Going to Yellowstone National Park

[kgreen]

We are taking a surprise trip to Yellowstone, before the kids go back to school. So we're going in less than a month. I'm pretty excited, & ready to get some great photo's. I'm taking my 35mm, 18-105mm, & my new Tamron 70-300mm lens. Any tips or information to pass on? I read that Hayden Valley is one of the best locations to view wild life in Yellowstone. Hopefully my 70-300mm lens will get me in close enough. Also I've never taken pictures of geysers, or waterfalls so if you have any tips to share I would really appreciate it. As always Thanks

 

[jcb]

We are taking a surprise trip to Yellowstone, before the kids go back to school. So we're going in less than a month. I'm pretty excited, & ready to get some great photo's. I'm taking my 35mm, 18-105mm, & my new Tamron 70-300mm lens. Any tips or information to pass on? I read that Hayden Valley is one of the best locations to view wild life in Yellowstone. Hopefully my 70-300mm lens will get me in close enough. Also I've never taken pictures of geysers, or waterfalls so if you have any tips to share I would really appreciate it. As always Thanks

For someone who has not been to a National Park, I typically recommend buying one of the Photographer's Guides to the park. For Yellowstone, the one I recommend is by Joseph K. Lange. While I expect you can buy it in Yellowstone, the second edition is now on Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Yellowstone-Tetons-Joseph/dp/0811735559 (I have no connection to Mr. Lange.)

Like most books of its type, this book will recommend a certain focal length lens to use at various points and, most helpfully, what time of day produces the most favorable light. E.g., A photo of Lower Yellowstone Falls from Artist's Point at 10:30 am in summertime.

I do suggest you have your 18-105mm lens you have to photograph the hot springs. I would think that most of the time a 35mm will not be wide enough because the boardwalk is too close to the thermal feature.

There is a flat geyser area not far from the west entrance you may want to check out around sunset. I missed a spectacular shot of the setting sun illuminating the steam at Lower Geyser Basin 10 years ago and I'm still kicking myself for it.

There will be plenty of wildlife in Yellowstone, predominantly Bison and Elk, while you'll have a decent chance of seeing grizzly bears (though a LONG telephoto lens, of course) and moose, you may want to go to the Tetons for a better chance on the Moose.

 

[mom2rtk]

Are you staying at any of the Park hotels?

We stayed at Old Faithful Inn one night. I did not really care for Old Faithful (the geyser) that much. Too crowded, too many people. But that walking trail of geysers right off to the side was wonderful. They had times posted that they expected the next eruption to be. I woke up early one morning and recalled that Castle geyser was expected to go soon. While the family slumbered, I was treated to a nearly private showing. It was an amazing experience.


castlegeyser by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Also completely off topic, but I loved reading "Death in Yellowstone" while we were there. It really was oddly compelling and added an historical perspective to our stay there.

 

[kgreen]

For someone who has not been to a National Park, I typically recommend buying one of the Photographer's Guides to the park. For Yellowstone, the one I recommend is by Joseph K. Lange. While I expect you can buy it in Yellowstone, the second edition is now on Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Yellowstone-Tetons-Joseph/dp/0811735559 (I have no connection to Mr. Lange.)

Like most books of its type, this book will recommend a certain focal length lens to use at various points and, most helpfully, what time of day produces the most favorable light. E.g., A photo of Lower Yellowstone Falls from Artist's Point at 10:30 am in summertime.

I do suggest you have your 18-105mm lens you have to photograph the hot springs. I would think that most of the time a 35mm will not be wide enough because the boardwalk is too close to the thermal feature.

There is a flat geyser area not far from the west entrance you may want to check out around sunset. I missed a spectacular shot of the setting sun illuminating the steam at Lower Geyser Basin 10 years ago and I'm still kicking myself for it.

There will be plenty of wildlife in Yellowstone, predominantly Bison and Elk, while you'll have a decent chance of seeing grizzly bears (though a LONG telephoto lens, of course) and moose, you may want to go to the Tetons for a better chance on the Moose.

