Yellowstone - Best Time, Places To Stay, Etc.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm planning a week to 10 days in Yelowstone this year. I don't want to go in winter and I'd like to go whenever in non-winter there as few other tourists as possible. I was thinking last week of May, first or second week of June maybe. I'm assuming anything earlier than late May is likely to still be winter more or less and that tourists like me must start arriving in droves by mid-June if not earlier. For photography I'm interested in the landscape, not the wildlife.

I haven't done any research yet but I thought I'd start here and ask if anyone thinks those times aren't good and whether there are any better times for no winter, minimal tourists (I realize that may be impossible, maybe as soon as the weather gets decent everyone like me shows up but I thought I'd ask). Also suggestions for places to stay (not camping). Any other thoughts or ideas from those who have been there, especially preferred photography locations, would be appreciated.

[Walter Calahan]

I use to live in Billings, Montana, and can say that autumn is one of the magic times to visit Yellowstone. Probably the only non-winter season that sees fewer tourists. Winter can still happen in Yellowstone during May. July and August are the high seasons, so if you don't like sharing the landscape, avoid those two months.

Places to stay? Well it's a big piece of territory, so you have to accept what's in the park, but if you don't want to stay in the park, then south in Jackson is good. Don't know the motels in Cody, but Livingston, MT, has good places.

Check out Chico Hot Springs, it's where the posh stay (grin): http://www.chicohotsprings.com/

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Brian, I've been scheduling trips to Yellowstone to coincide with the first snowfall pushing the animals into seasonal migrations and the valleys for some years now. It's usually in mid to late September when the first snow flies. Crowds are there up until the service start shutting down the first week of October.

Too, in a big/late snow year, June might be too early for the high country/back country if you expect flowers.

Yellowstone is interesting primarily due to the abundant wildlife. Even the geyser and mudpot shots need wolves in 'em. If you were to do landscape, you might want to concentrate on the rivers and waterfalls-- but then you'd want rising trout in them. Hard to catch on LF with long shutter times, though ;-)

IMO, there are other much more compelling pure landscape places relatively close by (Tetons, Absroka's).

[Nathan Potter]

Brian, like Ivan I much prefer the autumn say mid to late September. Reasonable crowds in the popular areas and few in the four wheel roads in the back country. If I had free pick of time I'd choose Sept. 15 to 25 and risk the possibility of a bit of snow in the highest to medium altitude countryside. Spring I found much snow in late May on my one spring sojourn. I like to stay in Gardiner at the north end of the park but reserve a place ahead of time. I have used a small Casita camp trailer at a campground overlooking the Yellowstone River.

As Ivan implies, the wide area north of the park is, for me, very spectacular, especially if you have a decent four wheel drive vehicle available. Go east on 212 thru the north end of the park to Cooke City. Then get up onto the Beartooth plateau and wander around in the Beartooth wilderness. Very rugged alpine scenery. Just east of Cooke City is a network of pretty good four wheel roads which wind north from 212. Get a topo map of the area in Cooke City. Also one of the great hikes is to the Grasshopper glacier. Hell, I get excited just thinking about that whole north end of Yellowstone and the Absaroka and Beartooth areas.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Glenn Thoreson]

Mid to late June would be my advice. I came down through the park on my way home from shooting n Bannack, MT in July '09. The traffic wasn't bad at all but I could not get a place in any of the camp grounds. In May, you will have to contend with snow, both old and new. Normally, the roads aren't open until May sometime, anyway. Tourism was down last year due to the economy. I doubt it will pick up that much this year. It's a popular place. Make inquiries and arrangements ahead of time and enjoy. :D

[Heroique]

...I'd like to go whenever in non-winter when there are as few other tourists as possible...

To avoid crowds, "time of day" is as important as time of year.

If you visit Yellowstone at the height of the summer season, even the most tourist-infested spots are empty between 6:00-7:30a.m., when the best light is already "awake and up." An ideal situation!

Getting there that early may be difficult if you're not staying in one of the campsites, as you mentioned. But it's worth the effort, since the post-dawn light is divine. But even if you have to arrive a little later, the most popular spots don't attract intolerable crowds between 7:30-9:30 a.m., either.

Several times in July and August, I've arrived at Norris Geyser Basin at 6:00 a.m. to enjoy the place (yes, the entire place) to myself for 60 or 90 minutes. Really. Not a second soul in sight. And that's in fine weather. One drawback is that since your vehicle is the only one in the lot, the "welfare ravens" flock to it and peck-off dead bugs for breakfast ... along with the paint. The pecking is enough to leave tiny dents and pock marks, too! You can hear the ravens at work on your lonely car as you descend into the beautiful basin...

