Perhaps the best way to start off this whirlwind trip in Yellowstone is with a map. Even though we booked our site at Madison Campground for 3 nights, it was impossible to see even half of Yellowstone. We kept our exploring to the western half of the park. Additionally, summer construction made travelling between spots difficult with 40 minute wait times in some places.
Day 1
We took our time that first morning in the park. Even though it was August, it was still chilly through the night and early morning. I set up our propane camp stove to boil water for coffee and our breakfast. This would become our morning ritual. While prepping for the trip, I found these containers of dehydrated beans and salsa at Wal-Mart that you can cook with eggs. After re-hydrating the salsa, I scrambled up six eggs and mixed it with the salsa and topped it all with cheese. Stone and I took turns eating, using tortilla chips as spoons. Surprisingly, it was pretty good for a random find. We cleaned up our space (remember the bears!) then walked to the small visitor center at Madison. Inside the visitor center were maps of the park, animal artifacts, and a cool velcro game that had us matching animal names to pictures of North American animals. Stone enjoyed picking up the elk and moose antlers and feeling the difference in bison, wolf, and otter fur. This would end up being a common thread through our trip.
We left the campground and headed south toward Old Faithful, the famous geyser was named by the Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition
of 1870, a group comprised of the first Europeans to come across Yellowstone. Old Faithful is named for its frequent and predictable eruptions, roughly every 91 minutes.
We arrived with roughly an hour to wait for the next display. We did our usual restroom break, walked through the visitor center, and checked out a few exhibits. The toughest part of Old Faithful with a toddler is the wait. To get a good seat for the show, you need to go out to the viewing area at least 30 minutes before. There is a boardwalk with some small benches forming a half circle probably 50 yards or more from the geyser mouth. It’s difficult to stay in one spot waiting for an event that is over in 1.5 to 5 minutes. Stone struggled with wiggling around and wanting to run off to explore other areas. He settled briefly, enough for us to watch the beginning of the eruption.
Hundreds of other people were filming and photographing, hushed “oooos” and “aaahs”. It is a strange thing to experience and something I didn’t think about until months after our trip. Yellowstone is still considered sacred land by numerous tribes of the Great Plains, Great Basin, and Plateau. For thousands of years before the park, tribes used these lands to hunt, fish, gather plants, quarry obsidian and other stones, and use the thermal waters for spiritual and medicinal purposes. These geysers throughout the park give a feeling of the earth being alive, a breathing entity and spirit.
As soon as the eruption was over, the fascination was lost. People left to move on to other areas of the park, get lunch, or buy items from the gift shop. Stone was interested in visiting more of the outdoor education areas that had bison horns, silicon bear paw impressions, and coyote furs. He is definitely a tactile, hands on learner. A park ranger was stationed by a small open art gallery to the side of the visitor center. We stopped to look at the items on the table then checked out the gallery.
The Yellowstone Art and Photography Center features historic and contemporary art that aids in the preservation of the park. We looked at oil and watercolor paintings, black and white photography, drone photos, and pencil drawings. You can also purchase art there and participate in art activities.
We continued on with our day, driving north on the Grand Loop towards Canyon Village. Between Madison Junction and Norris Geyser Basin, you can find Gibbon Falls right off the road. There is a small turn off and parking area to view the falls. We parked, and walked the edge of the parking area to get a full view of the falls and the river canyon.
After a brief walk along the edge of the parking area, we hopped back in Sweet Cream to make our way to Canyon Village and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Stone fell asleep on the drive and remained asleep as I pulled into the first parking lot for the North Rim of the canyon. Stone continued to sleep while I prepped our gear for a small hike. I filled my hydration pack and placed it inside of Stone’s Osprey carrier then adjust the straps to best fit my torso. If you are an avid hiker and a parent, I strongly suggest a carrier like this. One day I will do a full post on all our gear and gear we want for the future. Stone slept for about an hour then woke ready to get outside. I traded my sandals for shoes and set him up in his carrier.
We hiked along the north rim with little view of the canyon or any waterfalls. Eventually, Stone got restless in his carrier and wanted to walk on his own. I took him out and we continued on along the rim. Then I got this beautiful, awful idea – to hike the Red Rock Point Trail. It was short, maybe 0.3 miles. But in that short distance, we would drop 260 feet into the canyon for one of the best views of Lower Yellowstone Falls.
Stone hiked the entire distance down, holding tight to my hand as we travelled switchback after switchback. For any parents interested in this trail, there are steep drop offs that could be dangerous for children. As we walked down, I made Stone switch me sides with each switchback so I was closest to the drop offs while he hugged the rock edge.
