Welcome to my brief guide on Yellowstone National Park. My name is Jennifer Lam. I’m 29 years old and was born and raised in Orange County, California. Travel has been a huge part of my life for the past ten years.
I love being immersed in new cultures, food, ways of living, going to places I have never been to before and revisiting favorite destinations. Four months ago, I picked up my first DSLR camera and dived right into photography.
Photography was always an interest of mine but I never made the jump before. That was until I went camping with my friend for the first time and realized I wanted to be a landscape photographer. Since then, I have taken countless adventures and captured the beauty of many US landscapes.
Five Day Adventure to Wyoming
One such adventure was a five day trip to Wyoming from Orange County. Within five days, my friends and I drove nearly 2500 miles to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bonneville Salt Flats and Las Vegas. Given that we had limited time, we only spent a day in Yellowstone.
Yellowstone was on my bucket list for a long time but when I visited it was a slightly spontaneous trip. My friends and I were planning on going to Oregon and then a few days before we noticed that the weather would be hazy due to the fires. So we changed course and went to Wyoming instead.
Favorite Place in Yellowstone National Park
My favorite place in Yellowstone National Park was the Grand Prismatic Spring. This hot spring was our first stop in the park and I was just blown away by the hot spring colors. Standing there, I had no idea how huge and deep it was. Indeed, it was one of the natural wonders of the world!
5 Best Things To Do in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is a magical place to explore with its unique hydrothermal and geological wonders. You can discover a landscape that is always on the edge of boiling, steaming and erupting. Since I was there only for the day, I had minimal time but from the places I did see I would recommend:
1. Discover the Beauty of the Grand Prismatic Spring
Seeing the Grand Prismatic Spring with its giant hot springs and kaleidoscope of colors makes you feel like you are on another planet. Situated in the Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone, this beautiful spring is a photographer’s paradise so make sure you bring your camera!
2. Catch a Glimpse of the Wildlife in the National Park
Yellowstone National Park is bursting with wildlife. One of my favorite animals that I saw was the bison. It was an amazing experience to see them in person just grazing away in their natural habitat. Other animals of the park include: moose, black bears, coyotes, mountain lions and wolves.
3. Check out the Morning Glory Pool
Similar to the Grand Prismatic Spring, this is another beautiful hot spring but on a smaller scale. Be aware, though, that this pool is a shadow of its former self as early visitors here dumped rubbish into the pool and damaged its environment. It’s still a beautiful spot to visit nonetheless.
4. Watch the Old Faithful Geyser Erupt
On the way to the Morning Glory Pool you will pass by the Old Faithful Geyser. Gather around the geyser and watch the geyser pop off! It’s definitely worth the pit stop. This spot is equipped with bench seating and a ranger station that tracks the time, height and length of the eruptions.
5. Have an Ice Cream at Old Faithful General Store
My last recommendation for your day trip to Yellowstone National Park is to stop off at the Old Faithful General Store to pick up an ice cream and grab a souvenir to remember your trip by. This store dates back to the 1920’s and is framed by massive log beams and a majestic fireplace. You can’t miss it!
Tips for Yellowstone National Park
The first couple of things I recommend for your visit to Yellowstone are downloading offline maps, doing research and planning what you want to do beforehand. When I travel I try to maximize the time I have but that doesn’t have to mean jamming in as many things to do as possible.
Make sure you know what attractions you want to see, have back up plans and most importantly enjoy your time. My favorite experience was seeing bison. Although we only witnessed one lone bison, my friends and I were still ecstatic. Of course, you can’t plan those magical animal encounters.
Lastly, I recommend staying at the Old Faithful Inn if you want to tick off the five experiences I mentioned in this article. They are all located near this inn. But there are plenty more options surrounding the park.
Thanks for reading and I hope this brief guide to Yellowstone National Park has sparked your curiosity to visit one day. You certainly won’t regret it!