Thanks for the recommendation for the book, I think I'll pick it up on the way. I will have lots of reading time, as the drive is around 22 hours... Thanks for the advice & heads up about the hot springs. I'll remember that, & I'll have my bag with me so I can easily switch lenses. Thanks

 

[kgreen]

Are you staying at any of the Park hotels?

We stayed at Old Faithful Inn one night. I did not really care for Old Faithful (the geyser) that much. Too crowded, too many people. But that walking trail of geysers right off to the side was wonderful. They had times posted that they expected the next eruption to be. I woke up early one morning and recalled that Castle geyser was expected to go soon. While the family slumbered, I was treated to a nearly private showing. It was an amazing experience.


castlegeyser by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Also completely off topic, but I loved reading "Death in Yellowstone" while we were there. It really was oddly compelling and added an historical perspective to our stay there.

Nice photo! Unfortunately we most likely won't stay in the park. I'm usually a planner, but this trip was really on a whim, & I think the park hotels are already booked. I read that the major figure 8 road system will take you to all the major sights. But it was strongly suggested by some to go of the beaten path at some point. My husband went to Yellowstone as a child, he remembered stopping at a place on the way to Yellowstone in the black hills of South Dakota called Big bear USA. It's a drive through wildlife place, he said there are 100's of bears... It's a good chance we may stop at this place on the way.

 

[Pixel Dust]

I've never been. I just wanted to say I'm extremely jealous.

 

[jcb]

Are you staying at any of the Park hotels?

We stayed at Old Faithful Inn one night. I did not really care for Old Faithful (the geyser) that much. Too crowded, too many people. But that walking trail of geysers right off to the side was wonderful. They had times posted that they expected the next eruption to be. I woke up early one morning and recalled that Castle geyser was expected to go soon. While the family slumbered, I was treated to a nearly private showing. It was an amazing experience.

Great photo. Castle geyser is truly spectacular. Old Faithful just isn't the same after seeing Castle geyser blow.

 

[mom2rtk]

Nice photo! Unfortunately we most likely won't stay in the park. I'm usually a planner, but this trip was really on a whim, & I think the park hotels are already booked. I read that the major figure 8 road system will take you to all the major sights. But it was strongly suggested by some to go of the beaten path at some point. My husband went to Yellowstone as a child, he remembered stopping at a place on the way to Yellowstone in the black hills of South Dakota called Big bear USA. It's a drive through wildlife place, he said there are 100's of bears... It's a good chance we may stop at this place on the way.

Thanks! You can still see the other geysers go, but they just aren't as faithful as..... well..... Old Faithful. But check the times as you go by. Or maybe the estimated times are posted online now and you can try to get there in the hour they recommend?


We did Bear Country USA the year we went up to Rushmore. It's kitchy, but kind of fun. We kept trying to see bears the year we went to Yellowstone, but came up dry. So when we saw the signs for Bear Country USA a few years later, I had to give it a try. It's sort of sad to see all the bears cooped up there. But it was interesting too. They had a bunch of bear cubs when we were there too:


Bear Cubs at Play by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Great photo. Castle geyser is truly spectacular. Old Faithful just isn't the same after seeing Castle geyser blow.

I agree. The others just pale in comparison.

OP, you might want to consider a u/v filter for your lenses for this trip. Those geysers put of a mist with a high mineral content that you don't want deposited on your lens.

Be sure to leave time in your schedule in case you encounter any bison jams:


Bisonjam by mom2rtk, on Flickr

And don't miss Artist's Point with this view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:


grandcanyonyellowstone by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[kgreen]

I've never been. I just wanted to say I'm extremely jealous.

LOL I'm excited, I can't wait to get some great photo's!

 

[mom2rtk]

I've never been. I just wanted to say I'm extremely jealous.

Make time to get there sometime. It's a photographer's dream. It's been 7 years since we went and I'm really ready to get back.

