Yellowstone Magic

Sorry for the literally ginormous pic, but this picture, quite literally, embodies Yellowstone National Park. I wouldn’t even want to guess how many pictures are taken with these park signs every single day. My best guess would probably still be too low.

If you ever go out west, Yellowstone is a must! Its beauty is incomparable, and I am a firm believer that everyone must see Old Faithful at least once in their lives. Yellowstone is full of magic that, I’m convinced, is next to impossible to find anywhere else.

I got to camp in Yellowstone this past week when Tavia and I went to visit. Let me tell you, camping Yellowstone was hands down one of the coolest experiences of my life. The weather was perfect, our campsite was right on Lewis Lake, and there were a lot of great people at our campground.

Another awesome part about camping in Yellowstone is the ease of getting around the park. Camping on-site eliminates the problem of having to make additional plans and waking up crazy early to make it to the park at a decent time. One major positive of this particular campground was that it was only 11 miles from the South Entrance, which basically means Grand Teton National Park.

If you have the time, you cannot miss out on the opportunity to go to the Tetons and Jackson, WY. Both places are so unique and beautiful, making it totally worth the extra few miles and hours. Tavia and I spent a couple of hours in Jackson and it still wasn’t enough! I could really spend a couple of days there.

However, it seems that everyone and their dog had the same idea as we did! There were so many people in Jackson when we went there. You do have to take into consideration that it was the middle of the day, in the middle of the summer, on a Friday no less! Even with the large amount of people, Jackson is still way awesome! (Photo of the Tetons below)

We also went to Firehole Canyon, which is a major must-do in Yellowstone! There is a little road that goes off of the main road to Madison Village, called Firehole Lake Drive. If you haven’t followed that road all the way around, you are missing out!! The drive through was so peaceful and beautiful!!

Firehole Lake Drive has geysers, hot springs, a steamy lake, and many other super sights. The drive was a super relaxed way to take in a lesser explored/populated area of Yellowstone. The photo below is of one of the pools, taken by my friend Tavia.

That night, we decided to check out our campsite a little more. We took Cash (my dog) and walked down by Lewis Lake. We were able to catch one of the coolest sunsets that I have ever seen. Being in Yellowstone in the mountains probably makes it look even prettier than it may have actually been! 🙂

Of course, Cash couldn’t be bothered to look at the camera in the pic below, but it was a super cool moment nonetheless. Cash was not very happy about being on a floating dock- he hates water 😉 The sunset was a great ending to the night.

Our final day in Yellowstone consisted of Canyon Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Tower Falls, all of which are tried and true Yellowstone favorites! We also snapped a photo with the Continental Divide sign, another Yellowstone favorite!

Luckily, I am not going to spoil ALL of Yellowstone for you! If you want more, you will just have to go there! If you make that decision, I promise, it will be one of the best you have ever made. The sights and sounds of Yellowstone are 100% worth the time and money spent to make it happen!

If you can’t make it in the summer, or don’t want to deal with the crazy amount of other people, the fall is also a super awesome time to check out the park. If you are into snowmobiling, parts of Yellowstone are even open in the winter too. You can truly find a way to make it happen if it’s on your bucket list!

Believe me, before last summer, I had never been to Yellowstone in my whole life. I had wanted to go so badly, but my family couldn’t really do the family vacation thing, as my siblings and I were all summer athletes. We also had a few dogs at home that made it difficult to leave. Now, one year and change later, I have been to the park six times. Yep, I said six. I have found a new place or seen something new each time I have gone to the park.

There is never a dull moment or dull season in Yellowstone National Park!

I will be traveling back to Iowa again for a wedding this week and will have another (Midwest based) post after the week is up. In the meantime, enjoy this pic of Tavia and Cash.

Happy Hiking, Taylor.