Spending the night at Spearfish Canyon Lodge was a big relief after the less-than-spectacular experience we had with Under Canvas Mount Rushmore.
We slept well in the Muir Suite. For us, this was the ideal place (quiet, comfortable, and right next to trails and scenery).
I did wake up fairly early (5:30 AM) because I wanted to take in a morning run to Roughlock Falls. The trailhead is just past the lodge building on the south-east side.
Roughlock Falls
I decided to run the one-mile trail to the falls and back. It was a very nice experience, with woodlands surrounding the trail and the towering walls of Spearfish Canyon rising above. It kind of reminded me of Zion, albeit more wooded and with cooler summer temperatures.
Roughlock Falls was my favorite of the three we saw in Spearfish Canyon (the others being Bridalveil Falls and Spearfish Canyon Falls).
The falls can be viewed from three separate platforms at different elevations. You will want to stop at all three to fully appreciate the falls.
Roughlock Falls Lower Viewpoint
Roughlock Falls Upper Viewpoint
The falls create an interesting microclimate of their own, owing to the spray the falls deposit in the canyon. The falls roll over moss-covered rocks and between thick groves of trees and flowering bushes. The falls look like something you’d imagine in the Pacific Northwest.
I started jogging back and noticed I wasn’t alone on the trail. My trail companion, however, was a bit shy and decided to run off trail and into the foliage rather than stop and talk.
Black Bear in Spearfish Canyon
A bear encounter is always a a good way to close out a roadtrip.
After my morning fun, I returned to the room and showered while Shelley and Evan enjoyed a few more minutes of rest. You can decide who had a better start to the morning between the three of us.
An hour later we all got packed up and started home.
We wanted coffee though, and the best way to get something more than regular black was to first drive back north to Spearfish.
Spearfish
We decided to try a small coffee stand near the highway called KLYM Coffee and Donuts. The coffee was good enough but the donuts were tiny.
With our coffee needs covered we headed west into Wyoming for the drive home.
Wyoming
The drive south through Sundance, Four Corners, and Newcastle on highways 585 and 85 was pretty scenic and enjoyable.
Once past Newcastle, Wyoming changes from mountains and forests to dry, windswept stretches of rangeland.
I often hear people speak negatively about driving through Wyoming, but for me, it’s the stark difference between northern and southern Wyoming that stands out.
Yes, I’m not a huge fan of the endless, dry, and windy stretches of southern Wyoming. But northern Wyoming just looks and feels different.
From the northeast corner where the Black Hills give way to Devils Tower, to the central Bighorn Mountains and Bighorn Canyon, and finally the Beartooth Mountains and the national parks of Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the northwest, northern Wyoming represents some of the best scenery in the country. To drive east to west across northern Wyoming is a true adventure.
In all areas of Wyoming the towns are very small and dining options are extremely limited. We were going to stop in Lusk for lunch, but didn’t find anywhere that we were interested in going.
We continued on another sixty miles to Torrington and had a late lunch at Arby’s.
After lunch, we continued south and re-entered Colorado. The roads were much busier and the weather much hotter.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a fun trip in a year where we’ve had to dial back on travel (for a number of reasons).
It was great to get back to the Black Hills and I’m pretty sure we’ll be back again within a few years. The Black Hills are full of fun and interesting sites, and we got the chance to discover a few more on this journey.
I would like to go even further next time and visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. I’ve only once been in North Dakota (Grand Forks in 1998), and 99% of the state is unexplored. And the majority of South Dakota remains to be explored as well.
We woke up after a third and final night at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore and were glad to be leaving for a new destination on our last night of the trip.
I went to the showers early and noticed that the towel bin was barely stocked. I grabbed one for myself and proceeded to take another uncomfortable, one-handed shower. After finishing I walked back to the tent to begin packing up and carrying luggage out to the car.
When Shelley and Evan went to take showers, there were literally no towels left. At 7:30 AM. Add that to the fact that two of the shower stalls were out of order and you get the overall level of attentiveness and upkeep that the resort was offering.
I was going to walk up to the host tent and let them know that there were no towels (and to also convey the unfortunate fact that they were doing a really crappy job running the place), but Shelley and Evan just wanted to get going. They would get a shower later in a more comfortable place.
So do we recommend Under Canvas Mount Rushmore? Heck no.
We pulled into Keystone and decided to check TripAdvisor for a list of breakfast restaurants. We had a bit of a drive that day and checked what was available along the route. We stopped at one in Rapid City.
Rapid City
We chose Millstone Family Restaurant which was pretty crowded, but also pretty good. It was Father’s Day and there was a short wait to get seated, but once we did, we had everything we needed (pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc) to start out our day.
After breakfast, we started northwest on the I-90 toward Spearfish and from there we would be continuing on to Devils Tower.
Spearfish
Northeast Wyoming is sparsely populated and there are few options for gas and food. Thus, we made it a point to stop in Spearfish first for gas and coffee. I had spurned the black coffee available at Millstone in favor of trying out a coffee house in Spearfish.
I was definitely curious to see Spearfish since it seems like the kind of small town that has all the right things going for it: a historic downtown with modern eateries and businesses, proximity to the outdoors, and easy access to Rapid City and the I-90 corridor.
I liked the town right away. And the name of the town is cool.
We stopped at Blackbird Espresso which was clearly a popular spot among the locals (who were an interesting mix too). The coffees took a few minutes, but they were good. I always like visiting local coffee shops when we are out on the road.
After getting some coffee it was time to drive west toward one of nature’s most bizarre geologic wonders: Devils Tower.
Devils Tower National Monument
We visited Devils Tower in 2013 when Evan was in a stroller, so for him it was like the first time. I wanted to come back and see it for the third time in my life (my first visit was in 1988 as a school kid).
Driving in we had to wait about 45 minutes just to enter the parking area because traffic is metered to avoid congestion. We were in no hurry so it wasn’t a problem, but do expect delays in the summer months.
The tower is one of those sights that you just can’t believe is real. It just rises as a massive cylinder above the surrounding countryside.
The tower is the remnants of a volcano that once stood in place of the tower. The tower is a volcanic plug of solidified basalt that formed in the neck of the volcano. When the rest of the volcano eroded away, the basalt column remained.
There are two loop trails around the monument from the visitor center. The inner loop is a paved path of about a mile that circles the monument and offers views throughout. However, it is much more popular with visitors and doesn’t explore the surrounding landscapes.
The other option is the 2.5 mile Red Beds Trail, which I elected to take as an alternative hike. Shelley’s knee was bothering her from bicycling the prior day, so I hiked it alone, while Evan and her did the inner loop.
The Red Beds Trail
To access the Red Beds Trail, simply take the marked detour off the inner loop trail near the visitor center. The trail deviates away from the crowds and you’ll soon see that there is more to Devils Tower National Monument, including the Red Beds.
The attached videos show two locations on the trail, the first about one mile from the trailhead, and the second passing through the Red Beds section.
Both loop trails return to the visitor center parking lot so it is easy to rendezvous if you have hikers on both trails simultaneously.
