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Posted by Granite Head (128.135.130.142) on 08:40:43 05/15/2008
In Reply to: Couple of thoughts posted by Granite Head
I don't think it's unreasonable to take one or two tours on your first trip to Yellowstone. We frequent visitors tend to forget that it's a big, complicated, varied place. However, I also think it's entirely possible to enjoy it completely without a guide. Here are some suggestions for enhancing the experience:
1. Get a copy of Janet Chapple's Yellowstone Treasures. Look through it before you go to help you decide what you most want to see, and keep it at hand as you drive the various parts of the park and make your stops. It's meant for that kind of use, and it's very informative. You can get it from her directly, or through Amazon.co.
2. Be sure you have at least one good pair of binoculars, more if you have a large group. Some wildlife, like bison, just downright hang out on the roads, but much more of the action is in the far distance, and being able to see well will greatly enhance everyone's experience.
3. Take advantage of the free ranger-led programs. They are listed in the park newspaper you get at the entrance gates. These include walking tours, history tours, nature walks, and nature talks, usually in the evening. And stop by the lobby of the historic Old Faithful Inn; they used to have docent-lead tours of the Inn posted in the lobby. If they still offer them, I really encourage you to do it, they're really fun.
4. You can get lots of information from the visitors centers; the one at Grant Village is about forest fires, especially the devastating ones of 1988; the one at Canyon is about geology, and is brand new and really neat. The others vary in content and quality - the one at OF is temporary until they get a new building built. The one at Mammoth is kind of old, but you might enjoy the film (or slide show, I don't recall which it is).
And most of all, relax and have a great time!!
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