We made it to the view point while adults commended Stone for being such a brave and responsible hiker. He was the only toddler footing it on the trail. We took a break on the earth hinge that holds Red Rock Point to the canyon wall. Then I realized we had an arduous climb ahead of us. We made it all of 20 feet before Stone got a splinter in his hand from the wooden stair railing. I did my best to wiggle it out but the combination of pain and exhaustion got him. I carried him in the Osprey all the way back to the truck. I joked about taking the selfie below because 5 minutes prior I was cursing between heavy breaths. The extra 50 pounds total was intense.
Back at the van, we cooled off, drank lots of water together, and took off our shoes. I buckled Stone into his car seat and we set off for the heart of Canyon Village.
At Canyon Village, you have lots of options for activities. You can climb Mount Washburn, watch wildlife in Hayden Valley, or visit the Canyon Village Education center for exhibits and films about the park. All I was focused on was food. I knew we would be too exhausted to watch water boil for a meal. We stopped inside the village’s cafeteria and chose a 1950s style diner for a cheeseburger and two orders of fries.
Our waiter was a young man from Eastern Europe who was spending the summer living his best life. Literally. He told us stories about his hikes, seeing bears, and rock jumping into lakes. It was heartwarming seeing his face light up as he told his stories and shared photos from his phone. We finished up our meal, cleaned up, then headed back to our camp.
At camp we set up our Enos hammock and settled in for the night. Stone and I swung in the evening light, reading books and telling stories. He wandered around the camp grounds picking up sticks and jumping off random logs and tree stumps. He said hi to other campers as they passed by. We also met another VW bus driver, an older man travelling with his son in a 1970s air cooled bay window. Ignore these nonsensical words if you’re not into car stuff. You don’t need to know to get outside.
After the sun set, Stone and I brushed our teeth, got into our pajamas and quickly feel asleep cuddled up next to each other in the van.
Day 2
I had a plan to explore as many volcanic attractions as we could before driving through Lamar Valley to watch wildlife. Realistically ALL of Yellowstone is a super volcano so you see evidence of volcanic activity everywhere. And you don’t have to go far.
Our first hike of the day was a quick 2.4 mile out and back trail to Mystic Falls. The trail was moderately busy but much less busy than major attractions at Yellowstone. The beauty of Yellowstone really lies in getting out if your car. Wildlife cause consistent traffic jams, parking lots are packed. But the trailheads on the side of the road hold lots of opportunity to get away from the crowds and view hidden gems like these waterfalls.
Stone hiked the entire trail, paying attention to his steps and only tripping maybe twice. But each time he got up, shed a few tears, dusted himself off, and kept going.
When we got to a safe spot, we decided to stop to enjoy the view and eat some snacks. Always have snacks when hiking with kids. Always. We survived most days off Clif bars, fruit snacks, cheddar bunnies, and water. Every now and then we would splurge on sweets at visitor centers.
Then our tour of the Lower Geyser Basin area continued. We viewed Black Sand Basin, Biscuit Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Sapphire Pool, and Fountain Paint Pots. It was smelly due to the sulphur and the colors were so rich. These photos don’t even do justice. The best part of being outside is remembering to use your senses. They are always there and always working, I just feel like sometimes we take them for granted or forget to focus on the present through our senses. The sun was beaming down on our skin, hot steam blowing into our faces, the smell of rotten eggs, and the sounds of bubbling from the paint pots. Stone got a kick out of those, iggling and laughing while making bubble noises himself. We watched a set of paint pots for probably 10 minutes just listening and watching them bubble and explode.
The Lower Basin area is the largest geyser basin area in Yellowstone, covering 11 square miles. If you are in a time crunch or just want more bang for your buck, the Fountain Paint Pot area has plenty of examples of thermal activity – geysers, hot pools and springs, fumaholes (steam vents), and mud pots. In about 30 minutes you can see the Celestine Pool. Clepsydra Geyser, Fountain Geyser, Fountain Paint Pots, the Jet Geyser, the Leather Pool, Morning Geyser, Silex Spring, and the Spasm Geyser.
We left the Lower Basin area and made our way to Mammoth Hot Springs. As we drove, Stone fell asleep for his usual afternoon nap. He woke up just as we were crossing the Gardner River. I pulled over to get a few photos of the fiver valley. Then it just became a selfie overload.
As we got into Mammoth Hot Springs, the weather was changing drastically. Sunny skies gave way to dark clouds and thunder. We reached the visitor center steps and rain started pouring. I got a coffee and Stone and I at some snacks while I debated the next week of our trip.
I had planned for us to visit Glacier National Park after Yellowstone. We had a campsite reserved for two nights at Fish Creek Campground. But my gut told me something was off. Once I got wi-fi service, I searched online for a cancellation process. Thankfully, the campground allowed for cancellations up to 24 hours prior, and I was able to get a refund aside from the deposit.
