The Road to Freedom: Living, Exploring, and Working Anywhere

On our RV road trip across America from Oregon to New York we have been able to stay in so many beautiful places. One of the most memorable stops on our journey was Yellowstone National Park. With its unparalleled beauty and unique geological wonders, Yellowstone is a must-visit destination for any traveler. However, due to its popularity, securing a spot in one of the campgrounds can be challenging, often requiring reservations 6-12 months in advance. In this blog post, we’ll share our experience, highlight the park’s geological marvels, wildlife, and our tips on how to navigate the park. We will also share the best place to camp and our best tips for RVing in Yellowstone.

Why Visit Yellowstone?

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is America’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It spans across three states – Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho – and covers nearly 3,500 square miles. The park is renowned for its geothermal features, diverse wildlife, and stunning landscapes. Visitors from all over the world flock to Yellowstone to witness its rare beauty and experience its natural wonders.

Before visiting Yellowstone, we had no idea just how amazing it was. You can read about a park, but not really understand until you arrive and experience it just how large or unique it really is.

Yellowstone National Park spans 2.2 million acres! Imagine trying to explore the whole park in just a couple of days or even a week. It’s just not possible. We stayed in Yellowstone for three nights, because that’s all we could book, and tried to make the best of those three days we had there. Ultimately, whether you are a spending a few days or a full week there, Yellowstone is a place where you may want to come back to time and time again. There is just that much to experience.

Geological Wonders of Yellowstone

Before visiting, we knew that Yellowstone sits atop a volcanic hot spot and there was a famous geyser called Old Faithful. What we did not know is that Yellowstone is one of the most geologically active areas on the planet. The park boasts over 10,000 hydrothermal features, including more than 500 geysers—roughly half of the world’s geysers.

Here are some must-see geological features:

Old Faithful: One of the most famous geysers in the world, Old Faithful erupts approximately every 90 minutes, shooting boiling water up to 185 feet in the air. While this is the most popular attraction at Yellowstone, we found driving into the parking lot was almost like trying to park at Giant’s Stadium. If you are trying to time your visit to see the geyser erupt, you may want to plan for lots of time for traffic, parking, and the walk to the geyser.

Old Faithful is a major stop in the park, having it’s own visitor center, lodging, shops and more and is definitely the main tourist attraction. Plan for crowds and to stay for a bit when visiting. A beautiful boardwalk surrounds the geyser and leads to many trails that allow for views of the geyser from different locations. Seeing Old Faithful erupt is definitely worth the wait, just be prepared to share the view with thousands of other spectators.

Grand Prismatic Spring: The largest hot spring in the United States, known for its vibrant colors caused by thermophilic bacteria. This stunning feature is not only a visual delight but also a scientific marvel. The vivid bands of color—ranging from deep blue at the center to green, yellow, orange, and red at the edges—are the result of different types of heat-loving bacteria thriving at various temperature zones. These extremophiles, as they are known, adapt to the harsh conditions of the spring, creating a rainbow of microbial life. The center of the spring, where the water is hottest (up to 189°F), appears deep blue due to the presence of sterile water. As the water cools toward the edges, it supports different bacterial communities, each contributing to the spring’s spectacular color palette.

Grand Prismatic Spring is probably the second most popular attraction in the park due to it’s magnificent colors and it’s truly uniqueness so plan for crowds there too and to take your time. You can access it from the main parking lot or hike the 1.5 mile round trip from the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring Overlook Trail and see it from the bridge above. Both areas are crowded and hot so bring some sun protection and patience.

Mammoth Hot Springs: The drive to Mammoth Hot Springs is beautiful from any direction. When we got close, we wondered if what we were seeing was a snow covered hillside. Instead, the hills are a series of cascading terraces formed by mineral deposits from hot springs. These travertine terraces are a dynamic feature of the park, constantly changing as mineral-laden hot water rises through limestone, depositing calcium carbonate as it cools and flows over the ground.

The terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs are shaped by the combination of geological activity and water flow. As water rises through underground fissures, it dissolves calcium carbonate from the limestone rock beneath the surface. When this hot, mineral-rich water reaches the cooler surface, it deposits the calcium carbonate, forming travertine terraces. The terraces are white and gray, but bacteria and algae growing in the warm, wet environment can add hues of orange, pink, and green.

Mammoth Hot Springs is a major area of the park that anchors the north entrance to Yellowstone so it has its own lodging, visitor’s center, and more. These hot springs are not ones you can take a soak in because they are hot enough to scald you or worse. Instead, take a hike on the boardwalks and trails, or take a drive on the designated roads that surround the beautiful terraces.

Navigating the Park

If you are planning on taking your RV to camp in Yellowstone, be aware that the park is massive and you will most likely be spending a lot of time in your vehicle to get to the sites. This worked well for us as we have a travel trailer and we were able to easily get around the park in our truck, but we noticed many people traversing the park in motorhomes.

If you have a smaller class c motorhome you may get around the park ok, but there are some roads and attractions that you may not be able to enter due to the size of the road and limited parking. If you are camping in a motorhome, a toad (or towed vehicle) is a must because there are no public shuttles to bring you from place to place within the park.

Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road

Most of the attractions are located on Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road which is essentially divided into two main loops, known as the Upper Loop and the Lower Loop. This figure-eight-shaped network of roads serves as the main highway in Yellowstone, fully accessible even for those with larger RVs. The Grand Loop Road spans approximately 142 miles and provides access to major geothermal areas, scenic viewpoints, and wildlife habitats.

The Upper Loop covers northern attractions such as Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley, while the Lower Loop encompasses southern highlights like Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. By driving these loops, you can experience a diverse array of Yellowstone’s natural wonders without the need for extensive backtracking. You can expect to encounter wildlife on both loops

Each loop takes about 2.5 hours to drive without stopping, making it feasible to spend a day on each loop and skim the highlights of the park. With plenty of gas stations throughout the park, running out of gas is extremely rare, giving you peace of mind as you explore. I would plan to spend at least 4 hours exploring each loop between the driving, detours, and stops along the way.

We spent a half day driving both the Upper and Lower loops and stopped and explored at many of the attractions along the way. We also took a few detours on side roads and each one was amazing. Our short visit really gave us a small taste of Yellowstone and wet our appetite for coming back to explore the park much more in depth.

Of course if you have more than a few days to explore the park, you could easily spend a half day in smaller sections of the park, really taking your time to get out of the car and hike or visit many of the visitor center or museums.

Upper Loop Highlights

• Mammoth Hot Springs: As mentioned earlier, this area is a geological wonder with its terrace formations. It is definitely worth taking the drive around the terraces or getting out and hiking on the platforms.
• Lamar Valley: Known as the “Serengeti of North America,” it’s the best place to see wolves and other wildlife. Technically it is found off of the Upper Loop by driving toward the Northeast entrance from the Tower-Roosevelt Junction.
• Tower Fall: A stunning 132-foot waterfall. Its name comes from the beautiful rock pinnacles at the top of the fall. Thomas Moran’s famous painting of Tower Fall played a role in the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872.

Lower Loop Highlights

• Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin: A must-visit area to witness geysers and hot springs. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to the majority of the world’s active geysers, including the iconic Old Faithful, which erupts approximately every 90 minutes.
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Offers breathtaking views of waterfalls and rugged cliffs. The canyon is approximately 20 miles long and up to 1,200 feet deep, featuring stunning vistas of the Lower and Upper Falls, with numerous viewpoints and hiking trails.
• West Thumb Geyser Basin: Located along the shore of Yellowstone Lake, it features geysers and hot springs. The West Thumb Geyser Basin is unique for its lakeside setting, providing picturesque views of geothermal activity against the backdrop of the expansive Yellowstone Lake.

