National Parks have some of the most incredible landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor wonders in all of the United States. They also welcome some of the largest crowds of people, which is one thing neither Sean or I is a big fan of. One way to avoid crowds is to plan an off-season visit to a National Park. For Yellowstone that means late spring or fall. There is definitely some give and take with an off-season visit as not all parts of the park may be open, but you will be rewarded with locations all to yourself.
Here is what to expect when planning a trip to Yellowstone in late April to May. All photos in this post were taken the last weekend in April 2021.
Things to do:
- Watch Old Faithful erupt. Check the latest geyser Eruption predictions here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/geyser-activity.htm
2. Explore the Upper Geyser Basin trails around Old Faithful. You will have the boardwalks to yourself which is a rarity in Yellowstone.
3. Walk the continental divide trail to Artemisia Trailhead and all the offshoots along the Firehole River. We were the only ones on the trail. You can walk down to the river and check out all the beautiful geysers along this easy walking path (some boardwalk, some packed dirt trail).
4. Stop at Biscuit Basin Trailhead. We loved checking out the sapphire pools along this short trail.
5. Visit Grand Prismatic Spring. Given the colder spring temperatures it omits a significant amount of steam that can cover the vibrant colors depending on the winds.
6. Pull off the road at any of the designated pull offs, have a picnic along the river, and enjoy the serenity of sitting across from a herd of Bison. You will see Bison everywhere in the park. In spring you may also see new calfs among them.
7. Stop at Gibbon Falls. Right off the main road this is another quick stop with a walking path to a few viewpoints.
8. Visit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We stopped at Artist Point for a wonderful view of the falls from the south rim. Then we hiked along the north rim trail to various viewpoints. The hike was a bit less then to be desired this time of year given the amount of snow we were trudging through – snowshoes would’ve been helpful. That being said it was very peaceful along the Yellowstone River with a few falls to stop at.
9. Get stuck in a traffic jam you will only find in Yellowstone National Park. Watch the massive bison casually stroll by your vehicle in awe.
10. Visit Mammoth Hot Springs.
11. Camp at Mammoth Campground. During Spring you will have an easier time reserving a camping spot. Mammoth Campground is right near the Mammoth General store and Albright Visitor Center. There is also a big hill at the campground you can hike up for sunset (we tried and were welcomed by a spur of the moment storm that almost blew us off the hill).
12. Drive through Lamar Valley. If you haven’t seen enough Bison yet, this is considered one of the best areas to see them. There are also a few lower elevation hikes to do in this area that are clear this time of year. We hiked the Lamar River Trailhead.
Important things to know about visiting this time of year:
1. Not all roads are open. Last year when we visited these are the roads that were open. You can check current road status here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm
2. Some hikes may be closed due to increased early season bear activity. We hoped to do the Fairy Falls Trail to the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook, but it was closed for this reason.
3. There is still a significant amount of snow at higher elevations.
Let me know if you have any questions about visiting Yellowstone this time of year. We enjoyed a wonderful long weekend in the park which was the perfect amount of time for a visit in Spring.