Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is famous worldwide and not only because it was the first national park in the world, established in 1872. It spans an area of about 3,500 square miles with lakes, mountains, canyons, and rivers and is located in the state of Wyoming but also extends to small areas of Idaho and Montana. It provides massive opportunities for photography, as well as nature observations and camping out, so pack your camera and your binoculars, as well as any camping gear you need.
This park is volcanic and home to some of the most famous natural wonders of the world, including the Old Faithful Geyser. The mud pots and hot pools are also some of the wonders that you should not miss when you visit the park. The wildlife has also been carefully managed and preserved and you can join them in their natural habitats, fishing, bird watching, sightseeing, biking, and hiking with experienced rangers in the park.
With being volcanic and also having many wild animals, there have been occasional deaths over the years. You should follow advice and guidance from the rangers at all times and keep to the paths or within the designated areas near hot springs and pools. The animals are wild and should be treated as such and respected. Bears do not generally enter the park but when they come, they are shot with rubber bullets to drive them away. You should keep all food items in bear-proof boxes when in the park.
The park gets falls of snow in winter and can be cold at night, even in summer, so if you are camping, come prepared with sleeping bags, warm clothing and blankets. It is possible to wild camp in the park but this is at your own risk, so talk to an experienced park ranger before backpacking. Stay in the safe areas and follow the instruction you receive from the Rangers. Sleep at least 100-150 yards away from the area you cook and dine and if any of your clothes smell of food, these MUST be changed before you sleep. And place those clothes away from the campsite. Never keep any remnants or garbage of food near the campsite. Place them at least 200 yards away from the campsite. Make sure you dispose of waste and water in a proper way. Get all this information from the park rangers before you plan to leave on the adventure.
Yellowstone National Park is visited by over 4-million people a year and is a place on many bucket lists. Is it on yours?