Hello Yellowstone!! We have been looking forward to visiting Yellowstone National Park for quite some time. We decided to go in through the Northern Entrance located in Gardiner, Montana. From Billings to Gardiner is 171 miles. We’d been told that the North Entrance is a favorite for many Yellowstone veterans and now I know why. Make sure and get a picture of the Roosevelt Arch which was the original entrance to Yellowstone. President Roosevelt was visiting Yellowstone during construction and was asked to place the cornerstone for the arch which then took his name.
Tip 1: Make sure to download the free NPS Yellowstone app. When given the option to download the app for off-line use, do it as cell phone service within the park is spotty to non-existent. With off-line access, you will always see exactly where you are within the park, plus upcoming stops.
Tip 2: Lodging within Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area books waaayyy in advance! Plan your trip accordingly and make sure to book your lodging as soon as possible.
Tip 3: We were stunned to hear of all the stories of tourists taunting wildlife, trying to put their children on the wildlife to take a picture and many other crazy true stories. So, with that being said, please be cognizant of the fact that you are a visitor in their home and that Yellowstone is not a zoo.
From our first moments in Yellowstone, we knew how special our visit to this park would be. From the Northern entrance, you come upon Yellowstone’s National Park headquarters. There are numerous buildings including a visitor’s center. Interestingly enough, the U.S. Army administered the park from 1886-1918 and today’s visitors center is actually the former Fort Yellowstone. Walking within the grounds are tons of elk which are such beautiful creatures and we felt lucky to see so many.
This is a ton of amazing information!! Love this travel guide! 🙂 Great job!
Liz @ thespectacularadventurer.com
Liz, thank you so much for the kind words! We love to hear that our blog is helpful.
What a fabulous roadtrip! I did a roadtrip from Vegas to Yellowstone many years ago … and I can’t believe how many amazing things we missed!! I can’t wait to get back there and will probably replicate your trip to a tee!
Gabby, thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It really is a fantastic road trip. If you decide to do it again, come back here and let us know how it went. 🙂
Amazing and beautiful nature there! Absolutely beautiful mountain view at the lake, I would love to visit these places one day .
We have a good friend who did a tour of all the National parks before he decided to move overseas to spend his retirement. I wish we have done the same. We’d be happy to go to at least 5. I am bookmarking this post for reference if plans push through.
Kristine, I hope plans push through and you are able to visit! It’s definitely worth it and I hope you found our article helpful. Glad you are bookmarking it if you are able to visit some of the National Parks come back here and let us know how it went and what you thought. 🙂
This looks like quite the adventure. I would love to see the hot springs and try some really good looking food! Thanks for sharing this, happy travels!
WOW! You saw a lot and created a bunch of great memories into a short trip.
Beautiful pictures.! I felt like being part of your adventure
I love the diverse landscapes in the USA, a place I would love to trip around. We just don’t have the variety here in the UK.
omg i dont know what to say! This is absolutely beautiful! I would love to go on a tour to all these gorgeous parks, amazing.
Thank you so much, Chad! Hopefully, you’ll be able to see some ( or all) of them in person one day. You can use this as your guide. 🙂
Your overviews of these places are so thorough and they give so much good information.I will def have to add this to my list
Thank you Alexandra! So you liked it 🙂
What an epic road trip. You definitely packed a lot of stuff into a short time. I’ll also second the recommendation for Firehole BBQ in West Yellowstone. OMG so good!
Just why I love road trips!!? Yours was just amazing with so much beautiful things to see. I would definitely go to Mount Rushmore Memorial. It has been featured in a lot of movies and I wouldn’t miss the site at all!
Since I was a kid I dream about taking a road trip in the USA, I love the landscape and all the farwest feelings. Those old towns and beautiful mountains!!
This is such a comprehensive checklist for all of the places to visit throughout the US! Even though I don’t plan on visiting all of these places anytime soon, it is definitely useful to keep in mind for the future! Thanks for sharing all of this and glad you had TONS of fun with your family!!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
You definitely put South Dakota on the map for me! Ah and I’ve been dying to see Mt Rushmore!
This trip looks amazing. I love that you laid out the whole itinerary for us to follow. Hope to take this trip next summer. Thanks!!
Wildlife is always a highlight to see I feel! What an impressive extensive guide! You should make an ebook! I hope to road trip more in the states in the future!
Thank you so much Lauren! I love the ebook idea, I’m going to look into that.
This is such a great route! We’re really hoping to make it to Badlands National Park next year. 🙂
Wow, SUPER detailed itinerary! Looks like this route takes you through some of the best of the Midwest! I’m originally from Minnesota, so most of these places aren’t too far away!
What an amazing post! I learned so much and will definitely come back to this one!
THANK YOU!
ohh wow. Epic is the word!
I am currently visit the USA (Florida and Connecticut) and I would be so blessed to get the chance to visit even 2 or 3 of those landmarks! We will see.
I love the way you captured those places too.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow! What a fantastic trip!!
Such a fun trip! It is great that you have so much to see in your own home country!
These are fabulous ideas! I love travelling in the States!
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the article and next time you visit the states hope that South Dakota is on your list. 🙂
Wow, you were not kidding when you called this road trip epic. I usually like to take a bit longer when I go on road trips, but you sure managed to see a TON! I’d love to take my kids to Yellowstone – I haven’t been there since I was in high school
As you know, Yellowstone is so special! Our boys were amazed at all that Yellowstone had and thought there geysers were amazing. Seeing the Mama
bear with her two cubs was a real highlight as well.
We love a good road and this one certainly was fun and gave us memories that will last a lifetime.
What a gorgeous road trip! You went to so many spots that I’ve been dreaming of recently. I keep coming across info on the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I cannot wait to visit!
Wowza! You packed in soooo much wildlife! You and your kids must have accidentally learned so much for this adventure! I especailly love that you got to see bears in the wild!
Wow! I am so impressed with this guide! I love how you outlined a perfect route loop. I loved Yellowstone and the Grand Teton’s National Park.
Thank you so much! Love hearing that you liked that article! 🙂 Yellowstone and Grand Teton truly are impressive and we can’t wait to go back.
Awesome blog, and so many places I haven’t been in the States yet!
This post is exactly what I’ve been looking for! We’re hoping to take a trip like this in the next couple of years, thanks loads!
Thank you for sharing! We are headed to Yellowstone form Southern Illinois the last week of July this summer, and have made many notes from this guide. We cannot wait for our “epic” road trip!