. Although it has lost much of what it once had, it is still a worthwhile walk that doesn't take very long.
Upper and Lower Falls (Canyon)
Approaching from the south really makes you doubt that there is going to be two huge waterfalls and a deep canyon not that far away. Upper Falls is 109ft while Lower Falls is 308 ft, but I wouldn't have ever guessed there was such a difference in height as they were both massive in the volume of water going over them. There are a number of vantage points for the both of them, and I couldn't tell you which is the best. They all offer a different perspective, so they all seemed worthwhile to me.
Tower Falls
Although a popular stop, it wasn't an amazing waterfall. You can do a short little walk to a viewpoint, but there are too many trees in the way to really be able to see it, so you have to go for a longer, downhill walk to get to the base of the falls if you actually want to get a good view & cool off in the mist. Although it was a narrow and busy trail, it was worth it - but realize that you have to walk back up the hill once you are done.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Although a popular stop, it really is an ugly area due to all of the geothermal activity. Since it wasn't an attractive looking place, we didn't spend much time at all there, as we wanted to drive towards Norris.
Mammoth to Norris
Between Indian Creek and Norris the road was closed, so we just drove as far as we could and tried to find a place to eat lunch - however, all the picnic areas were closed for no real reason. The area known as Golden Gate was the nicest part along this section of road, mainly due the effect the sun had on the canyon walls.
The only way I would ever consider returning to Yellowstone is if I had a hard-sided trailer that would block out the noise - but why should I be forced to do that? It would be nice to go there and actually enjoy the surroundings without having to worry if you'd get any sleep the following night. I cannot recommend Yellowstone unless you are incredibly talented at blocking out sounds or have a hard-sided trailer. Not taking my sleep deprivation into account, I'd recommend Yellowstone and give it a 4/5.
If you want more information on Yellowstone, you can visit the NPS's website at:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
If you're interested in the rest of my road trip, here are links to the other portions of it:
Montana
Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Colorado
The Vail Area
Rocky Mountain National Park
Arches National Park
Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
Recommended:
No
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tch7
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