[inghamm]

So much to see.

We visited once when I was a boy. We camped in a tent trailer south of Yellowstone (in the Tetons?) Back in those days you could find the grizzlies by the roadside and people feeding them. ( and other crazy things) Now you usually need telephoto on your camera lense or telescopes or binoculars to see the grizzlies. I'm attaching a picture from our last trip - taken with 60x zoom!

We've done 3 trips with our kids (in tents), and then one post kids (in the TM). The last couple trips we focused on wild life. We are 0-2 trying to see the wolves. The advice has been Lamar Valley at dawn or dusk. On the last trip we got up early and made it out to Lamar valley at dawn. It was really pretty, but no sign of wolves. Lots of bison crossing the road on the way down to the Lamar river.

So our must sees in order:
1. Old Faithful and the upper geyser basin it is part of. Depending on timing, if you are lucky or have patience, Grand Geyser is amazing. Unlike Old Faithful, there is about a 4 hour window when in might erupt. I'm 1 for 3 in seeing that one. The good thing is that you can get much closer than with Old Faithful, and it shoots higher. There are quite a few "features" in the area, so if you are there long enough you will see something in addition to Old Faithful erupt. Check out the old lodge while you are there as well.

2. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The scenery is spectacular. Several viewing spots on the north rim and the south rim.
We enjoyed a trail that went from the first parking lot on the south rim, to Clear Lake, then Lily Pond Lake, then along the South Rim back to the parking lot.

3. Mammoth Hot springs and the elk herd in the town of Mammoth.
There is usually a very large herd of elk camped out in town during the day. Mammoth hot springs are better in the spring or early summer. When we went last fall not a lot of water was flowing.

4. Norris Geyser basin. Lots of different features.

You’ll figure this out. When a bunch of people have stopped and (sort of ) pulled off the road, there is some kind of animal spotting. That doesn’t happen much with bison, since they are SO plentiful. If you get through Yellowstone without seeing a bison you must be blind, and the elk are pretty plentiful as well. But we did get to the point of sometimes saying, “Oh it’s just an elk”

And the Tetons are also amazing, so if you can fit those in that’s a good thing. We did see a grizzly close up there (walked in front of our car) and also a moose.