I save mid-day, afternoon, and evening for jaunts into the backcountry.

[Dave Jeffery]

I was there May 2nd and some of the roads had just opened but a lot were still closed.

As it was still fairly cold and the steam from the vents condensed a lot and I thought when it was warmer the shots would be better with less steam in the air so there may be some advantage to shooting there when the air is hotter.

It was odd to be in the main tourist area and to only see a goose walking down the trail, the snow was up to the roof at one of the lodges and there were a few maintenace people getting a few things ready. I saw no advantage to being there at that time as the melted snow was not interesting. The first of May is too early IMO.

A number of the main attractions like the various natural pools that were right beside the villiage seem to have dried up a lot so you might just skip them to save time and just head off to the more colorful pools and areas. I wish I hadn't wasted time there.

There was a guy at the visitors center asking the rangers if there were any fresh kills that they knew of, which would draw in a variety of predators and scavangers.

I also took a short stroll in the visitors center and happened to look at the doctors kit. There were only about four simple knives that looked like they would never ever be very sharp, and there was only one other tool with a handle with a curved hook, and that was it! Wow! Life was rough back then.

Just a few observations FWIW from my first time there and have a great trip.

[Richard Raymond]

Mr. Ellis,
My recommendation is mid-late June. If you are trying to work the wildflowers you might want to go earlier in June. As it is a relatively large park and you want to be out early and late in the day you might consider moving you lodging around the edges of the park and spend a few days in each area. So you might want to plan your visit around when you can get a good sequence of lodging. This would mean NOT 4th of July weekend and the two weeks after. There are a number of posts here about visiting Yellowstone which you can review about people staying in cars and "bear jams". I have been there in all seasons including 4th of July so I may be of some help if you have specific questions. As for general landscape photography I am willing to get out of my car and walk a few hundred meters so I never have to deal with any crowds other than Old Faithful where you would definitely want to work a sunrise shot to minimize the crowd. Of course, I then become the "accident scene" where cars slow down to try and figure out what big animal I see. But when they don't see anything they just drive on.
I will be going there in the second week in August. The crowds will be down from July as many regions of the country have an early start to the school year and the families are home working the back to school sales.
Best of luck with your trip.
Ric

[Jim Becia]

I'm planning a week to 10 days in Yelowstone this year. I don't want to go in winter and I'd like to go whenever in non-winter there as few other tourists as possible. I was thinking last week of May, first or second week of June maybe. I'm assuming anything earlier than late May is likely to still be winter more or less and that tourists like me must start arriving in droves by mid-June if not earlier. For photography I'm interested in the landscape, not the wildlife.

I haven't done any research yet but I thought I'd start here and ask if anyone thinks those times aren't good and whether there are any better times for no winter, minimal tourists (I realize that may be impossible, maybe as soon as the weather gets decent everyone like me shows up but I thought I'd ask). Also suggestions for places to stay (not camping). Any other thoughts or ideas from those who have been there, especially preferred photography locations, would be appreciated.


Brian,

I worked in Yellowstone for 5 years and can give you my opinion for times and places. For years after I worked there, I would return around the second week of June. Like you mentioned, winter can still be "lurking." Heck, winter can pop up anytime in Yellowstone. Early to mid June is still a bit early for the vacationing families with kids. However, flowers are starting in lower elevations. During those times, I would spend much of my time along the road that goes from Mammoth Hot Springs over to Cooke City. I've always liked the valleys along the way.

Another time I like and this will go against common sense is early to mid July. Flowers in higher elevations are blooming and most likely the road up into the Beartooth Mountains is now completely open. Now I usually camp and I never found it to be a problem.

As several people have mentioned, if you are up early and out late, crowds and people are rarely a problem, but that 9 to 5 time period can be frustrating if any kind of "animal jam" develops.

I have stayed in the Mammoth Hot Springs area when traversing the northern part of the park, otherwise, I have always like the Canyon Village area as that is located in the middle part of the figure 8 that the roads form in Yellowstone. Only one caveat of Canyon, if Dunraven Pass is not open yet, it makes for a longer trip to the northern part of the park.

Don't know if this info helps. What I can say is this, I think whenever you go, Yellowstone is a magnificent area and I think you will enjoy it regardless of timing. Good luck. Jim

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for all the help and information. It looks like late June is it since I don't want to wait until September for the first trip. Maybe return in September.

I should clarify my concern about crowds. I'm not worried about crowds getting in the way of my camera or bothering me when I'm photographing. Since I photograph at times and places where there usually aren't any people, that almost never happens. I just don't like crowds in general, i.e. clogged roads, crowded restaurants, crowded hiking trails, that kind of thing.