After completing the hike it was time to drive back to Spearfish for some Father’s Day lunch.
Spearfish
Once back in Spearfish I routed us to a place I had found on TripAdvisor before our departure: Sawyer Brewing Company. The description was just exactly what I wanted, a place that served food and drinks with a nice view.
Well, unfortunately it was raining so the crowd was packed together inside. And that made the interior loud and crowded. Not quite what I wanted.
Add to that meh pizza, and meh service, and too much noise, and pushy people seated behind us, and it was not quite great overall.
Before heading down Spearfish Canyon for the final stop of the day, we stopped off at Walmart for some supplies. Spearfish Canyon is pretty, but there aren’t many services available.
Spearfish Canyon
I had never heard of Spearfish Canyon before researching this trip and I’m glad I found it. It’s yet another scenic area of the Black Hills, but one that is a bit more tucked away and quiet.
We first stopped at Bridalveil Falls which is an easy pull-off stop on the road. There are many Bridalveil Falls in the US, including the one in Yosemite.
Unfortunately this one was lacking the water volume it might have had in a snowier year and was therefore, not quite as impressive as we hoped.
But don’t worry, the falls and the views in Spearfish Canyon get better the further south you drive.
The Black Hills of South Dakota are a unique place. They are chock full of natural and historic places, and are a huge part of the American story in a year in which we’re celebrating the semiquincentennial year of the United States: America 250.
We had a lot of reasons to make a road trip to the Black Hills in June of 2026:
1) To explore places we have never been to on prior trips.
2) To revisit some sites with our now 13-year-old son that he had only visited once as a 6-month old baby.
3) To enjoy the great American roadtrip with some out-of-way and out-of-the-ordinary tourist stops along the way.
4) And finally, to see if the Black Hills might be a place to open a future campground business we hope to pursue in the next few years.
Day 1: Wednesday: The Drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming
We decided to start the journey with a Wednesday afternoon drive up to Cheyenne, Wyoming after work to better position ourselves for the roadtrip the following day. By spending a night in Cheyenne we’d bypass the traffic in the Denver metro and give us two extra hours to explore.
The 2-hour drive north on the I-25 from our home we have done dozens of times, but since it was our intention to take our time, we made a stop at the Buc-ee’s in Berthoud, Colorado and had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Colorado: Nordy’s in Loveland.
At Buc-ees we picked up some road trip snacks: glazed almonds, pecans, and cashews, cinnamon-roll frosted pretzels, etc. We brought our Blue cooler and could put anything that might need to be kept cool within (like the chocolate Overbites). And, on a Wednesday evening, it wasn’t even crazily busy within the store.
We’ve made stops at Nordy’s on a bunch of roadtrip vacations over the years and I also enjoy walking in the door, seeing the Western decor, and smelling the delicious BBQ. Since it’s only about 30 miles from Nordy’s to Cheyenne, we also could have a beer with our dinner.
I ordered the Carolina pulled pork sandwich with corn fritters and it was delicious as usual. Nordy’s is one of those places I’ll genuinely miss if we leave Colorado.
Earlier this year I signed up for the Marriott Bonvoy Chase Card. And because we spent the $3000 within the first three nights, I received five free nights at Marriott branded hotels.
It’s a nice new hotel on the southwest side of the city. The room was clean and comfortable and the breakfast the next morning was also good.
The hotel is across the street from train tracks and trains are frequently passing by throughout the day and night. I called ahead when I booked to request a room on the backside of the hotel which faces a parking area and open land. Some of the reviews mention train noise, but I can say the back of the hotel is very quiet.
This is a photo from our room on the 4th floor. I would certainly stay there again, especially with Bonvoy points.
Day 2: Thursday: Cheyenne to the Black Hills via the Nebraska Panhandle
When I made plans for the roadtrip I decided it would be interesting to take a route further east instead of our typical route directly north through Wyoming.
We would make the second day all about the journey and not the destination.
This would be a day that would see us on the road early, and going to sleep late. We ate a hot breakfast in the hotel then got out on the road.
Holiday Park Big Boy Locomotive
The first stop of the day was in Cheyenne, Wyoming itself. We are train aficionados (especially my 13-year-old Evan) and the chance to see a Big Boy locomotive was something we were not going to pass up.
The Union Pacific Railroad company built the Big Boy steam engines in the 1940s to run between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah. They are still the largest locomotives ever built.
Only a few Big Boy engines still exist and I’m aware of only one that is still running. The one at Holiday Park in Cheyenne has been idle since the 1960s. But they are absolutely huge and well worth seeing.
The engine is 132 feet long with eight drive wheels on both sides. The tender is by itself as large as a modern diesel engine.
After spending some time walking around the engine and taking photos, we returned to my truck to start off for the next destination (with a stop for coffee at a Ziggi’s in Cheyenne before leaving town).
There are two interesting reasons to visit Scott’s Bluff.
First, the bluff itself stands about 800 feet above the surrounding prairie and offers distant views of the surrounding bluffs, the North Platte river, and the city of Scottsbluff, NE. There are numerous scenic trails to explore from the summit.
Second, is the bluff’s significance to Oregon Trail pioneers. When the pioneers were traveling in wagon trains for over the two thousand miles, they did so at a time when road signs and GPS were a distant dream. Instead, they noted their progress by passing notable geographic landmarks.
Scott’s Bluff was a passageway for the wagon trains as the journeyed west.
First we walked along the Oregon trail path which has conestoga wagons on display (one with faux oxen), giving a sense of what the wagons would have once looked like passing over the same ground.
Afterward we drove to the top of the bluff to do some short hikes (I also ran down a section and ran back up to exercise my legs before we continued on with the drive). The bluff top is fairly extensive and the trails lead all the way to the base if you want to skip the drive.
Since we had limited time and a big day planned, after about an hour we needed to move on to our next stop: Chimney Rock.
Chimney Rock National Historic Site
We drove a section of highway between Scott’s Bluff and Chimney Rock along the same route that the Oregon Trail would have traveled in the reverse direction (we were traveling southeast and the Oregon trail traveled northwest).
Like Scott’s Bluff, Chimney Rock was an important landmark on the Oregon Trail. And this landmark is so significant it is featured on the Nebraska license plate and in the game Oregon Trail.
There are two areas to visit at Chimney Rock: The Nebraska State Historical Society run museum and trails, and the privately owned Walk to the Rock.
We first visited the state park section which is more distant from the landmark but includes the museum. Chimney Rock is a historic site because the Oregon Trail pioneers used it as a landmark and also engraved their names on the sandstone (but you can’t get close enough to the monument to see the engravings).
After visiting the museum we proceeded to the next section of the monument which was only opened a few years ago: Walk to the Rock.
Walk to the Rock is just a short half mile drive up from the museum parking lot and allows you to view Chimney Rock from much better vantage points. You still can’t approach any closer than a couple hundred feet, but you can see more of the geologic details of this iconic landmark.
You will absolutely want to visit Walk to the Rock as the views are simply much better and provide different viewing angles as well.