Wildlife in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. The park is home to a wide variety of animals, each thriving in different habitats across its vast landscapes. Here are some of the remarkable creatures you might encounter and where you’re most likely to spot them:

Bison: Yellowstone boasts the largest herd of free-roaming bison in the United States. These majestic animals can often be seen grazing in the Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, and along the banks of the Yellowstone River. During the summer months, they frequently gather in large numbers in these open areas, making for spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities.

Elk: Elk are commonly spotted in meadows and forested areas throughout the park. In the spring and fall, they are particularly abundant in the Mammoth Hot Springs area, where large herds can be seen grazing and wandering through the landscape. The Madison River Valley is another prime location for elk sightings, especially during the rutting season in the fall.

Grizzly Bears and Black Bears: Both grizzly and black bears inhabit Yellowstone, with sightings peaking during the spring and fall as they forage for food. Grizzly bears are often seen in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys, as well as the Mount Washburn area. Black bears tend to frequent forested regions and can be spotted along the Tower-Roosevelt area and the northern sections of the park.

Wolves: Reintroduced to Yellowstone in the 1990s, wolves have established a strong presence in the park, particularly in the Lamar Valley, which is renowned for its wolf-watching opportunities. Early morning and late evening are the best times to observe these elusive predators. The Northern Range, including areas near Tower Junction and the Blacktail Plateau, is also a good spot for wolf sightings.

Birds: With over 300 species of birds, Yellowstone is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Bald eagles, osprey, and trumpeter swans are among the notable species that call the park home. The Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake are excellent places to observe bald eagles and osprey hunting for fish. Trumpeter swans can often be seen in the waters of the Madison River and around Yellowstone Lake. Additionally, the park’s diverse habitats support a variety of other bird species, including peregrine falcons, sandhill cranes, and great gray owls.

We were able to get lots of photos of wildlife in our short stay. We love spending time spotting and getting pictures of wildlife and Yellowstone’s diverse ecosystems provide a really unique opportunity to observe wildlife in their natural habitats. Be sure to bring your binoculars and your best camera. By timing your excursions with peak activity periods, you can maximize your chances of encountering these incredible animals. Remember to keep a safe distance and respect the wildlife to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Where to camp in Yellowstone?

Fishing Bridge Campground

We stayed at the Fishing Bridge Campground, an ideal location for RV travelers entering through the South entrance and exiting via the East entrance. For a first-time visitor to the park, this central location allowed us convenient access to both the upper and lower loops of the park.

Fishing Bridge is the only campground in Yellowstone that offers full hookups, and paired with its location it is the most popular spot for RVers. The amenities there include a dump station, showers, a general store, and laundry facilities, providing all the comforts you need during your stay.

The one caveat to the Fishing Bridge Campground is that the older loops in the campground have very tight spots to pull into. If you aren’t great at backing into tight spots, plan on some extra time or consider booking some of the newer larger spots in the campground.

Madison Campground

Located near the West Entrance, Madison Campground is another excellent option for RVers. It does not offer hookups, but its prime location at the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers makes it a fantastic spot for fishing enthusiasts and those looking to explore the geyser basins of the Lower Loop. The campground is open from late April to mid-October and provides access to potable water, restrooms, and an amphitheater for ranger programs.

Canyon Campground

Situated near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Canyon Campground is perfect for visitors who want to explore the breathtaking vistas and waterfalls of this iconic area. This campground accommodates RVs up to 40 feet but does not provide hookups. However, it offers potable water, restrooms, a dump station, and a nearby visitor center. The central location also makes it a convenient base for exploring both the Upper and Lower Loops.

Grant Village Campground

Grant Village Campground, located near the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, offers a scenic and serene setting for RV travelers. The campground can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet and provides access to potable water, restrooms, and a dump station. Grant Village is also close to the Grant Village Visitor Center, where you can learn about the history and ecology of the area. The location is ideal for exploring the West Thumb Geyser Basin and the southern part of the park.

Bridge Bay Campground

Bridge Bay Campground, located on the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake, is perfect for those who want to enjoy lakefront views and access to boating and fishing. The campground accommodates RVs up to 40 feet and offers potable water, restrooms, and a dump station. While there are no hookups, the stunning views and proximity to the lake make it a worthwhile stay. The campground is open from late May to early September.