 

[jcb]

Nice photo! Unfortunately we most likely won't stay in the park. I'm usually a planner, but this trip was really on a whim, & I think the park hotels are already booked. I read that the major figure 8 road system will take you to all the major sights. But it was strongly suggested by some to go of the beaten path at some point. My husband went to Yellowstone as a child, he remembered stopping at a place on the way to Yellowstone in the black hills of South Dakota called Big bear USA. It's a drive through wildlife place, he said there are 100's of bears... It's a good chance we may stop at this place on the way.

You might get lucky and find availability in the Lake Hotel. We kind of did Yellowstone "on a forced whim" when the 2003 fire in Glacier NP ran us out of that park. We stayed mainly in West Yellowstone but were able to snag a nice sized room at Lake for a couple of nights.

Off the beaten path in Yellowstone can mean pretty much anything. I fully agree on Artist's Point (but watch out for the tourist bus onslaught).

I am, however, personally still terrified by the thought of walking down what is euphemistically called "Uncle Tom's Trail" (i.e., 300 metal steps bolted into the rock wall near Lower Yellowstone Falls) but the view is so worth it:

http://mms.nps.gov/yell/features/canyontour/uncletom.htm

 

[mom2rtk]

.

Off the beaten path in Yellowstone can mean pretty much anything. I fully agree on Artist's Point (but watch out for the tourist bus onslaught).

LOL, that was 7 years ago, but I still remember the tourist buses at that particular spot!

 

[kgreen]

Thanks! You can still see the other geysers go, but they just aren't as faithful as..... well..... Old Faithful. But check the times as you go by. Or maybe the estimated times are posted online now and you can try to get there in the hour they recommend?


We did Bear Country USA the year we went up to Rushmore. It's kitchy, but kind of fun. We kept trying to see bears the year we went to Yellowstone, but came up dry. So when we saw the signs for Bear Country USA a few years later, I had to give it a try. It's sort of sad to see all the bears cooped up there. But it was interesting too. They had a bunch of bear cubs when we were there too:


Bear Cubs at Play by mom2rtk, on Flickr



I agree. The others just pale in comparison.

OP, you might want to consider a u/v filter for your lenses for this trip. Those geysers put of a mist with a high mineral content that you don't want deposited on your lens.

Be sure to leave time in your schedule in case you encounter any bison jams:


Bisonjam by mom2rtk, on Flickr

And don't miss Artist's Point with this view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:


grandcanyonyellowstone by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I love your photo's! Look at those baby bears super cute! Thanks for all the information, I'm jotting things down. I had read about the bison backups, now I see what they meant. Great advice about the u/v filter, I hadn't even thought about that. Since this is my first time, does driving the figure 8 sound like the best way to see Yellowstone. I'm not sure how that all works? Beautiful picture of the canyon!

 

[mom2rtk]

I love your photo's! Look at those baby bears super cute! Thanks for all the information, I'm jotting things down. I had read about the bison backups, now I see what they meant. Great advice about the u/v filter, I hadn't even thought about that. Since this is my first time, does driving the figure 8 sound like the best way to see Yellowstone. I'm not sure how that all works? Beautiful picture of the canyon!

Thanks! As I recall, it did take us some time to work our way around the figure 8. So don't rush yourself.

Keep your eyes peeled for those adorable bison acting like puppy dogs rolling in the dirt:


bisonroll by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You will love Yellowstone. It is a photographer's dream. We went a few years ago. I just started using my DSLR and just had kit lenses. 200 was the farthest zoom lens I had, but I still got some great shots. With the exception of grizzlies, you should be able to see bison and elk relatively close to the roads.

We drove the "figure 8" loop and saw almost everything. If you see a lot of cars stopped by the side of the road, 9 times out of 10 it is a bear jam so it is worth your while to check it out.

I have a trip report link in my signature about our trip.

