In honor of the National Park Service's centennial, our family (two adults, two kids and a dog) took a two-week road trip from Chattanooga to Yellowstone National Park. While I wanted to see Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, I didn't want to feel like a tourist, missing the backcountry. Here are a few tricks to make the most of your trip.
How to Avoid Crowded Campsites
The easiest way to get away from the crowds is to stay at a first-come, first-served campground. These tend to be away from the crowds and tour buses. In order to get one of these, plan to arrive as soon as the park opens. You will be given a map at the park entrance, and before you do anything else, plan a route to possible campsites. Ask the park ranger at the gate which campsites still have availability. The campsites with full amenities near the entrances fill up first, so if it's later in the day, don't even bother driving to those. Remember, these sites fill up by early morning, so if you want a site, arrive early in the day and make getting a campsite your first priority.
After you get to your campground, you may have to stand in line to pay for your campsite. Head to the front office and join the queue. If you see a long line, you may want to keep driving to the next campground. Your best chance at finding a spot will be at a campground with pit toilets (called vault toilets on the Yellowstone website) and no showers. I recommend entering the park from the west or north entrance and finding a spot at Pebble Creek or Slough Creek campgrounds. These usually fill last in the day and are away from the crowds.
How to Get a Hot Shower
Yellowstone is known for its large temperature swings during the day. While I love my outdoor shower rig, I'm not going to try to use it in 30-degree weather, even if the calendar says it's summer. There is a way to have a warm, indoor shower without paying for a hotel room. At all lodges and campgrounds with amenities within Yellowstone National Park, you can pay for a single shower. Yes, really. Just stop by the desk, say you want a shower and pay a small fee, generally between $3 and $15. Even at the luxury lodges, the desk attendant will not be surprised at this request; they see hikers all day long.
We paid for a shower at Mammoth Hot Springs hotel (closed for renovations in 2017) and were surprised to find not a locker room or a hotel room, but just a room with a shower for the specific use of hikers and campers. There are nine lodges and three campsites with showers within Yellowstone.
How to Make the Most of Your Time
Our main goal of the trip was to camp away from the crowds, while still seeing the highlights. The best news about Yellowstone is that there are no lowlights. No matter where you go in the park, you will find something beautiful. However, if seeing Old Faithful is on your bucket list, here's how to get the most out of the park.
First, do your research before you go. Make a list of your non-negotiable sites to visit. Next, using a map of the park, map out a general route for each day. Plan twice as much time as you think you will need. If a bison is sitting in the road for a few hours, it gets the right of way. Keep your gas tank full and be prepared to wait for nature that is not in a hurry.
A great trick is to match your must-see list with "car only" roads as much as possible. There is a surprising number of tour buses within the park. However, if you want to get away from it all, follow a few roads off the beaten path.
The most important part of making the most out of a Yellowstone trip is to plan one key activity for each day in the park. Use the first day to grab a campsite and go exploring. Visit the popular spots, such as Mammoth Hot Springs, on a weekday. A non-holiday Monday or Tuesday morning is the best time to see Old Faithful. Use the weekends to head to the trails.
However, no matter where you go in the park, you will be seeing amazing sights. There is no wrong way to do it.