[Heroique]

One more practical photo hint about Yellowstone ... the prevalence of wooden boardwalks, and tourist-induced vibrations.

All the fragile areas, of course, need boardwalks, and rules require you and your tripod to stay on them. What's easy to forget is how quickly these solid boardwalks "channel and concentrate" the crowds and transmit vibrations. All it takes, I've noticed, is one tourist walking, say, within 20 or 30 feet of your tripod for vibrations to become, literally, noticeable. You can feel them in your legs, and your tripod likely feels them in theirs, too.

That's enough to make one think twice about useful shutterspeeds w/ slow film ... say 1/4th to 1/30th second, especially with longer lenses. And it's another good reason to "walk the boardwalks" at daybreak or early evening, when the light is best anyway. Even when I'm alone, giving the boardwalk a few seconds to "settle down" after pulling the darkslide makes a difference.

Also, keep in mind that the convenient coincidence of "best light" and "small crowds" is early and mid-summer, when the days are long. Your plans for "late June" would be perfect, summer solstice time.

[Drew Wiley]

I lucked out one time. The snow is a bit difficult to predict. But I went in May the first
day after the roads were plowed. No facilities were open at all, and I virtually had the
entire park to myself, except for a few rangers and road crew. Everything was clean,
animals were everywhere, and I could set up my tripod on the boardwalks around hot
springs and geysers and not worry about constant vibrations from people walking.
Campgrounds nearly empty, so I didn't have to breathe campfire smoke all night long
or listen to boom boxes. Did nearly run over a couple of moose sleeping on the road
however! This was a total contrast to the summers, when cars are lined up mile after
mile just to get in, the air is filled with forest fire smoke, and your tripod would slip on
the ice cream spilled all over the boardwalk, unless some Dennis the Menace managed to slingshot your groundglass first!

[Brian Ellis]

One more practical photo hint about Yellowstone ... the prevalence of wooden boardwalks, and tourist-induced vibrations.

All the fragile areas, of course, need boardwalks, and rules require you and your tripod to stay on them. What's easy to forget is how quickly these solid boardwalks "channel and concentrate" the crowds and transmit vibrations. All it takes, I've noticed, is one tourist walking, say, within 20 or 30 feet of your tripod for vibrations to become, literally, noticeable. You can feel them in your legs, and your tripod likely feels them in theirs, too.

That's enough to make one think twice about useful shutterspeeds w/ slow film ... say 1/4th to 1/30th second, especially with longer lenses. And it's another good reason to "walk the boardwalks" at daybreak or early evening, when the light is best anyway. Even when I'm alone, giving the boardwalk a few seconds to "settle down" after pulling the darkslide makes a difference.

Also, keep in mind that the convenient coincidence of "best light" and "small crowds" is early and mid-summer, when the days are long. Your plans for "late June" would be perfect, summer solstice time.

Thanks, I'm very familiar with the boardwalk vibration syndrome. Many of the State parks in Florida have boardwalks so I've gotten used to standing and waiting. I didn't know they were prevalent in Yellowstone, I obviously have a lot more research to do but your message and all the others here have been very helpful.

[Brian Ellis]

I lucked out one time. The snow is a bit difficult to predict. But I went in May the first
day after the roads were plowed. No facilities were open at all, and I virtually had the
entire park to myself, except for a few rangers and road crew. Everything was clean,
animals were everywhere, and I could set up my tripod on the boardwalks around hot
springs and geysers and not worry about constant vibrations from people walking.
Campgrounds nearly empty, so I didn't have to breathe campfire smoke all night long
or listen to boom boxes. Did nearly run over a couple of moose sleeping on the road
however! This was a total contrast to the summers, when cars are lined up mile after
mile just to get in, the air is filled with forest fire smoke, and your tripod would slip on
the ice cream spilled all over the boardwalk, unless some Dennis the Menace managed to slingshot your groundglass first!

Hmmm. Maybe I'll rethink Yellowstone. : - )

[mrladewig]

September is a great time to visit Yellowstone. The wildlife is concentrating in the lower valleys, the weather is pleasant with a chance of snow and the crowds are largely gone and the hot springs still show great color in the bacterial and algae mats.

[Ken Kapinski]

Good advice from everybody, don’t know what else I can add. For your NON winter times, June thru September will be best, although there are no bad times to go. I agree, if you get up and to your spot early, first light, you will probably have the place to yourself. Still, I wouldn’t fret the crowds too much.

