Traveling to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is mainly in the state of Wyoming, but it spans into Montana and Idaho. It’s huge at 3,472 square miles, 2.2 million acres or 900,000 hectares, larger than European countries. So it is Big.
There is lodging in the park, but it books early, and due to preservation laws, they can’t update the hotels. The rest are RV and camping spots. A few towns are outside the park; the largest town is West Yellowstone, which has a small airport. It’s an hour’s flight from Salt Lake City Airport and a two-hour flight from Denver Airport. The plane has two rows of two seats, so there is limited overhead space. The view from the plane is nice.
It’s a really cool-looking restaurant in the Salt Lake City Airport.
We decided to stay at West Yellowstone, where they can guarantee Grizzle Bears and Gray Wolves. At the Grizzle and Wolf Discovery Center: https://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org.
Here’s the helpful hint a lot will ignore. West Yellowstone is 6,682 ft or 2037M in elevation; you will feel it if you live way below that height. I don’t care how fit you are; the air is thinner with less oxygen. Your body is doing the same work with less fuel. Drinking loads of water is key to adjusting; water is H20, so you are drinking oxygen and if you can take the next day off. Let your body have a day to adjust to the changes; take a long, slow walk around the town and get some ice cream.
A few practical tips for the park: There are bison jams, everyone stops to look at the bison, and it’s a two-lane road. The parking lot around Old Faithful will get jammed after the eruptions, like leaving a stadium after a game or show. The tip is to keep some snacks in the car (protein bars, apples, crackers, and water) and always use the bathroom before you leave. There are two grocery stores in West Yellowstone, a great way to get some snacks without busting the bank.