Alliance, Nebraska
After an hour and a half at Chimney Rock we needed to keep moving. We needed to find a place to have a picnic lunch and I found Laing Park in Alliance, Nebraska. All we needed was a quiet spot with picnic tables and that is what we found.
The park had a nice lake and was very quiet, but we were a little disappointed by the amount of litter left behind by someone’s birthday party.
We stopped to look at some neat ducks by the lakeside. One appeared to be a wood duck.
Carhenge
The real reason for proceeding to Alliance, Nebraska was to see a famous tourist attraction that mimics Stonehenge in England, but using old cars: Carhenge.
Carhenge helps draw tourists to Alliance, Nebraska and it is really a cool scale model of the ancient Druid monument.
We walked around the car structures, and the oddball dinosaur and other monsters on the site. We wanted to visit the gift shop, but there was a pretty bad odor inside so we decided to just get back on the road. We still had a lot to do that day.
Chadron, Nebraska
Driving north from Alliance, Nebraska the terrain begins to change from the Sandhills region of Nebraska into the rugged southern end of the Black Hills. I wanted to stop at Chadron State Park (and it would have made a prettier lunch spot), but we were running short of time and needed to make a stop at the local Walmart for a few supplies.
With the shopping done it was time to leave Nebraska behind and cross the state line into South Dakota.
The Black Hills
The South Dakota Black Hills are both a mountain range and a major cultural and historical region that defines western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming.
We had a busy itinerary planned for our time in the Black Hills over the next several days.
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore
I mentioned that my wife Shelley and I want to eventually open a glamping business and we thought it would be fun idea to spend a few mights at the biggest glamping chain in the US: Under Canvas.
I will have a lot to say about our experience here in a subsequent post (overpriced and overall bad), but I’ll just say in this post that we were staying in a Safari Tent with an additional Kid’s Tent.
After we got checked in and put our luggage in the tent we were hungry and drove to Hill City for dinner.
Prairie Dog Taproom, Hill City
The guy who checked us into our tent at Under Canvas recommended the Prairie Dog Taproom in Hill City. The food was good, but it was also rather difficult to order because everything was done via phone and text message. I felt like we needed a user guide for the restraunt when all we wanted was some cold beers and a pizza.
They did have friendly staff and a lot of games to play while eating. The waitress told us all about her life and asked us for personal advice after just meeting us. We said what we always say: You do you.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The final stop of the night was probably the most important for us in this year of the semiquincentennial: Mount Rushmore.
We visited Mount Rushmore on the previous visits in 2013 and 2020, but we felt we should visit again, this time at night for the evening program with the lighting ceremony.
We had to make a quick getaway from the Prairie Dog Taphouse conversation to make sure we could get over to Mount Rushmore in time to get in line for ice cream. They serve an original recipe that was Thomas Jefferson’s own and it is so very good.
After eating our ice cream we walked over to the gift shop for much needed sweat shirts. We were cold and under-dressed for a night at the monunent. The Black Hills were relatively cool (60s and low 70s F) during our trip and it was in the 40s F during the evening lighting ceremony.
The lighting ceremony was quite nice. A ranger spoke about why he chose to become a park ranger, there was a video about the American experience, and finally all of the military vets and gold star families were called down from the audience to the stage to lower the flag.
The illumination of the memorial was as good as I had hoped.
Afterward we headed back to our glamping tent for the night. We got to sleep at about 11 PM after a long, but fun day.
I’ve updated the Wildlife of Wyoming photo gallery to include the many animals we saw in June in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the surrounding areas.
I did realize that at the moment we saw the Grizzly Bears we were actually in Montana, and they have been added to the Wildlife of Montana gallery :). The Beartooth Highway crosses between Montana and Wyoming on the scenic roadway between Yellowstone and Red Loge, Montana.
Our last day of the trip we had intentionally left fairly open as far as our itinerary. We had gone to the visitor center the day before and saw that there was a ranger-led hike at Taggart Lake on the southern end of the park at 9AM.
Since we had never been to Taggart Lake this seemed like a good activity for the morning. The ranger-led portion was just to the lakeside for about 2 miles. Then we could continue on our own to complete a 4 mile loop back to the trailhead.
Instead of the usual cereal and protein shakes in our cabin, we decided to have a hot breakfast at John Colter’s Ranch House. It was a nice change of pace on a less busy day. Yes, we save quite a bit of time and money by not dining out every meal, but sometimes it’s good to have pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
Taggart Lake
It was about a 45 minute drive from Colter Bay to the Taggart Lake trailhead (with another stop for air in my right-front tire). Once we arrived we waited for the ranger to appear along with the rest of our group then started the guided hike.
It was a bit windier and chillier early in the day as a cold front began to move into the area. That was ok though, it was still a very nice day and we had just gotten really lucky to have such ideal weather the whole trip.
As we made our way along the route the ranger would ask questions of the group. We answered most of them. And he had no qualms about letting us answer them all :).
We’ve been teaching our youngest to not feel embarrassed about ‘showing off’ his knowledge and intelligence. Some kids at school made him feel awkward in science and other class for being a nerd or know-it-all. Let them feel stupid all day long.
So we answered the name of the plant with the yellow flower as ‘arrowhead balsamroot’, that grizzlies love to eat moths, and every other assorted question the ranger had. We also walked into the forest off trail with the permission of the ranger to remind us to take time to let our senses appreciate nature free of all the noise and distractions of life.
As we continued from the lake shore around the loop we saw plenty of vistas of the Tetons, wildflowers, and butterflies, but no significant wildlife.
The Taggart Lake area leads upward to many more trails that I might try in the future such as Delta Lake.
Jackson Hole
I know the town is called Jackson, but everyone calls it Jackson Hole. Which sounds cooler.
We decided to have lunch in JH since we were fairly close to the south entrance and hadn’t been in JH since 2010. Back then we stayed in Jackson, which I realized was pretty distant from the park’s main areas and a bit unsatisfying if you want to enjoy the park.
Jackson has changed a lot in the past couple decades with all the billionaires moving in. We drove past the city park with the elk antler arches (which are pretty cool) and parked on a side street.
We decided to eat at the Merry Piglets because we wanted Mexican food. I had heard of the Merry Piglets because of a famous, recent missing person, murder case that ended in the Tetons not long ago. But regardless of that sad notoriety, we just wanted some burritos.
My food was lukewarm when served, and Shelley’s and Evan’s was almost cold. We sent their food back. I was too hungry to stop and think that my food should have been warmer. They got their remade dishes, which were correctly piping hot. But overall, I can’t really recommend it.
After eating we drove back north into the park and along the way we saw a bison herd. Plenty of junior bison as well.
That was pretty cool and made up for a lackluster lunch.
Colter Bay
We drove back into Colter Bay and parked at our cabin. We wanted to go to the two-mile loop trail that leads to a peninsula off of Colter Bay and afterward we could visit the gift shops one last time.
Shelley and Evan had hiked this trail the day before and were able to point out many things along the way, such as the bear claw marks on a tree (a warning to other bears) and some frogs lurking the mud near the Jackson Lake waterline.
