See Old Faithful in all its ancient glory

When you think about Yellowstone National Park, you may imagine geysers of hot water, spouting into the air. It may conjure surreal images of landscapes festooned with emeralds and topaz, sapphire and violet. You may think of noxious pools you shouldn’t touch or the fact that just beneath your feet is a chamber of magma unfathomably large.

Most people don’t realize that Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. When tales of the beauty of Yellowstone first rolled into newspapers, the reporters thought they were hearing stories of faraway alien planets, certainly not something right here on Earth. But, lucky for us, it is right here on Earth, and something we can easily visit in our RVs.

Planning for the adventure of a lifetime

Yellowstone is the most popular national park, so planning ahead of time is something you’re going to have to do. Yellowstone has five entrances, but if you’re planning to go during an offseason, the entrance you want to plan for is the northern entrance as it’s the only one that’s open throughout the year.

While Yellowstone sees the most traffic during July and August, anytime in the summer works great. Knowing when it’s busiest may help you decide when to visit, so it’s not as busy. Be warned, if there’s snow the park, roads will be closed.

If you plan on staying any length of time at Yellowstone, you will do well to reserve your camping spot early because they book fast. The early bird gets the worm, and the early RVer secures their spot.

Make sure you have what you need with you for the vacation beyond clothes to accommodate for the hot days and cool nights. Did you pack your camera? What about snacks and food? Did you bring along water bottles for long days away from home? You may have remembered the bug spray, but what about the bear spray.

Once you decide all of this, take some time to figure out what you want to do when you get there. Planning your itinerary will help you get the most out of your stay and your experience, it will also reduce the stress of trying to plan when you’re already there.

What to do at Yellowstone National Park

There’s so much to see and do when you get to Yellowstone that you’ll wonder how to see it all. That may be difficult since the park spans more than two million acres. Outside of the obvious thing, seeing Old Faithful, where should you turn your tourist compass?

• Solitude on trails. There’s plenty of nature trails to hit that aren’t clogged with other visitors that will give you an intimate, firsthand glimpse of this beautiful park.
• Uncle Tom’s Trail will give you your workout and will reward you with a view of the Lower Falls where you may get a chance to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River!
• Hit the nature trail at Pelican Creek. With so many people around, you may be surprised to find a spot where you can hear nature going through her rhythms. If you love gazing at lakes and mountains, this is a must-see!
• Hayden Valley. When you visit Hayden Valley, you’re going to see a lot of animals just living their lives. The interesting thing about Yellowstone is the variety of animals it hosts, and here is where you’re going to get a chance to see them all.
• The Grand Prismatic Spring. This hot spring is the biggest in the United States. What makes it unique to hot springs is the blending of colors, all of which is determined by how hot the water is. The center is the hottest. So hot, in fact, that life cannot live there.
• Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. If you love wildlife, this is a nice place to learn about how bears and wolves shaped Yellowstone and their rich history of living there together.

There is a lot to see and do, but these are some of our top favorite spots to visit in Yellowstone. It’s not a stretch to say you could visit Yellowstone for many years to come and still discover something new to see.

Are your wheels up for the trek? Getting stranded on the side of the road because of a flat is no way to start your Yellowstone vacation adventure. With our tire and wheel protection plan, we make sure your RV tires, and the tires of all the vehicles you bring along with you, are ready to take you to great new adventuring heights!