Looking for a summer travel destination where you can safely practice social distancing and enjoy nature? Wyoming is one of the least populated states where you will likely find more wildlife than people. We venture to America's first National Park, Yellowstone to get a dose of untouched nature and national treasures.
Before visiting this wild and vast park, there are a few things you need to know about the wildlife, accommodations, and precautions. Check out our latest vlog to find out more!
1. Look but don't touch!
The geothermal and hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone are filled with colorful, bubbling, steaming hot ground. The water here can reach over 160 degrees! Be sure to stay on the walkways and trails.
2. Plan a few days in the park.
Yellowstone is vast - nearly 3,500 square miles of land. It takes between 3.5 to 4 hours to drive the distance from north to south. While you can see many sights in a day, it's best to spread it out over a few days so you can properly enjoy and take in the sights.
3. Visit Old Faithful
If you are short on time in Yellowstone, be sure to see Old Faithful first. It erupts every 90 minutes or so, and the Park Rangers list the time estimates in the park at the Visitor's Center. The geyser is one of the wonders and iconic symbols of the park, and the eruption lasts between 1.5 - 5 minutes. If you arrive early, hike to the Observation Point for a bird's eye view to see just how far the water reaches at full blast! The Beehive is another geyser in the area that is lesser known but is quite a show to watch. The blast projects 130-190 feet high! (shown below).
4. Observe the Animals from a Safe Distance
The park is known for its abundant animal viewings. During our trip, we saw grizzly bears, elk, bison, deer, and a number of the 300 species of birds that call the park home. In fact, Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. âBe sure to view the wildlife from a safe distance so as not to startle them. The rule of thumb is to stay at least 2-3 yards away. In fact, you may be able to get your best photos from the car.
5. Bring your camera gear and portable wifi hotspot
The park's natural wonders make for perfect photography subjects. Bring your telephoto lens to capture the animals from a safe distance, and a portable wifi hotspot since the park offers very limited internet service.
What are your favorite features of Yellowstone National Park? Comment below with your tips!
This past Fourth of July weekend, I was able to cross off one of the major national parks that had been on my bucket list for a long time. Hint: It contains stunning wildlife, mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers, and it got its name from its glaciers. That's right- Glacier National Park is the spot!
It is very remote (as are many national parks) and one of the only major airports nearby is Calgary International Airport, which happened to work out because got to experience Canada Day (July 1st). What better way to celebrate Canada Day and 4th of July than at the national park that sits on the US-Canada border! On the US side is Glacier National Park which covers over 1,500 square miles of Montana's rugged wilderness. The park spans the border to Alberta Canada, forming the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and noted for its various ecosystems ranging from prairie to tundra. Here's how I was able to cover many of the major sights in this park in a three day weekend. Check out the behind the scenes video (Caution: there may or may not be a bear attack in this vlog): Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
What are your favorite things to see in Waterton- Glacier National Park?
Navajo Nation is filled with so many natural wonders that we had to do a part two blog post. The road trip through this region continues with a trip to Monument Valley and the Petrified National Forest.
Monument Valley- Day 2 No trip to Navajo Nation is complete without seeing where the West Was Won: Monument Valley. Featured in numerous western movies, Monument Valley is the iconic landscape of the Southwest. The drive to the park is about an hour north of Canyon de Chelly, and the monoliths start around the town of Kayenta. The entire desert gradually turns into red sand as the park gets closer. Monument Valley is right on the Arizona/Utah border. The park usually can reach three digit temperatures in summer, but on this cool January day it was 40 degrees with freshly fallen snow in the valley that added a decorative touch to the monuments. We made a brief stop at the View Hotel, a fitting name for a hotel that literally has the best view of the park. The horizon is unobstructed of anything man-made. The most famous monoliths that dominate the skyline are the left and right mittens, and three sisters. Inside the hotel, there is a gift shop which has the most extensive amount of Native American crafts that I have seen: turquoise jewelry, dream-catchers, blankets, and pottery.
We took our 4x4 SUV through the unpaved park loop, a 17 mile dirt road that passes through the monuments. Overall, I was surprised at how wide-open this park felt. I could hear my echo throughout the park and there were hardly any tourists or remnants of modern life in sight. It was a pure American adventure.
Petrified Forest National Park - Day 3 Forest? Wait, isn't this the desert? Well, not 217 million years ago it wasn't! This park has trees and fossils that are literally frozen in stone with some of the most beautiful natural art.
Painted Desert
On the route back to California, we took highway 40, which happens to pass through the Petrified Forest National Park. The park is not to be missed. Upon entering the park, the first thing we saw was the painted desert - a pink and red landscape with wavy desert hills. We continued onward to find that the landscapes got even more surreal. Crystallized Forest It is hard to imagine that this bone-dry terrain was once a swamp with large conifer trees that existed when the earth was a Pangaea and Arizona was located near the equator. The logs from the conifer trees crystallized by absorbing the minerals from the water. With time, they became as hard as rocks, although still look like wood. The bark contains semi-precious stones with different colors, like mustard yellow, burnt orange, and hot pink - making them a treasure trove for souvenir hunters in the park to this day. They are quite beautiful to look at and definitely give a sense of how dramatically the earth has changed over time.
Blue Mesa
Another notable sight at the Petrified National Forest is the Blue Mesa - an area that looks like a purple moonscape. The area is so fragile that hiking is not allowed. The ground is made of "conglomerates" or a collection of cobbles and pebbles cemented together that were carried in a stream laid down 225 million years ago. The ground is covered in purple, clay-like sand that feels like quicksand when you step on it. Fossils have been unearthed of dinosaurs and reptiles. These hills are shaped like tepees and you can see the striations of rock. It is because of all the colors that this area was dubbed the painted desert. Overall, the Navajo Nation is filled with spectacular sights to photograph. If you can make it within three days like we did, then you will have no problem fitting in these sights. Of course, it is best to spend more time in each park as it will allow you to experiment with different lighting and take the hiking trails which gives you a closer look into the park. Exploring this area will definitely make you feel as though you have entered a whole new world without leaving the USA! |
Published Travel ArticlesWelcome to Run The Atlas!
We are two adventurous young professionals who turned our passion for travel into a blog to help others travel more.
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