Wile we were hiking back a few people told us a black bear was just seen crossing the path where we were walking. But unfortunately, we missed it.
We walked over to the general store to get some ice cream and met an unusually unfriendly, odd looking guy behind the counter. Almost all the staff we met working at the resorts were nice. This guy was not. Oh well.
We stopped at the visitor center and while inside we heard that the juvenile grizzly had just run past the marina. We stepped outside and there was a crowd there, as well as some rangers at the far end of the marina path. The grizzly was in the woods and the rangers seemed to want it to continue going in that direction.
Well, I had seen bears 6 days of the trip, but so far had struck out today.
We returned to the cabin to start packing up in preparation for departure the next day. We rested a bit, then at dinner time made our way over to the Ranch House again for dinner. It was good and we like it. As far as national park eateries go it’s a good place.
Day 9: Tetons and Wyoming
The next morning I got up early to do the morning hike around the loop trail, hoping to see some wildlife along the way. It was a very chilly 30F degrees and other than the random squirrel or bird in the dim light, the animals were not out and about.
I finished reloading the truck and walked to get some coffees at the coffee shop in Colter Bay. It’s always nice to start a drive with some good coffee. And it helped warm my hands after the biting chill of the hike. The weather had certainly changed overnight.
We left Colter Bay and made one last stop at a pullout before exiting the park.
We’d had a great trip and enjoyed ourselves. But we could still stop along the way at anywhere that looked interesting.
As we were ascending Highway 287 to cross the continental dive, it started to snow. June can still be winter in northern Wyoming.
As we made our way back down toward Dubois, Wyoming the temperatures increased and we were back in summertime.
Entering Dubois we saw a sign for the National Museum of Military Vehicles. Sure. Why not?
The National Museum of Military Vehicles
This museum blew us away. We were thinking we would have an hour stop and peruse the museum like most any other. Instead, after two hours we still weren’t done.
The museum is absolutely huge and full of historical military vehicles, rifles, and everything else related to American military history. It is laid our in chronological order and delves into the experiences of war at places like The Battle of the Bulge in WWII, in Korea, and Vietnam.
Included in the exhibits are German, Soviet, Japanese, and Chinese equipment from the various theaters of war. It was fascinating to see and we wondered how this immense, impressive museum had remained under the radar since it apparently opened in 2020.
Whatever the reason, this museum is a definite stop to make in Dubois, Wyoming.
I will be make a video of the museum and will be posting it here when it is ready.
After the museum we were pretty far behind schedule and needed to make up some time on the drive back.
We tried to get coffee again at the Buffalo Bean in Casper, but it had close for the day by the time we arrived. We had to settle for coffee at the travel center down the road (not as good but decent).
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed this trip overall, and it was a good change of pace back to a roadtrip after several years of plane travel. I was also glad that we gave ourselves a few more days and this made it a bit more relaxing, allowed us to see and do more, and never feel rushed.
I always have a number of goals for a trip and this trip really met and exceeded in everything we hoped to accomplish. We saw more wildlife than I could have hoped for and all the major ones (bears, moose, wolves, etc). We completed all the hikes that we had planned out. We used our new cooler and hiking equipment to save time and money and to improve our overall experience. We got great photographs and video footage. We did fun activities and still left some places and activities for future visits.
I don’t know when we will be back, but it won’t be six full years again. These parks are only 1-2 days away and I’d be curious to visit in the fall even if visitor services are starting to close for the season. I’d definitely return in June though.
I woke up at 5:30 AM to eat a quick breakfast in the cabin and gather up my backpack and gear for the Lake Solitude hike. Shelley and Evan had a couple more hours to sleep before they were to meet the ranger by the Colter Bay visitor center for their 2 hour hike.
I stopped off quickly at the Colter Bay service station for yet more air for my tire, then drove south toward Jenny Lake, hoping to be on the 7AM ferry boat across the lake.
As I was approaching the Jackson Lake Dam, two grizzlies ran across the road right in front of my truck and into the brush on the side of the road. I stopped and grabbed my camera, hearing them rustling in the bushes.
I saw them briefly once more from behind before they took off into the dense brush where I couldn’t see them any longer. I waited a few minutes longer before deciding to drive on. And called Shelley to tell her about the grizzlies.
Jenny Lake
Once I arrived at the Jenny Lake visitor center parking area I found it was already half full of cars. I parked fairly close to the ferry boat entrance and then got in the line. I wouldn’t be on the 7AM ferry, but did make it onto the 7:30 ferry.
Crossing Jenny Lake on the ferry boat
Technically, you don’t need to take the ferry to access the Cascade Canyon trailhead that leads to Lake Solitude, but it will cut 2.5 miles off the trip in either direction. However, if you want an earlier start you should skip the ferry and just add the extra miles to your hike.
The Cascade Canyon Trail to Lake Solitude
Arriving at the boat dock for Cascade Canyon I was in a familiar place. We’d started this trail twice before in 2010 and 2019. In 2010 my eldest son was soon to be four-year-old and it was literally snowing on the boat ride over Jenny Lake, so we went no farther than Inspiration Point (but saw a cool moose there).
In 2019 my eldest son and I made it halfway down the Cascade Canyon trail when he was 12 going on 13. We had a nice hike and saw a moose cow and calf, but he was pretty tired after that distance and so we cut the hike short.
In planning this trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton I was pretty much dead set on making this hike all the way to Lake Solitude, short of a monumental blizzard. I had already heard the trail reports of a lot of snow along the route higher up, but I was mentally prepared for it.
The first several miles were a breeze. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery. A few miles beyond Inspiration Point the trail somewhat levels out too, making it a fairly easy-going hike. There was a cool marmot, Hidden Falls was rushing, and I was making good time.
Then there was a big gust of wind and the skies began to darken. To save weight in my backpack (due to my already tired back), I made a really stupid decision not to pack my rain jacket. I pretty much bought it just for this hike. But there was no rain in the forecast. But that forecast wasn’t for this high up.
Oh well. Let it rain. I won’t stop. At least not yet.
There was a moose cow and calf on the trail. I’ve been on this trail three times and every time I’ve seen moose. And it added to the baby animal list for the trip!
I was actually getting pretty wet the further I went, and stopped under several conifers to eat and wait out the rain a little. I was getting a tad dejected, believing that the rain would only worsen and inevitably force me to turn back.
But despite the rain, I was pretty determined to continue as long and as far as I could. Thus far I had encountered no snow, and when I got to the trail junction that leads to Lake Solitude, I pressed onward passing several hikers that were turning back at that point.
Then…hallelujah! The rain ceased and the clouds began to part. I began to smile with a feeling of redemption. I might make it all the way after all. No matter if my long sleeve t-shirt was soaked.
The next several miles were some of the most beautiful hiking miles I’ve ever done. Up there with Glacier for sure.
I could turn 360 degrees around and see astounding beauty in every direction (watch the video linked above).