As far as photographic areas to visit, I prefer the northern half of the park with the Canyon area being my favorite. Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley, Tower…..it’s all good. I would take the time and visit most of the Geyser features, Old Faithful, Great Fountain Geyser, and Mammoth to name a few. I don’t know how much hiking you plan on doing with your large format gear, but there are many waterfalls which can be accessed by short day hikes. Also, the Mary Mountain hike starting from the west follows the Nez Perce creek for a bit. Pretty area and pretty flat for the first couple of miles, watch out for grizz.

If you’re not going to camp I would look at hotels depending on where you think you might photograph the next day. West Yellowstone or Gardiner outside of the park or maybe Old faithful, Mammoth, or Grant Village inside of the park. A side trip to Jackson and the Teton’s or the Beartooth Highway would be on my list of things to do also.

I am going to throw this out to everybody. Since I live only 60 miles to the north in Livingston, if one wanted a large format get together in Yellowstone, to meet some new people, maybe learn something new, and have some fun in a wonderful part of the country, I would totally be up for that.

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy!

Ken

[emo supremo]

I just came back on May 24th and road construction made completion of the top/northern part of the loop impossible i.e. you could not complete a circle in the north in one direction. This messed up our plans on the second day in the park. Also, the tour guide was superb my first day and the GPS units you can rent to give a prerecorded assist was a nice addition for a leisurely second day oriented more toward photography.

[philip964]

I found the crowds in late May to be small. After school gets out it is apparently very crowded in Yellowstone. We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn. Expensive but well worth it.
At night I shot a long timed exposure of old faithful from inside the trees nearby, using a friend with a strobe to paint the geyser when it blew. While I was standing with the camera, a large herd of buffalo charged through the trees out of no where. Unknowingly, I had set up between two trees. The buffalo missed the trees so they missed me. My friend thought I was surely dead.

[z_photo]

i have to add my vote for the beartooth. one of the most spectacular landscape destinations in the country. i will never forget a magical afternoon there on the summer solstice a few years ago. above 10,000 feet and a sunset with beams lighting up a passing snowshower. unwordly colors in the sky that people think are the product of photoshop. must go back! and oh, the place in cooke city that had over 100 micro brews from which to choose was also a highlight. i never made it all the way to red lodge.

[Eric Woodbury]

I was in Yellowstone this Fourth of July and everything was full up. Still, as pointed out, early and late in the day are doable and there is a lot of light even after the sun goes down, although all the people seem to disappear. The problem with using early morning and evening light at this time of the year is that you have to sleep in the middle of the day. The sky starts to show signs of the sun about 4am and the stars don't come back until 10:15pm. It doesn't allow much time to eat and get to camp. We ended up just using the evenings and sleeping in the mornings. It was okay, but not as enjoyable as our times there in September (with small amounts of snow and rain).

The biggest surprise for me on this trip was that Mammoth Hot Springs has almost dried up. Not nearly what it was last time I was there.

Be prepared for mosquitoes in June and July.

[Henry Ambrose]

I'll second the Beartooths and you won't have crowds there.
Do a search on Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Top of the World.
You can drive to around 10,000 feet and start hiking so not so much elevation gain.
There are bears so pay attention.

[Heroique]

I'll second the Beartooths and you won't have crowds there. ...There are bears so pay attention.

The Soda Butte campground – just off the Beartooth Highway – has been closed due to last night’s Fatal Bear Attack (http://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2e6107ce-9a88-11df-b841-001cc4c03286.html).

The campground is located in the Gallatin Nat’l Forest – about 5 miles outside Yellowstone’s northeast entrance. Forest officials have also closed two nearby campgrounds as they search for the bear & try to piece together what may have caused the attack. It’s still not clear whether it was a black bear, or grizzly.

Bear attacks are extremely rare, but one must be careful, anywhere near Yellowstone.

[Greg Miller]

The Soda Butte campground – just off the Beartooth Highway – has been closed due to last night’s Fatal Bear Attack (http://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2e6107ce-9a88-11df-b841-001cc4c03286.html).

The campground is located in the Gallatin Nat’l Forest – about 5 miles outside Yellowstone’s northeast entrance. Forest officials have also closed two nearby campgrounds as they search for the bear & try to piece together what may have caused the attack. It’s still not clear whether it was a black bear, or grizzly.

Bear attacks are extremely rare, but one must be careful, anywhere near Yellowstone.

My money says it is a Grizz. Unless they were sleeping with steak in their tents, this is not black bear behavior.

[JC Kuba]

One of my favorite places to photograph in Yellowstone Park is Lamar Valley. There is usually few tourists and there are buffalo watering holes(ponds) not too far from the road where you can catch herds grazing. Attached is a 8x10 chrome I took one fall some years back and a zoomed in portion of the same chrome to give some idea of the detail you can't see with the limited size of image you can post here.