We stayed on the steps of the center, watching the thunderstorm move across the valley until it appeared to break. Once we had a relatively rain free moment, we loaded up into the Westy and drove east to Blacktail Deer Plateau and Lamar Valley. The weather made for some dramatic views but ran off most of the wildlife. Typically, the valley has herds of bison, elk, pronghorns, and occasionally a pack of wolves (Slough Creek Pack). All we saw was one lonely grizzly bear on a far ridge. As soon as I saw it, it was gone.
We turned around some time after Roosevelt Tower to conserve gas and time. I figured if we had not seen any wildlife in the last 2 hours, we probably wouldn’t see much if we continued. On our way back to Mammoth, we saw a double rainbow as the clouds broke. This would end up being one of my favorite views of all time. Even though it is simple, it is a scene that stuck with Stone. When we got back home to our usual work/daycare routine, he did a watercolor painting of this scene. It’s my favorite, and it’s hanging on the fridge until I can get it framed.
We drove back to camp, through a sudden and terrific thunderstorm. Lightening shot across the sky. Heavy rain drops pelted the metal sides of the van. I was quietly thankful that the windshield wipers worked (they are hit or miss). The closer we got to Madison, the storm gave way to clouds and dramatic fog, the temperature dropped, and the steam from the springs and pools covered the road in a thick haze.
We stopped at a couple spots on the way since the crowds had left and parking was open. Stone bundled up in a blanket, and I carried him along a short boardwalk to look at Beryl Spring.
I started a fire back at our campsite and made dinner for us. We also got to finally have some s’mores which surprisingly Stone didn’t want. So I probably ate too many. The fire was warm and inviting. I decided not to get too carried away with it since I knew we would both be exhausted from today’s adventure. And a good camper always makes sure the fire is out before you turn in for the night. Stone fell asleep before me so I stayed outside reading and reflecting on our day. Tomorrow would be our last morning at the park and from there we would stay the weekend in Belgrade, MT.
Day 3
The morning started out similar to how the previous night had ended. It was cold and dreary. I packed up all our gear into the Westy while Stone ran around. He had also met a new friend – a family with a toddler set up camp next to us, and he seemed elated that there was another kid around. We said our goodbyes and checked out of the campground.
Our first stop was Artist Paint Pots. From the parking lot we made our way down the 1.1 mile trail to another geothermal spring. It was cold and foggy. Stone walked/ran the full trail, saying hi to different families and people along the way. Artist Paint Pots is a pretty accurate name. Even through the fog, we could see strands of red, copper, deep yellow, cream, and white in the rocks. The pools varied from bright blue to grey to brown. These waters change regularly depending on the level of water and the amount of mineral deposits like iron or sulphur. There are also a couple irregular springs located in this area, the Blood Geyser and the Flash Spring.
After we got back to the parking lot, we bundled up with blankets before driving off. By the time we got to Mammoth Hot Springs, the sun was shining and the fog had cleared. There was plenty of parking even though Mammoth tends to be a very busy hub in Yellowstone. It is the first stop from the north entrance, and the north entrance remains open year round. We parked by a group of bikers. I have always had a soft spot for old bikers touring the country. It’s like watching people live out their dreams and represent “freedom” on their terms. Doesn’t necessarily mean I want to join a biker gang though.
We walked the boardwalk to view the hot spring terraces. These are travertine rock formations formed when thermal water rises through the limestone, dissolving the limestone as it travels. The calcium carbonate from the limestone is deposited as the water reaches the top, creating travertine terraces. The water trickles down the levels, creating a gentle waterfall. If you have ever been caving, it looks like a cave inside out.
The mineral waters here have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Now, soaking in the hot springs is prohibited, and you are strongly advised to stay on the boardwalk. Walking on the surfaces can damage the travertine as well as interrupt the ecosystem of microbes that exist. There is also the chance of serious injury from scalding water. It’s not common, but it does happen that people fall into a scalding spring and don’t survive.
Stone and I soaked up the sunshine while taking in the view. I’m not sure how to express how something so simple can be so awe inspiring. These falls aren’t like Lower Yellowstone Falls. They don’t command so much power. They don’t roar loudly. It’s quiet and simple. It’s intricate and ever changing.
Down from the Albright Visitor Center, you can find a gas station, gift shop, ice cream, and coffee. We got Stone a Yellowstone ranger shirt to remember the trip. I was looking for a hat for him but they didn’t have his size. I know a few people that work at Lids in the mall, and we had talked about getting his name and the year embroidered into a hat. Maybe next time. Or next trip. I will always want to come back to Yellowstone.
We gassed up, had a quick snack, then made our way out of the park. Along the road, I pulled over to get a quick photo of the last leg of our Yellowstone drive before getting to Gardiner. We had survived the park. And even more so, we had done more here than I had ever done before, even when I was by myself. The van was humming as we drove north to meet with our friends Neil and SJ in Belgrade.