Not long after that, however, I started to hit the snow fields. At first they were just stretches of hard snow across the trail. Then they grew longer and deeper. They hid the trail entirely. And they were exhausting.
Several hikers ahead and behind me began to turn around. This was slow, hard trudging. I thought about turning around too. But then what? I needed to finish this.
I finally came to a little sign half buried in the snow that said “Lake Solitude 200 Yards”. I could make it another 200 yards uphill in the snow.
A long stretch of snow surrounded the mostly frozen-over Lake Solitude. But I carefully approached the shoreline and felt the mountain lake waters in my hand. Bucket list hike achieved.
This felt good. The whole trip felt good. This hike was important to me and really capped what I felt was a very memorable and successful trip. I needed to make this hike and I had done it.
The hike back, going downhill in the snow, was much easier. Once I passed the last snowbank I could relax and just amble down the trail, offering advice to others hoping to make it to Lake Solitude. Yes, you can do it.. But it’s not easy.
When I got back to the boat dock I found a line of people stretching quite a ways up the hill. There was an hour and a half wait to board the ferry. Really?
My back was really killing me and I could barely tolerate the pain of just standing in a long line. I talked to fellow travelers who had no idea just how far I had hiked and had been content to just see Inspiration Point.
At one point a black bear appeared near the trail and many of us left the line briefly to see if we could see it. I saw it, just for a moment. Not long enough to photograph it.
I debated leaving the line and hiking around the lake. Many did. But the longer we waited, the more it felt like a huge waste of time to have been in it. I went from hiking 14.5 miles through snow, to now standing in an amusement park line.
Finally, I got my turn, boarded the ferry and sank onto the seat. Ah, relief at last for my back. Once back at the opposite shore I trudged back to my truck, set my backpack on the opposite seat, and called Shelley. I was on my way back to Colter Bay.
Colter Bay
Once back at Colter Bay I was happy to see Shelley and Evan and hear about their ranger-led hike. They would take me on the trail tomorrow to see the bear claw marks and frogs and other fun sights they had seen on Colter Bay’s loop trail.
What we all were was hungry, tired, and ready to celebrate. So we went to Colter Bay’s main restaurant. A place we had eaten at before in 2017 and 2019: John Colter’s Ranch House.
We had a nice waitress from Kentucky and again I thought of my eldest son who is 18 going on 19. Wouldn’t it be cool for him to work in the parks next summer? The staff looked happy and they were all his age. I wish I had done that when I was a college student.
After three beers and plenty of food we walked back to our cabin to crash for the night. I really was pretty tired. I needed a good night of rest now. And I was glad we still had one more full day to enjoy before heading home.
We spent the night in the Grant Village Lodge and woke up fairly early. We wanted to make sure we had time to pack up and carry luggage to the truck and have our first hot breakfast of the trip before a kayak trip that we had reserved on Yellowstone Lake from Grant Marina.
We walked over to the Grant Village Restaurant and found it far less crowded than the prior night. We got seated near the window overlooking the lake and had buffet breakfast. It was good. Much better than what we felt we got the prior night for dinner.
We didn’t have long to enjoy our breakfast before we left for the marina. We got our sunscreen, sandals, and waterproof camera and met the guides at the lake shore.
Kayaking to West Thumb Geyser Basin
I reserved a 3 hour morning kayaking trip to the West Thumb Geyser Basin on a whim a month before our trip. I found it on Viator, and since we would be camping at Grant Campground, I thought it would be a fun morning activity.
Even though we were no longer camping, we had spent the night at Grant Lodge, so we were right there to still go on the kayak tour. Shelley had to bow out of this activity too due to a medical issue, but because we were going to West Thumb Geyser Basin she could travel there and see us from the shore.
The kayak tour was run by Prismatic Tours and I highly recommend it. The guides were knowledgable and friendly, and we talked to them throughout the paddle all the way to West Thumb Geyser Basin about Yellowstone and the thermal features.
The weather conditions the day of our kayaking trip could not have been better. Hardly any wind. A warm morning that steadily rose toward 80F as we proceeded on the water. It was perfect.
As we were alongside the geyser basin we saw water tumbling over the cliff face and into the cold, 40F degree waters of Yellowstone Lake. We put our hands into the water and felt the difference in temperature between the warm layer on top and the colder water below.
Starting off from Grant Marina
In the past we probably wouldn’t have thught of doing a kayaking trip in Yellowstone, but I was so glad I gave this a shot. It was a great experience and a lot of fun.
After returning the the marina we made a last stop at the gift shop in Grant Village, knowing that we were now leaving the park for Grand Teton National Park. We drove south and departed Yellowstone through the south entrance. Til next time, Yellowstone.
Headwaters Resort
After exiting the park we entered the John D. Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway, which sits between the parks. It’s great that JD Rockefeller Jr bought and donated this land and other lands nearby, otherwise it would have been developed into an tacky, ugly area full of tourist traps like you see outside of many national parks.
What does exist in the parkway is The Headwaters Resort which is similar to the lodges in Grand Teton National Park. We wanted a good lunch and stopped at Sheffields Restaurant in the resort.
The interior was uncrowded and chill, the staff was friendly and talkative, and the food and beer was good too.
Looking at the name badges of the staff which listed their home state or country, I thought of my college student son who was doing a summer session back home. Later, when I talked to him on the phone, I suggested he might leave next summer open and consider working at a national park. It sure seems like it would be a fun and memorable way to enjoy a summer break while a college student.
After lunch, we got some fuel and more air in my tire that had the aforementioned slow leak in the prior blog, then continued south into Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton National Park
It’s hard to believe possible that two of the top fie national parks in the country are only 24 miles apart. But that is the case. I would never not visit both parks when heading to this area, unless my time was very, very limited.
We have a favorite place to stay when we go to Grand Teton and in my opinion, because it’s a little tucked away from much of the rest of the park and the visitor traffic, it is like a park within a park. And that is Colter Bay.
Colter Bay
We drove into Colter Bay, a place we had camped at in 2017 and 2019. This time we were staying in the historic log cabins which are, like the lodging in the rest of Grand Teton and Yellowstone, a tad pricey, but worth it for their location in the park.
I made a video of our cabin. If you have a large family, unfortunately, it might be kind of hard since our cabin only had beds for three people (one double and one twin). As with all lodging in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, it helps to book as early as possible.
After unloading our luggage. We stepped outside to see a friendly mule deer.
From our prior visits, we’ve come to expect to see mule deer and squirrels around Colter Bay. In 2017 and 2019 we saw bald eagles along the shores of Jackson Lake from a rented motor boat. This time we were told about a young grizzly that was hanging around the area, but we weren’t lucky enough to see it.
In the afternoon we a walked around the area and stopped by the visitor center. I had a long hike planned for the next day, which left Shelley and Evan with an open morning to plan. They decided to do a ranger led hike that would circle along the lake shore the next morning.
After passing alongside the marina, we returned briefly to the cabin, then made our way to the Cafe Court Pizzaria in Colter Bay. It was good, and just what we wanted for a meal to end the day.