Pebble Creek Campground

For a more rustic and remote experience, Pebble Creek Campground in the northeastern part of the park is an excellent choice. This campground accommodates smaller RVs (up to 35 feet) and offers a more secluded and quiet atmosphere. There are no hookups, but potable water and restrooms are available. Pebble Creek is an ideal spot for wildlife viewing, particularly for those interested in spotting wolves in the nearby Lamar Valley.

Lewis Lake Campground

Lewis Lake Campground, located near the southern entrance of the park, provides a peaceful setting along the shores of Lewis Lake. This campground can accommodate RVs up to 25 feet and offers potable water and restrooms. While there are no hookups, the location is perfect for those looking to explore the southern regions of Yellowstone, including the scenic Lewis River Channel.

Other Tips and Considerations for RV Travelers

Yellowstone’s unique location and high elevation bring about some special considerations for travelers, especially those planning to visit in an RV. Here are some essential tips and considerations to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip:

Seasonal Considerations

Yellowstone’s operating season is shorter than other parks due to its high elevation and snowy weather. Most of the park’s facilities are only open from late May to early October. Snow can linger into June and return as early as September, affecting road and facility access. It’s crucial to check the park’s website for the latest updates on road conditions and facility openings before your trip.

Elevation and Health

The elevation in Yellowstone averages around 8,000 feet, which can cause visitors to feel more fatigued and experience altitude sickness. Symptoms might include headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath. To mitigate these effects, it’s essential to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks, and avoid strenuous activities during the first few days of your visit. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, consult with your healthcare provider before traveling to high altitudes.

Tips for RV Travelers

• Book Early: Secure your RV spot at least 6-12 months in advance. Yellowstone is a popular destination, and campgrounds fill up quickly. Planning ahead ensures you have a spot in your desired location. Do your research on which campground you want to stay in and if you need to fill up your water tank before you go.
• Stay Central: Fishing Bridge Campground is an excellent choice for exploring both the Upper and Lower Loops of the park. Its central location provides easy access to many of Yellowstone’s main attractions and offers full hookups for RVs, which is a significant convenience.
• Prepare for Elevation: Take it easy on hikes and drink plenty of water. The high altitude can make physical activity more challenging, so pace yourself and allow time for acclimatization.
• Plan Your Days: Divide the park into sections and explore each loop or area on separate days for a more relaxed experience. The Grand Loop Road, which forms a figure-eight, allows you to efficiently cover the park’s major attractions. Spending a day on each loop (Upper and Lower) helps you avoid rushing and lets you fully appreciate the sights.
• Use a Toad (Towed Vehicle): If you’re traveling in a motorhome, bringing a towed vehicle can be incredibly useful. Some roads and attractions have limited parking and narrow lanes that can be challenging for larger RVs. A smaller vehicle allows you to navigate the park more easily and visit spots that might be inaccessible with a motorhome.
• Drive Carefully: While the Grand Loop Road and most major roads in Yellowstone are well maintained, it is a very remote area and there are a lot of roads to maintain. Drive slowly and carefully when in an RV because there are a lot more bumps than on major highway you may be accustomed to driving in an RV.
• Plan to Disconnect Fully: While there may be some Verizon cell phone coverage in Yellowstone, most of the park has limited cell service. While you may be able to text, getting online and loading websites or apps may be very difficult to do. Keep this in mind if you plan on trying to get any remote work done while in Yellowstone. Instead, plan to fully disconnect from your work and instead focus on exploring the beauty of Yellowstone.

By keeping these tips in mind and planning accordingly, you can make the most of your Yellowstone adventure. RV Camping in Yellowstone is well worth the planning and the drive there. The park’s stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife, and geothermal wonders are well worth the effort, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all visitors. Just make sure you start planning well in advance so that you can get enough days there to get the full Yellowstone experience.