 

[kgreen]

You will love Yellowstone. It is a photographer's dream. We went a few years ago. I just started using my DSLR and just had kit lenses. 200 was the farthest zoom lens I had, but I still got some great shots. With the exception of grizzlies, you should be able to see bison and elk relatively close to the roads.

We drove the "figure 8" loop and saw almost everything. If you see a lot of cars stopped by the side of the road, 9 times out of 10 it is a bear jam so it is worth your while to check it out.

I have a trip report link in my signature about our trip.

Awesome! On my way to work, but I will check out your trip report when I get home. Thanks!

 

[cpbjgc]

We were in Yellowstone in 2010 as part of a roadtrip including the Badlands in South Dakota (unbelievable scenery), the Black Hills (Bear Country, Reptile Gardens, Mt. Rushmore), Cody, Montanna (Night Rodeo and an awesome museum) and then Yellowstone where we stayed in the Park. The photo ops are everywehere. A gallery with some of the shots I took at Yellowstone can be found here.

Some things I found useful include:

• Google Maps - it allowed me to do a rough scoping of the locations to help decide when I wanted to shoot in a certain area (morning v. evening) as well as finding spots I might want to look at off the beaten path.
  
• Check out Yellowstone Forums, which has lots of good info, as well a number of posters who are locals - they had excellent info on where and when to find different types of animals. They also have some stunning shots in their photography forums.
  
• Consider having meals at the different park hotels. We had lunch at Old Faithful Lodge which is a cool sight in and of itself, and fun to explore. We also had dinner at Lake Yellowstone Hotel dining room. We stopped down by the beach behind the hotel after dinner.
  
• Be prepared for sudden and severe weather. I had an unintentional opportunity to test the weather sealing on my camera (it failed) and spent a bit of time using the hand dryers in the men's room at the Old Faithful Visitor Centre drying the camera out to get my AF working again.

Have a great trip!

 

[kgreen]

We were in Yellowstone in 2010 as part of a roadtrip including the Badlands in South Dakota (unbelievable scenery), the Black Hills (Bear Country, Reptile Gardens, Mt. Rushmore), Cody, Montanna (Night Rodeo and an awesome museum) and then Yellowstone where we stayed in the Park. The photo ops are everywehere. A gallery with some of the shots I took at Yellowstone can be found here.

Some things I found useful include:

• Google Maps - it allowed me to do a rough scoping of the locations to help decide when I wanted to shoot in a certain area (morning v. evening) as well as finding spots I might want to look at off the beaten path.
  
• Check out Yellowstone Forums, which has lots of good info, as well a number of posters who are locals - they had excellent info on where and when to find different types of animals. They also have some stunning shots in their photography forums.
  
• Consider having meals at the different park hotels. We had lunch at Old Faithful Lodge which is a cool sight in and of itself, and fun to explore. We also had dinner at Lake Yellowstone Hotel dining room. We stopped down by the beach behind the hotel after dinner.
  
• Be prepared for sudden and severe weather. I had an unintentional opportunity to test the weather sealing on my camera (it failed) and spent a bit of time using the hand dryers in the men's room at the Old Faithful Visitor Centre drying the camera out to get my AF working again.

Have a great trip!

Oh wow! Thanks for the info, & links! I loved looking at your photo's. I spent quite a bit of time reading on the Yellowstone forums. Thanks very helpful!

 

[jcb]

If you are on Twitter, you might want to follow the Yellowstone Association.

https://www.yellowstoneassociation.org/news

Their tweets include recent wildlife sitings. This was posted at 5:36pm (EDT) today:

We saw a female moose with calf at Floating Island Lake y'day, as well as 3 mountain goat families on Barronette Peak

 

[mom2rtk]

If you are on Twitter, you might want to follow the Yellowstone Association.

https://www.yellowstoneassociation.org/news

Their tweets include recent wildlife sitings. This was posted at 5:36pm (EDT) today:

That would have been so awesome when we were there in 2006. I'll definitely be doing that when we go back.