I had what I expected to be a long and hard hike planned for the next morning and we went to bed not long after sunset. I got my backpack, poles, water bottles, and snacks ready to save time in the morning. With everything ready and our plans made, we went to sleep.
My back was already a bit fatigued from the runs back and forth multiple times to Lonestar Geyser, the kayaking trip, and hefting our fully loaded 60 quart cooler up and down from the truck.
I needed my backpack to be loaded with only the things I needed and nothing more. Lake Solitude was my goal for tomorrow and I was not going to be stopped by too much or too little gear in my backpack.
The next morning Shelley and Evan elected to sleep in a bit longer before we checked out of our cabin in Canyon Village. I wanted to return to Norris Geyser Basin to continue on with the Back Basin portion of the thermal area.
I got into my truck and after it warmed up from the 35 F degree temperatures overnight (Canyon Village is at about 7900 feet in elevation), I saw that one of my tires had low tire pressure. I got out and saw no obvious damage to the tire, so I drove over to the service station at Canyon Village and refilled it to full PSI.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
I didn’t wan to go far so I drove over to the nearby North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and hopped out to take some photos closer to sunrise.
The Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellwstone
After returning to my truck I found the tire was still fully inflated. I decided to travel a bit farther and give it a couple hours more to see how the tire held up and continued on toward Norris.
Feeling more confident about the tire, I thought to myself about how much I was enjoying the trip thus far and how beautiful the park was in June. The weather had been perfect. I had worried that in June we would encounter possibly frigid temperatures, but instead it was in the high 70s every day.
Norris Geyser Basin
I returned to Norris Geyser Basin, and since it was only 6:30 AM I was able to park right at the entrance to the basin. I hopped out of my truck with my camera and GoPro and resumed where I left off from the prior evening, this time walking the Back Basin Loop.
I started with Steamboat Geyser. It is the tallest in the park and one of the tallest in the world when it erupts. Which is a rare occurrence. But when it does it is so powerful it sounds like a steamboat.
I enjoyed my walk through the Back Basin in teh morning with few people around. The temperatures were still relatively cool at the early hour of the day and this did mean that many of the hot springs were more obscurred by the hot steam than they would be later in the day.
When I was at Steamboat Geyser a seismologist was there and was replacing the battery on a seismograph near the geyser. After the recent steam explosions at Biscuit Basin, the park needs to be extra vigilant about identifying potential changes in subsurface activity.
Canyon Village
After enjoying my morning at Norris Geyser Basin I drove back to Canyon Village to meet up with Shelley and Evan and to check out of the cabin. That day we would move to Grant Village for a one night stay in the lodge (a replacement for the camping we were earlier going to do in Grant Campground).
I stopped at the Washburn Lodge to go to the lodge snack shop to see if they sold coffee. They do, they said, bt only drip coffee.
Rather than waste money on crappy coffee, I returned to the cabin to find Shelley and Evan not there. Just then they called me. They were walking to the village area where there is a larger coffee shop that sold more varieties of coffee. I parked and walked to meet them as they made their way to the village. We were all feeling good and enjoying ourselves and we were desperate for some good morning coffee.
We did get some huckleberry lattes, after a wait for the staff to replenish their supply of milk. Sigh. Oh well. Time to pack up the truck and drive south.
Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone
We entered Hayden Valley again, and as usual it didn’t disappoint. This time we watched a coyote hunting near a herd of bison.
Though the coyote was fairly distant, it was fun to watch it stalk through the grass as it moved ever closer to the herd.
After reaching Lake Junction, we proceeded along the lake shore and found this elk cow and calf walking along the shoreline.
The elk cow was collared as you can see in the photos. A crowd of people were following along the roadway above and we were concerned that they were making it difficult for the elk to lead her calf out of the water. Lake Yellowstone is 40F and certainly the calf couldn’t stay too long in the water. We left and hopefully the elk were able to reach a dry and safe exit from the elk.
Before heading to Grant Village we had our second hike of the trip planned for the day. We crossed the Continental Divide twice at close to 9000 feet in elevation, then pulled into the parking area for Lonestar Geyser.
The Lonestar Geyser Trail
Every trip has its ridiculous moments, and I ended up turning what what supposed to be an easy-going family hike into a personal 10K at almost 9000 feet.
The last time we were in Yellowstone in 2019, we decided to hike this trail. We got a mile into the trail and my then six-year-old Evan had to go to the bathroom. Number two. Really bad. So we quickly returned to the trailhead to get him to the bathroom and that pretty much ended the hike.
This time, it seemed an ideal family hike again. And if we were lucky we’d see it erupt.
At the parking area we got out the bug spray, backpacks, water, cameras, and made a stop at the bathroom to not allow the same issue to hijack our hike. Ready to go, we started off down the trail (which is really a back road for most of the distance).
We all started out together and were having a fun time as you can see in this clip.
Not long after this bridge crossing I realized, however, that I didn’t have my cell phone. I was very concerned that I may have set it on the truck bed cover while we were getting our gear together.
Rather than wait until we returned, or worse turn back without completing the hike, I told Shelley and Evan I would run back to the truck, get my phone, and run back to them. I told them to keep going and I’d catch up.
We were about a mile into the hike so it was two miles to run back and forth from that spot. I got to the truck, found my phone safely in the console, and jogged back down the trail.
As I got past the point where we separated I expected to find them but could not. They had all my heavy gear so I assumed they were not moving as fast, but after about 3/4 of a mile run further down the trail I could not find them.
I looked at my phone. There was no cell reception but it appeared that the Life360 app might be working and could show me where they were. It appeared to show them back the way I had come.
Not sure why they would be behind me but I started running back the way I had come. Until it led me all the way to the truck. They were not there. Thankfully. Stupid app though.
I applied sunscreen at the truck since they had the only other bottle in my backpack and ran back down the trail again. At around 1.5 miles, I asked a couple if they’d seen a mom and son on the trail. They said they had. At the geyser.
As my wife’s GoPro footage shows…
I ran onward until I met them on the trail back. They asked what took so long. They had waited for me at the geyser…
I told them I had run 2 + 3.5 + 1.75 miles plus the initial hike of a mile, so about a 10K at 9000 feet in hiking boots. I was tired. But no way was I turning around now. I’m going to the geyser.
Anyway they continued back while I finished the hike at got my photos and video footage of the rest of the trail and at the geyser.
It almost looks like I hiked alone but that was never the intention. After spending some time at the geyser I hiked back and apparently they missed the buffalo just off the trail.
Once back to the car we were all in agreement that ice cream was in order after we had lunch at Grant Village.
On the way out of the parking lot we got the best black bear photos yet.
How often do you see bears in the wild four days in a row?
Grant Village
Once we arrived in Grant Village we found out the only place we could eat was the General Store. Fortunately the woman that scooped the ice cream did not hold back. We got well-deserved amounts of huckleberry ice cream (and a couple other flavors).
After eating we checked into our room. I made a video of the room for fellow travelers. It’s a two queen lodge room.
