The Best Ways to Visit a National Park

Ken Burns did such a good job with his PBS documentary on the National Parks that people show up to explore them.  Yellowstone can be very crowded.  However, most visitors tend to concentrate their exploration to the middle of the day.  If you try to get somewhere between 11 AM and 3 PM it can be frustrating.  Move around before or after those times and you might find yourself all alone.

Artist Point is like that.  We went there at sunrise and were joined by a few, very serious photographers who were interested in the light that time of day.  It did mean that we launched ourselves out of bed, ready to roll down the road by 3:45 AM.  Then we all napped during the mob scene and we'll go back out during the late afternoon.  Those times also are excellent viewing opportunities for seeing wild life.

Artist Point is one of several areas where you can look at The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (not The Grand Canyon).  The rock of the canyon contains plenty of sulfur, which makes the stone look yellow.  Yes.  Got it right away!  At one end of it is a waterfall.

Pre-sunrise, the dim light of dawn shows all the different colors of rock.

The sun comes up at the opposite end of the canyon from the falls.

Even in the chilly 42 degree air of the morning (typical) Tom and Carol were ready to smile for Laura.

It's not hard to find Buffalo.  Just take I-90 west from Albany for 5 hours.  Or check our Hayden and / or Lamar Valleys in Yellowstone.  They roam freely.  You may again cue up Home on the Range.

There are Osprey chicks in the middle of the picture in the nest on top of the rock.

The Buffalo do not care that you are there.  It's not that they are friendly and cordial.  They simply do not care.  They are large, strong and can do what they need to do.  We are not in as much risk with these images as it might appear.  The top image of the Buffalo was taken by Jan from the passenger seat of the rental car with the window down.  The bull was sunning himself right along side one of the car turnouts.  You only needed to slow down to EZpass speed and then move along.  In the bottom image I am on an elevated walk way with a substantial railing in an area called Mud Volcano.