Growing up, I was obsessed with getting out of the U.S. to see the world. I couldn’t wait to get on a plane and go somewhere that I thought of as exotic and cultured. And I totally took the U.S. for granted. In fact, over the years I’ve spent way more time seeing more of faraway lands than my own backyard. Until recently. And maybe you’re like me and if so you might be thinking, Yellowstone, really? Yes, really, I love this place. If you haven’t been to Yellowstone, it is pure magic and I’d highly recommend adding it to your bucket list. While it might not sound as exciting as Paris, Budapest or Bangkok (places I also love), it’s beautiful in its own way. Imagine golden sprawling prairie lands, exploding geysers, clear rivers and lakes, and a completely in-tact ecosystem complete with packs of wolves, eagles, bison, and hundreds of other species.
It’s a perfect place to take kids to show them animals outside of captivity, in the world, as the universe intended, but it’s also a really great place to go with your partner or friends. We go every year with our friends and it’s always a blast. You can bring your dogs but unfortunately, they can’t really go anywhere inside of the park because they’ll mess up the ecosystem and/or get eaten. They’ll have to stay at your cabin or whatever during the day unless you plan on being the car the entire time. Some people like to do the entire park in the car and that’s fine, too. Although, honestly, you’ll miss out on some really fun hikes. I would not recommend leaving your dog in the car if the temperature is over 70 degrees. Your car is always 20-30 degrees more than the outside temperature and I don’t think you want to remember this vacation as “that time I baked Honeybun to death.” It happens. Dogs die every spring, summer, and fall from being left in cars (even when it’s not “that hot” outside).
The spring is my favorite time to go because summers can get a little crowded, however, it’s beautiful in the summer. The fall is also wonderful but keep in mind that it snows fairly early in Yellowstone so you might end up freezing and knee deep in powder.
Where to Stay
We rented a three bedroom cabin just outside of Yellowstone with two other couples. It was the perfect size for six people and could have easily fit children if any of us had them. Oliver, our dog, was pretty comfortable, so comfortable he made it a point to wake everyone up every morning by kicking their doors in and springing on their beds. The cabin had an excellent heating system and stayed cozy and lovely for the duration of the weekend. The two bathrooms were spacious and clean and the jacuzzi was exactly what we needed after a long day of stalking Bison and watching foreign tourists get unbearably close (the animals are wild and kill people every year, but more on this later). There’s nothing better than a jacuzzi and wine at night when it’s chilly out. It’s also an excellent place to have early morning coffee, too (yeah, that would be ME, the half-naked lady in the jacuzzi at 7 a.m. with a cup of joe).
There are tons of cozy cabins right outside of Yellowstone that you can find on Airbnb. You can also camp inside of Yellowstone in a tent but I’ve never done this because as much as I love animals, I never want to be mauled by one (yeah, that’s a thing that has happened in the park). I’ll leave the bear maulings to Leonardo DiCaprio.
What to See
First off, Yellowstone National Park is huge, roughly 3,471 miles huge, so if you want to see the entire park you’ll need at least a few days and some good hiking shoes to really explore it. However, you can see a lot of really cool stuff in two really long days. Last year we spent 1 1/2 days in the park and it was fine although we left wanting to see more. I’d definitely try to see (at minimal):
- Yellowstone Lake
- The Grand Canyon in Yellowstone
- Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley
- Grand Prismatic Springs
Animals of the Park
There are 61 Different mammals in Yellowstone, including black and grizzly bears, gray wolves, wolverine and lynx, elk, mule, deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. I have yet to see a bear or a wolf but to be fair I haven’t spent very much time in the areas where you’re most likely to see them. My goal is to see a wolf this year because I love them (and coyotes!). Keep your fingers crossed for me! Also, while we’re talking about animals I should probably mention that THEY ARE WILD AND YOU MIGHT DIE IF YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID. No matter how many times people are warned, there’s always some asshole who tries to bullfight a buffalo or take a selfie with an Elk, or pet a moose, and they’re shocked when they get trampled. Please, be respectful to the ecosystem and your fellow earth animals and don’t act like a dumbass. If the animals get too habituated to humans, the park has to put the animal down. If they kill a human (which happens) the park will have to put the animal down. If you die or get maimed, your family will be sad and also have to live with the fact that you died because you were a complete dillhole.
Pristine Landscapes
Every time I go to Yellowstone I am blown away that a place this beautiful still exists. It’s like we humans are determined to ruin everything and yet this perfect place is still somehow intact. The landscape changes from one minute to the next from plush forests and huge lakes to open prairies and dead zones where the ground is literally boiling. It is so alive. The grass bends in the breeze, rivers pulse and gurgle, geysers explode from the ground, sunlight dances across the lake surfaces, and waterfalls cascade over mountainsides. Seriously, this place has a pulse. And if you don’t obey the laws of the land, the land might kill you. So read the signs and don’t go rogue. Especially near the geysers which are about 200 degrees.
I realize that a lot of this post is basically me summarizing the ways in which you, your dog, and your family could die in Yellowstone. Truly, it’s a safe place and I’ve never been worried. But it is wild, completely wild, and I think in this day and age we forget what that really means. In Yellowstone, nature rules. So respect her and you’ll have an incredible trip full of glorious views, majestic animal encounters, fun memories, and a peace of mind. Remember, research shows that spending time in nature does spectacular things for our mental health, so go self-care in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