We got some needed rest for a couple hours in the room before walking over the the Grant Village Restaurant at our reservation time. We assumed the restaurant was at least as nice as the one in Mammoth Hot Springs, but despite the lake views it was a bit of a disappointment.
The restaurant space was very crowded even at 8:30 PM with reservations. The menu was also a bit silly, in our opinion. I ordered a hamburger because it was the most filling and ‘normal’ thing on the menu. Why on earth was ‘jerk tofu’ a menu item? In a rustic lodge in a national park where people come in from a day of outdoor recreation.
Again, Xanterra needs to knock off the woke stuff and just make the visitor experience high-quality. We want BBQ Mac `n Cheese and other delicious food and drinks, not menu items you’d expect to find in San Francisco. We shouldn’t have to ask for the beer menu. You understand, right?
Oh well, it was another fun, adventure-filled day with another one planned for tomorrow.
On the 4th day of our trip our plan was to spend the day on the north side of the park, as well as outside the park on a drive up to the Beartooth Mountains.
We had breakfast in our cabin and then left the Canyon Village to drive over Dunraven Pass to arrive on time for our horseback ride at Roosevelt stables. As we passed the Mount Washburn trailhead we reminisced about the time in 2017 when we hiked the trail to the summit (when Evan was only 4).
We stopped briefly at an overlook just beyond the pass, hoping to see some wildlife. There were some distant elk and bison, as well as a uinta ground squirrel closer to the roadside. A couple at the same pullout said they had seen a grizzly that same morning near Madison. Hopefully we would see some before the trip was over.
We continued on and as we were passing the Tower Junction we saw a cute, black bear cub right off the side of the road.
That bear cub was definitely cool to see. We saw a ton of baby animals on the trip.
We rolled onward to Roosevelt Stables where we had reserved a two hour trail ride,
Roosevelt Corral
Originally all three us us were supposed to be on the ride, but Shelley had a medical issue a week before (the same reason we decided not to camp) and had to bow out. The ride requires all riders to weigh in on a scale before the ride to show they are under 240 pounds (which all three of us were all safely under), but it is something to know before making reservations.
The ride was actually longer than 2 hours. It was a full three hours and covered a pretty long route that included passing by the petrified tree (Yellowstone really has a little of everything). My only complaint was they wouldn’t let us use our phones or cameras at all.
They just didn’t want to risk anyone dropping these along the trail. My phone has a tether, but they must have just gotten to a point where fetching dropped phones was no longer something they were willing to deal with. Plus they would have dropped under the horses.
Regardless, Evan and I enjoyed the ride even if we were a bit hot by the end of the ride. Shelley spent the intervening three hours with a trip back to Tower Junction and our favorite gift shop in the park.
Returning to Roosevelt Corral
Once we were back together we left to head to the Lamar Valley to find a spot to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Lamar Valley
As we left the Roosevelt area and passed Tower Junction, we said another black bear with cubs but due to the traffic decided to pass this bear rather than get stuck.
Lamar Valley is always considered one of the best places to see wildlife in Yellowstone. I have personally seen more wildlife in Hayden Valley, but you can almost guarantee sightings of huge buffalo herds and pronghorns in Lamar Valley.
We found a turnout overlooking the Lamar River and backed the truck in so that we could make sandwiches on the tailgate of the truck. Bringing our cooler meant we could eat on the go and not have to take a couple hours waiting for a seat at a restaurant.
After our lunch and a walk down to the river we continued on toward the Northeast Entrance and a refueling stop in Cooke City, Montana.
The Beartooth Highway
I had wanted to see the Beartooth Highway for several year but due to our travel schedules being limited on the prior trips I decided against it. This time I was set on making the trip up to Beartooth Pass and to see for ourselves just how beautiful this roadway really is.
I have to admit the first twenty miles or so were a little underwhelming for us. Pretty, but not jaw dropping. But once you pass the Top of the World Store and ascend toward the pass the views just become stunning.
There are gorgeous lakes along the route and some fantastic panoramic views just past the summit of the pass.
It would have been good to drive the entire highway to Red Lodge or to have traveled the route the other direction. I think we will be back in Montana and the Yellowstone in a few years and can enter via that driving route.
Oveall, I still have to give the nod to The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park as America’s most beautiful drive. But this is definitely in the top five. And since it is so close to Yellowstone, I think any visitor with tie should make a trip to the Beartooth Pass part of their experience.
As we were returning to Yellowstone we saw a crowd alongside the road and figured it must be something of significant interest. And as we walked up to join the crowd we saw tow huge grizzlies in the brush below.
Seeing grizzly bears is always a huge highlight of a visit to Yellowstone, and one that is absolutely not guaranteed. After seeing all the prior animals including dozens of black bears, wolves, and more, this really made us feel pretty good.
After reentering the park proper at the northeast entrance, we saw a crowd gathered looking at some distant clff sides. We speculated that the crowd was viewing distant mountain goats, and after asking this was confirmed.
But these mountain goats were VERY distant. Beyond the range of my zoom lens. We did have a small telescope with us that I brought on a whim once I knew we would have space in the truck, and I used this to take a photo.
The mountain goat is on the right side of the photo in the middle. Maybe not a great photo, but better than nothing!
Returning the the Lamar Valley we enjoyed the views of more bison and some pronghorns, including baby pronghorns.
The wildlife viewing on this trip was exceeding our prior trips, which were also really good. It was pretty epic.
We arrived back at Roosevelt to have dinner. Unfortunately there was a long line so we sauntered hungrily back to the car.
There was no way we were going to eat at Canyon Village’s crappy cafeteria. So we made the decision to drive to Mammoth and hopefully we’d be able to get seated at their dining room.
Mammoth Hot Springs
It’s a bit of a drive to Mammoth Hot Springs but at the same time it was nice to get this portion of the park into our trip. You really have to do the full figure eight drive through the park.
We arrived at the dining room and were pretty elated to be seated. Otherwise? Not sure but we really wanted a good dinner and some well deserved beers.
This was the best dinner we had in Yellowstone. The following night we had reservations in Grant Village Restaurant, but we enjoyed this dinner much more.
After our dinner I decided we should drive south instead of the road we had take to Mammoth so that we could see that part of the park. And we saw the elk that hang around Mammoth Hot Springs as well.
We made our south on the park road until we came to Norris Junction where the Norris Canyon Road connects to Canyon Village. The prior day we had arrived at the junction and saw a huge line of cars trying to find parking at the Norris Geyser Basin. But at 8:30 PM, the lot was practically empty.
With that in mind we drove in and parked, deciding to visit the geyser basin at sunset.
Norris Geyser Basin
We visited this geyser basin in 2017 when our kids were young, but only saw half of the thermal features. This time I wanted to explore more of the basin.
I made a video of our visit, with the evening stroll with Evan and Shelley in the Porcelain Basin portion of the area, and a return trip I made to the other half of the basin the following morning.
It was neat to see the sun setting over the glassy surface of hot spring-fed Porcelain Basin. It was nice to meander without crowds and feeling genuinely at ease in comparison to the prior day in the Upper Geyser Basin.
