Traveling anywhere in the park takes often way time than you would expect. The speed limit in the park is 45 miles per hour, and sometimes people tend to drive even slower than that. You might get stuck in traffic jams due to a wildlife sighting, bison walking in the road, or recently all the construction. An example is Mammoth Hot Springs is 51 miles but with no delays takes about an hour and half.

The animals in Yellowstone are wild and can be dangerous if provoked. For instance, bison may seem docile, but there are multiple injuries due to bison every year.

Stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves

Stay at least 25 yards from all other wildlife

As mentioned above, the animals here are wild and should remain that way. A common saying here is “A fed animal is a dead animal”. Often animals that are fed in Yellowstone become too used to humans and may become dangerous. This leads to the animal being euthanized.

The most extreme case that I have experienced here is a coyote that had been fed around the Old Faithful village one winter. He became comfortable with humans and eventually aggressive. This led to NPS having to put him down.

It is important to stay on trails and boardwalks, especially in thermal areas. Thermal areas are very dangerous. If you step off the boardwalks you risk being seriously injured. Thermal features are also very fragile. Sticking your hand in the features can alter the chemical composition of the features just due to the oils in our hand.

It is also illegal.

If you plan to visit in the summer, do not expect to get the park to yourself. At most of the boardwalks there will be large crowds and it can sometimes be hard to find a parking spot. Gift shops are often packed in the busier villages (i.e. Old Faithful, Canyon, Mammoth) and there are often long lines for food.

At the beginning of the Yellowstone season roads often open in waves. At any point in the season due to weather, such as snow, roads might close until they are able to make it safe to drive. Before visiting it is always best to check the NPS road conditions.

I have it so I get constant texts on road conditions. To get these texts, text 92190 to 888-777.

A majority of the park does not have cell service, which means you will not have any service while traveling from location to location. If you have Verizon you might get a signal in a few of the villages. However, sometimes it is so busy that it overcrowds the lines and even texts will not go through.

There is no wifi in the park, unless you are a guest at one of the lodges. There is no exception.

You are able to get gas in the park. There are gas stations located in Mammoth, Roosevelt, Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Grant, and Old Faithful villages. If you are able I recommend filling up your car outside of the park. Gas in the neighboring towns are often cheaper than in the park.

There are charging stations in the park. These are located in Old Faithful, Lake, Canyon, and Mammoth.

The amount of times I get asked where you can eat in the park is pretty crazy. There are restaurants or general stores located in several villages in the park (Mammoth, Roosevelt, Tower, Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Lake, Grant, and Old Faithful). In Old Faithful alone there is the cafeteria located in the Old Faithful Lodge, the dining room and deli in the Old Faithful Inn, the Geyser Grill and Obsidian dining room in the Snowlodge. There is also the two General Stores. For a complete list of restaurants in each village and their hours check with the front desk, because the hours change often depending on staffing.

It is my recommendation to bring your own snacks and food in the park. Lines for food can be incredibly long, especially peak season. The food is also more expensive in the park.

Boating is allowed in Yellowstone but there are restrictions. Motorized boats are only allowed in Yellowstone Lake (there are portions where they are not allowed in the lake) and Lewis Lake. Kayaks, Canoes, and Paddleboards are allowed in all lakes except Sylvan Lake, Eleanor Lake, Twin Lakes, and Beach Springs Lagoon. There is no boating on rivers in the park except for the section connecting Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake, this is open for non-motorized boats.

All boats, motorized and non-motorized (including paddleboards) must undergo an inspection and be given a permit before entering any body of water in Yellowstone. Permits can be obtained at the Bridge Bay Marina, Grant Marina, and Lewis Lake Ranger Station.

You are able to fish in the park but there are several rules and restrictions. In order to fish in the park you are required to pay for a fishing permit. There are restrictions for where you can fish as well as what you can use as a lure/hook. For the most part you are required to throw whatever fish you catch back into the water. The exception is if you catch Lake trout, they are invasive and must be taken with you if caught. For more detailed information check out the NPS website on fishing in the park.

There are multiple locations to camp in Yellowstone. There are 9 designated campgrounds in the park that have different _____ You can reserve a spot at Canyon, Bridge Bay, Fishing Bridge RV site, Grant, and Madison through Yellowstone National Park Lodges. If you want to reserve a spot at Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Mammoth, and Slough Creek you can do this through recreation.gov.

Yellowstone also has numerous backcountry campsites that you can also reserve through recreation.gov. The website will have information o which sites have food pole vs bear box, whether there is a pit toilet, whether fires are allowed, etc.