[thunderhead]

I was going to start looking at lodging availability next summer... and then noticed there is still a lot available this summer. I thought it would have been entirely booked already. Am I missing something? Is the park back to relatively normal after the floods? Thanks!

[Bootpathguy]

[Eric Hansen]

+1 on nuance of when Yellowstone an attractive experience. We used to be in Cooke City a fair amount - setting up for summertime Beartooth backpack trips. We'd go into the Lamar Valley early and late - scan for wildlife. Long sightlines, wildlife made that memorable. One year we had a more Yellowstone centered summer trip. Drove the loop, visited the geysers. Incredible to park at a geyser trailhead at 8am, come back hours later and find dozens and dozens of cars parked. Regular traffic jams due to drivers overreaction to wildlife presence. Just seemed like the traffic and crowds negated the positives. Shoulder season, off season, would interest me.

[thunderhead]

Ya, id much prefer to go in shoulder season but alas that does not line up with my wifes work schedule. Thanks for the update.

[JVesquire]

Yellowstone is amazing any time of year, even summer. Walk a little further than the rest of the crowd and you will have magnificent things all to yourself. Most folks don't wander too far from the parking lots, so spend time on hiking trails, sit and enjoy one of the geyser basins (pull up a camp chair and wait for Steamboat to erupt), go sit in the Lamar Valley at sunrise and watch for wolves. It's never a mistake to go there.

[zimmertr]

I've only been once and it was in mid May. There were people around and some minor traffic but that didn't bother me as I'm not antisocial. I think it might be my favorite park. The geysers were unforgettable. Can't wait to go back some day and explore the backcountry and climb the big boob next door.

[fourteen410]

You may have a better time at the end of summer, i.e. post-Labor Day. We did that a few years ago and a trace of snow fell one afternoon. It cleared out the park and we had the whole upper basin to ourselves, which would be unheard of mid summer.

[noahawaii]

Also, I've booked campsites there like a day or two before. They are pretty nice and come with two showers per night, so definitely check them out. Got some photos here.

[domaz]

If you like wildlife spotting, drive over to the Lamar Valley in the early morning. and bring a spotting scope or at least a pair of binoculars. I have never not seen something (wolf, bear etc) watching carefully in that valley (and noticing what other people are looking at).

[Hiker Mama]

We had luck pre-Covid getting a spot on the afternoon of a weekday just driving in. It was probably one of the last 4 spots available in the park, but it worked for us for a base camp. We were there in the height of summer and the crowds were crazy; just expect them to be that way, and plan for it. One thing that surprised me was just how big the park was and how long it takes to drive to all the different attractions. We managed to see almost everything, but it was 4 long days. Get an early start, maybe take a break in the afternoon, and hit it again in the evening. We'd bring dinner and a stove and cooler with us in the car and eat along the way as we needed to. We were based out of Indian Creek, which was a bit quieter than some of the larger campgrounds. I liked it. Of course if you can go in the off-season, do it - but even if you have to go in the summer, I think it's worth seeing. There's nothing else really like it. My kids really enjoyed it. I'd send you to my website for tips, but I broke it. Wear closed shoes, I remember the sandy dirt being really abrasive with sandals. The sunshine there is really intense, so bring good sun protection. But at least one night in July we had frost on our tent in the morning, so some warmer layers are prudent to have along. There isn't any good coffee in the park that we found, so if that matters to you, make sure you bring it. We used Gardiner for doing laundry and getting gas and ice.

[Bootpathguy]