SummitPost.org

You're right ! Gardiner/Mammoth will probably be crawling like a colony of piss ants come the 3rd
week of June.

If I focus my activities on the northeast corner, I'll probably be able to combine THAT with
the Canyon/Tower area, and my wife will rejoice in the roaring waterfalls, while I find solace
away from the crowds.

Long as I don't run into this sign in Yellowstone, I think I'll have a pretty good trip ..

If it's waterfalls you're looking for, the falls on the Yellowstone are the big ones (unless you're going hiking down in the Bechler country, but that's another story.) I would suggest visiting the Upper Falls on the Yellowstone first, then hike down the short, steep paved trail to the Lower Falls. The volume of water flowing over the brink will blow you mind.

NE part of the Park is my favorite but it is more pastoral than spectacular. Roosevelt Lodge is an awesome place for a meal (and a cold beer) but I've never stayed there. Gardiner is a good place to buy some supplies but I don't think it would be a good place to stay, but then, I'm a camper. Cooke City is cool but extremely funky. Sunlight Basin beyond is awesome, with some nicer (guest ranch style) accommodations.

lcarreau wrote:You're right ! Gardiner/Mammoth will probably be crawling like a colony of piss ants come the 3rd
week of June.

Fewer than you think, it's still early.

lcarreau wrote:If I focus my activities on the northeast corner, I'll probably be able to combine THAT with
the Canyon/Tower area, and my wife will rejoice in the roaring waterfalls, while I find solace
away from the crowds.

Problem there is Dunraven Pass, which often closes for a day or two at a time because of snow in June. It's 30-40 minutes over the pass, 1.5-2 hours if you have to go the long way around.

Roosevelt is a good place to stay if its level of service works for you. It's cabins, and at this point the cabins with bathrooms are probably all booked. So you have to walk to communal bathrooms and showers. Each cabin has a grill and picnic table so you can cook and save a few bucks if you don't want to eat in the restaurant.

It fills early because lots of wolf freaks spending their June days in the Lamar Valley will stay at Roosevelt.

Got a good hike suggestion for you, Larry.

PM sent with some hikes.

lcarreau wrote:My wife and I are thinking about visiting Yellowstone this year and are trying to decide WHEN. We will combine this with visiting family in Salt Lake City, UT.
We pretty much can go anytime, but I figure June would be better for less crowds and good weather combined.

I'm sure some will be less than enthusiastic about this recommendation (that I'm spilling the beans), but Sept is your best bet for minimal crowds, generally good weather, and an excellent overall experience. If you've got time then, the 2nd-3rd weeks of Sept can't be beat most years... plus the trails/climbs are generally clear of snow until Oct and the bears are focused on the berry harvest. Mornings can be chilly, though.

Agree with peakhugger, Sept is great. The elk rut is great.

Of course there are no baby animals in the fall.

We had one light snow, about 1/2 " at Mammoth, more up high.

Arthur Digbee wrote:
It fills early because lots of wolf freaks spending their June days in the Lamar Valley will stay at Roosevelt.

YES, I forgot about those folks who like to film wildlife from alongside paved Park roads.

The same thing happens at Grand Canyon, but probably not as often. I'm NOT looking forward
to coming across such wildlife jams. I had a bad experience with them when I worked on the South
Rim of the Grand Canyon.

September is looking BETTER to me all the time. Now, I just gotta convince my wife to wait
another couple months before we visit.

Actually, if we DO go in June, I'll definitely have to control myself when coming upon large
groups of tour-ons, and just focus on the natural beauty of the surroundings as tactfully as possible.

I'm not a "wildlife" freak. My major focus will be on waterways, geysers, vistas, hikes and geology.

Yellowstone's backcountry empties out a bit in September but the region has cultivated a new seasonal industry with foreigners and seniors at that time. The wildlife in the LAmar, etc., might not be too great in most of September. September is DEFINITELY the best time if you want to do the Bechler, but Dayhikes are limited. I'd do an overnight to Dunanda Falls if you can.

I think you're crazy not to go to Grand Teton. NGO didn't rate it #1 for wildlife observation in NORTH AMERICA for no reason. Virtually every real outdoors person I know prefers GTNP much more than YNP. Wherever you go thanks for your vacation dollars,

John

lcarreau wrote:I'm not a "wildlife" freak. My major focus will be on waterways, geysers, vistas, hikes and geology.

I have a hike for you with all of the above. In June, it's a bit soggy at the start then nice; in September, just great.

Doublecabin is right that you want to spend time in the Tetons too. I've found the crowds harder to avoid there. GTNP gets more visitors (roughly 4 million vs 3 million).

Let's hope that Yellowstone is still there in June.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... a-science/

The only thing about September is the potential for wildfires. They usually aren't too bad but they can close some roads during this time. Although that generally also means less people.

Thanks! I'll be sure to take this in consideration. Especially the post about Yellowstone about ready
to explode.

I missed out seeing St. Helens BEFORE the eruption. By golly, I don't want to miss seeing Yellowstone ...

Although I'm sure it'll be a lot more interesting after it goes up.

Cedar wrote:Although I'm sure it'll be a lot more interesting after it goes up.

That's a valid point !!!

Hey, what are YOU doing on the SP-forums ??? Is "mbpost.com" 'bout ready to go up-in-Smoke ?

Seems like it is with the frequency of Ghost-Posters ..

I'm around here quite a bit. I just don't post much since most of the stuff I want to post (whether in the forum or on the site itself) has already been posted.