Guide to Planning Your Yellowstone Vacation

February 19, 2019 | JP De Silva

Yellowstone

Every year, Yellowstone welcomes millions of visitors from all corners of the country. It’s the perfect place to visit if you’re looking to see wild animals in their natural habitat, explore mountains or witness the drama of the natural world unfold. The wide range of things to do in Yellowstone National Park is perhaps what makes the experience fascinating. With the park covering more than 2 million acres, it’s not easy to visit all places, even for active visitors. You’ll need to plan ahead and do sufficient due diligence before packing up to know where to find what, how to get there, and more. In this guide, we’ve compiled handy tips to help you leave the worry of planning behind.

What’s the Best Time for Yellowstone National Park Vacation?

Obviously, there’s no definite answer to this question. Any season is a good time. Your interests largely determine when you should visit. But, your preferred timing or season may sometimes pose challenges. For instance, if you choose to visit in winter, there are lots of restrictions and most roads remain closed. During this time, it’s a requirement that you afford a snow coach or guided snowmobile tour. That might seem unreasonable especially if you’re on a tight budget. While summer may sound like a beautiful time to visit (of course it is), it comes without downsides, too. It’s the park’s busiest season. There are plenty of traffic jams – caused by people stopping in the middle of the road to take photos or wild animals blocking the road. To get the most out of it during this summer, you’ll have to learn to get up early and take your breakfast on the go.

What’s the Best Approach Route to Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone national park has a total of five entrances located farther away from each other. Usually, each entrance is open at selected times of the year and offers access to different parts of the park as well as convenience to closest airline service. Your time of visit, where you’re coming from or heading determine which entrance is ideal for you. Check out the five entrances:

North Entrance – this is the only route open to wheeled vehicles all year. The park entrance offers easy access to Mammoth Springs and Roosevelt Arch just at the entryway. Bozeman, MT, is the most convenient airline service.

Northeast Entrance – like North Entrance, the route is open year-round for wheeled vehicles. However, roads may sometimes remain closed depending on weather conditions. Billings, MT, is the closest airline service.  

South & East Entrances – these are RV-friendly routes that offer incredible views of the Grand Teton Mountains. The entrances are open to wheeled vehicles from 20th April to 4th Nov, and to tracked over-snow vehicles from 17th Dec to 12th March. Nearest airlines include Jackson, WY, and Cody, WY to the East Entrance.  

West Entrance – This entrance often remain closed during winter. Although the route has windings and grades, it’s doable with an RV. Closest airline services include Salt Lake City, UT, Idaho Falls, ID, Bozeman, MT, and West Yellowstone, MT.

Camping During Your Yellowstone National Park Vacation

Yellowstone National Park offers nine lodging options for visitors. Each location has varying amenities and different dining options. Additionally, the park has twelve campgrounds with over two thousand sites. While hotel accommodations may not be a bad idea, it’s more enthralling to bring a luxury motorhome right where the wild animals roam – and that’s what we do.

With a fleet of over 150 motorcoaches, we at Goss RV can cater to all your luxury travel needs. If you’re a starter, we have a team of experts to help you navigate the RV while you savor the view.

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