It was another eventful and memorable day in the park and in the Beartooths. We had another full day planned for tomorrow and returned back to Canyon for the night.
We woke up fairly early with busy plans for the day. We had discussed the hiking plans for the trips and I had picked out two hikes that were fairly low elevation change and about five miles round trip that would be enjoyable for all three of us: Fairy Falls and Lonestar Geyser. This morning was the Fairy Falls hike.
In preparation for the trip and to facilitate our camping goals for the coming years we had invested in a new 60 quart cooler Blue cooler. Even though we were no longer camping on the trip, we still brought the cooler and filled it with milk, juices, yogurts, lunch meat, and more with the intention of being able to eat breakfasts and lunches on the go, rather than waste time and money going to restaurants every day.
And for the most part, every morning except two we ate breakfast in our rooms and we had a few lunches out of the tailgate of my truck. Today was one of those days and it helped us get out to the trailhead quicker.
Fairy Falls Trail
We made it to the parking area for Fairy Falls before it could become too crowded and while the temperatures were still fairly mild (we had mostly 80F degree days during the trip).
The trail is located on the south side of the Middle Geyser Basin and the first mile of the trail crosses the Firehole River before passing alongside the basin.
We of course took the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook spur trail and admire this enormous hot spring that is the largest in the United States and third largest in the world. I consider it one of the most impressive natural wonders in the park, and one to admire from both the boardwalk and the overlook.
Following the spur trail back to the main trail we continued onward to the junction behind the geyser basin where the Fairy Falls trail begins in proper. There the trail enters a forest of young lodgepole pines that have filled in the forest after the 1988 fires devastated this area of the park.
The numerous dead trees that lie along the path are a reminder of that fire but also show that the park is now in a much healthier condition than when the 1988 fires exploded throughout the park. Fires must happen occasionally to burn away some of the excess fuel and the park service and forest service learned from that fire to better manage the forests and ensure that ocassional smaller fires can burn without turning into a conflagration.
As we arrived at the falls and saw some of the fallen timber that lay near the cliff edge over which Fairy Falls pours, I thought of what the scene might have looked like prior to 1988 without these stark reminders. It was a beautiful nonetheless and a really enjoyable first hike of the trip. The falls was taller than I expected and the mist created rainbows against the back cliff wall. And my son happily traversed the enormous tree trunks to test his balance and cross the creek that led from the falls.
After enjoying some time at the falls we started back. I had considered extending the hike to Imperial Geyser and onward beyond that (because the backcountry of Yellowstone beckons to me for a future adventure), but the mosquitoes were saying otherwise.
We did apply mosquito repellant, but apparently not enough. Or the mosquitoes were resistant. Whatever it was they were eating us alive as the temperatures rose and we made our way back through the forest.
Along the way we saw two rangers pass, one with a shotgun. My wife joked that we “hadn’t seen anything bigger than chipmunks” and they laughed, but we realized they were probably looking for a bear or bison along the path.
When we got to the fork where Fairy Falls trail begins we saw that the rangers had closed the trail due to bear activity. Apparently a grizzly was meandering along the trail and although we missed it, the rangers felt it was a bit too risky to keep the trail open. So we were lucky to get there while the trail was still open, but either lucky or unlucky to miss the grizzly 🙂
Once we got back to the car we sprayed more repellant on and vowed not to leave the car without it. Then drove south to the Upper Geyser Basin.
Old Faithful Inn
It was now close to lunch time and we made our traditional stop at Old Faithful Inn to have buffet lunch in the dining room. Every trip we’ve made to Yellowstone we have had lunch there and this trip could be no different.
After lunch we made our way down to the ice ream shop for our traditional ice cream at Old Faithful Inn. And of the scoops one must be huckleberry (because you can never have too much).
After enjoying a seat in the balcony and admiring the lodge that defines the standard for every national park lodge, we made our way out to the Upper Geyser Basin to await the eruption of Old Faithful.
Upper Geyser Basin
Shelley got a front row bench for Old Faithful (which would erupt in about 45 minutes) while Evan and I walked around the basin to check out the hot springs and any other geysers that might erupt while we were there.
The Upper Geyser Basin was unfortunately much more crowded and the people on the boardwalks were the ruder type of day visitor that wake up late, never hike beyond the boardwalks, and won’t share the pathways. After a while Evan and I were a bit disappointed with dealing with them and he suggested just walking right into them.
At any rate, we made our way around to the back side of the basin where crowds were a little thinner but the people were no less obnoxiously full of themselves and were still crowding every hot spring for their instagram photos. Fortunately most of these types of people would be leaving the park in a matter of hours.
We made our way back to Shelley and took our seats right at the front of the crowd. It felt good to have such a prime view in front of the same people that wouldn’t budge for us earlier.
Old Faithful is always a great show and something to enjoy when visiting Yellowstone. We’re all lucky to enjoy natural wonders such as these.
We decided to drive back north and visit Norris Geyser Basin before heading back to our cabin to rest. When we got to Norris we found a long line of cars and decided to make a stop there later when there were fewer people.
We proceeded onward back to Canyon Village where we bought more mosquito repellant and then headed to our cabin before dinner.
After considering our options for dinner (because there was no way we were eating at the crappy Canyon cafeteria again), we decided to drive down to the Lake area where there was a fast service restaurant called Wylie’s Canteen.
Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone
The drive down was amusingly slow. Amusing because of the constant animals that were along he route.
First there was another black bear and then some herds of bison on both sides of the road. And on the road.
Bison Jam
Then we entered a crowd that was using scopes to view a very distant pack of wolves. Evan and I were able to look through a spotting scope and see a black wolf far in the distance. Much too far for my camera, unfortunately. But cool to see nonetheless.
We were making pathetic time and we were a little worried the restaurant would be closed by the time we arrived. But inevitably we got there and had a decent hamburger dinner.
On the way back we saw some trumpeter swans on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. They were being a bit nasty to the geese that were sharing the lake shore, snapping at them and pushing them out of the way 🙂
It was cool to see swans because the aren’t common where we live. But the sure are mean birds.
We started north and enjoyed more bison before noticing a crowd around a ranger vehicle. We decided to check it out.
The rangers said that there were wolves in the area but they were no longer visible to the crowd. Evan and I were about to leave, but Evan convinced me to ascend a hill instead of walking back to the car. Watching him run up the hill so eagerly I could hardly refuse.
Once at the top w saw a small family looking out at a distant area and an animal moving and pouncing amid the vegetation. They said it appeared to them to be a wolf.
With my zoom lens extended to the full 300mm I was able to capture a couple photos and it was indeed a gray wolf! My first on camera.
I realize these are blurry photos from such a distance, but even people living and working in Yellowstone rarely ever see a wolf. We were able to identify it was a wolf based on the tail which is narrower than a coyote. Which I’ll show you in a later blog post.
Evan and I were excited and happy to have seen this wolf and I credited him with pushing me to go up that hill and not just walk back to the car. It was a fun and rewarding end to the day.
Yellowstone is a place that requires some effort and patience and isn’t a place to rush through. This is exactly why.
