Andrew traveled to Yellowstone National Park in June 2017. We asked him for his thoughts on the park, and here is what he wrote. You can learn about Andrew here.
1. What was the most memorable part of your visit to Yellowstone National Park?
I loved seeing the wildlife and I enjoyed how there were a variety of animals. I especially liked how they were mixed all throughout the park, and certain species were not just isolated to one individual area.
2. Did you see any wildlife? If so, what types?
My family and I saw lots of bison. The bison were huge. They were all over the place and really impressive, but you need to keep your distance. While we were there we saw one bison push over a tree right near a trail! We also some some black bear, grizzly bear and cubs, as well as pronghorn, marmot and deer. Finally, we didn’t see any wolves, but we did hear their howls!
3. Can you describe your favorite hike at Yellowstone National Park?
We went on Uncle Tom’s Trail and this was the coolest hike in the park. This trail led down 328 steps to Yellowstone Falls. Even though there was lots of climbing, I loved how there were lots of viewpoints on the trail. When you get to the bottom the views and sounds of the waterfall are amazing! This trail is especially cool because I love waterfalls. Make sure you hold on to the railing otherwise you could fall down the steps. Uncle Tom’s Trail is only 0.6 miles long, but if you combine it with the portion of the South Rim trail from Artist Point, it is 2.6 miles round trip.
4. What was the level of difficulty of this hike (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Why?
I would rate this trail as a 6, because you are going down steps constantly, which means you are going up the steps constantly on the way back. This can be really tiring in the heat! Since it wasn't overly difficult, my parents highlighted this in their article on seven family friendly hikes in U.S. National Parks.
5. What is the one “must have” product that you would recommend when visiting this park? Why?
I recommend using No Ad stick. The sun can be really hot in this park. I like No Ad because it protects your skin but also because my skin is really sensitive and this doesn’t give me a rash. The stick is nice because it is small and easy to apply to my skin.
6. Do you have any other comments or suggestions for Yellowstone National Park?
Make sure you go to the Old Faithful area, but get there early before the crowds set in. If you are up for walking, the boardwalk trails (Upper and Lower Geyser Basin) just north of Old Faithful are not overly crowded and worth the walk. Also, my parents wrote up a blog on the top 10 reasons you'll fall in love with Yellowstone National Park. It is definitely worth a read if you are looking at visiting the park. Also, if you are trying to figure out a route in and out of the park, if you are heading from the east, try the Beartooth Pass. Information on what you'll find in the Beartooth Pass was highlighted in another one of my posts.
Also, if you get a chance, head out the east entrance to the Beartooth Pass. The views are incredible!
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