15 tips for those who are going to visit Yellowstone

When we planned our vacation in Yellowstone, we chose between the hotel and the tent. But it turned out that there were almost no hotel rooms, camping was cheaper in 6 and, frankly, it was interesting to stay as close as possible to nature. The campgrounds themselves are perfectly organized. There are several of them in the park. You can place the tent among the pines, at a reasonable distance from the neighbors. Entrances, races, parking, toilets, trash cans are planned carefully and efficiently. On each spacious campground there is a table with a bench and an iron box to hide the products from the animals.

Prepare for the trip by exploring the site. Read issued newspapers. Upon arrival, several newspapers are issued with reserve news, animal observation features and historical facts about Yellowstone, as well as a listing of the rules.

People who come to watch wild animals are eager to see bears staggering across the plains and wolves basking in the sun. But few people are ready to see him at their tent. Therefore, it is very important to keep the campsite or recreation area clean. Food and anything smelling (even toothpaste) can be taken out only before immediate consumption, and the rest of the time stored in special iron boxes. When I decided to ask the ranger if it was possible to take a bottle of water with me to the tent at night, he very emotionally replied: “Madam, we do have bears.” With emphasis on do. That is, you cannot leave anything in the tent except bedding. Nothing. No cream, no lip balm, no medications. Even leaving a water bottle behind can attract a bear. Well, they have a sense of smell!

A couple of years ago, I even had to shoot a bear climbing into a tent, as a careless tourist left a cooler bag in it.

A bison can come up to your tent and languidly breathe near all night. Deer and moose can easily butt your car with their horns. Because you came to visit them, in their world. And you are not entitled, while on the reserve, to express dissatisfaction with the behavior of animals.

Garbage that smells like food is bad garbage. That's why rangers recommend taking, if possible, everything you want to throw in the trash with you, and using reusable dishes. Despite the fact that in Yellowstone they sort garbage and there are 4 types of waste containers everywhere, any cafe will happily pour coffee straight into your cup.

We stayed in Yellowstone for 5 days, and the day before there was a big consultation on the topic of what to take and what not to take. As a result, we collected a bunch of ready-made soups, cereals, canned goods and instant noodles. But we still ate once a day at catering outlets. In the morning you can boil water over a fire, prepare tea and brew porridge. Lunch can be arranged somewhere in the villages, so as not to return to the base. There is fast food for a tenner, and decent restaurants. And you can again have dinner at the campsite. By the way, dry wood for fires is officially allowed to be collected everywhere. There is not much food in local stores, and the choice is rather poor. Mainly snacks and alcohol.

What you will definitely need in Yellowstone are warm clothes, fire starter, lighter, binoculars, umbrella, knife, reusable water bottle and thermal coffee mug. The rest is optional.

There are several souvenir shops in the park where they sell a lot of cute things and, I must say, the assortment in different stores differs. So, if you fall in love with a mug with a deer, take it; there may be a mug with a different deer somewhere else. So you will be left without what you want.

Heat. July. At night 0…+3C, in the evening +8C. Although, according to the forecast for the week, they promised +15...+20C: “Welcome to Yellowstone,” as the ranger commented on such temperature fluctuations at the lecture. Therefore, be sure to take warm clothes with you. It rained on the last day and we were glad we had our umbrella.

Each campground offers free educational lectures. You can learn a lot about the ecosystem, the history of the park, the life of bison and squirrels. Lectures are given by park workers - rangers who have given their hearts and strength to the preservation and prosperity of this park.

They keep order, over animal populations, and ensure the safety of people and animals from each other. You can not imagine what they are great and what work is behind all this exemplary park.

We stayed 3 full days plus the day of departure and arrival. I think this is a great time, because we managed to see everything we wanted. If you go to Yellowstone for a shorter period, it is better not to build rigorous and clear plans. Anything can interfere with them. For example, road congestion often occurs due to a passing herd of buffalo. Have plenty of time and be ready to turn around if you drove past a viewing platform. The park has to look into every corner.

The main goal of the park now is to preserve the heritage for our children and raise a new generation of rangers, as dedicated to nature as the current one. A school of young scouts is held here for children, where they rush through the mountains, watch flowers, streams, bison and learn to respectfully interact with nature.

There are different ways to get to Yellowstone. For example, we traveled from Denver in a rented car. Gasoline for all 7 days, including the reserve and the road to it, cost $70. Entry to the park is $30 per car. Camping - $25 per night, food - $220 for 5 days (mostly cooked by ourselves), souvenirs - $150 (impossible not to buy), repair of a flat tire - $45.

Come if you haven't been here yet, and come back if you have already been. This is some other world, where people are in harmony with the animals, where there is silence, endless meadows, bison with deer by the road and birds singing, where the “mercantile paws” of civilization do not spoil the environment, but ennoble it.