Planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park and wondering what are the most common mistakes to avoid?
You’ve come to the right place!
Yellowstone truly is a magical place. It’s considered to be the best national park in the USA and honestly, I can’t say I disagree!
I absolutely love Yellowstone but I also think that a lot of people are not as prepared as they should and for this reason, they don’t get to enjoy the full experience.
This won’t be your case since you’re here, ready to take in all the tips!
You will find below 11 mistakes people make when visiting Yellowstone and how to avoid them.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!
Mistake #1: Not carrying bear spray (or not knowing how to use it)
We are starting off strong with this one but it’s too important not to be mentioned. Yellowstone is located in bear country.
There are a lot of bears in the park (that’s even probably one of the reasons why you want to visit) and while it’s true that most places are crowded and it’s unlikely to have a face to face encounter with a bear, it can happen.
It can definitely happen if you go hiking!
For this reason, it’s very important to carry bear spray. Even if it’s true that you will probably never use it, it’s the safe thing to do. It will also give you some peace of mind.
Also, even if you have bear spray, make sure you know how to use it and carry it on your belt, not in your bag.
If you have any doubts about how to use it, you can ask a park ranger, they will be more than happy to explain everything.
Mistake #2: Only visiting for a day
Yellowstone is absolutely huge and there are so many highlights. While it can be tempting to only visit for a day and you may think you’ll see all the highlights, the fact is that you won’t.
You will see a lot of nice spots but you will also miss out on a lot of them.
The distances between each landmark are a lot more important than most people realise.
You need at least two days to explore Yellowstone. If you have more days available that’s even better but make sure you have at least two full days.
Mistake #3: Getting too close to the wildlife
There are a lot of animals you can see in Yellowstone including bears, wolves, bisons, beavers and more.
Please remember that these are wild animals and they need to stay wild.
Also, some of them (especially the large animals) can be very dangerous and always very unpredictable.
The official guidelines are that you should stay at least 100 yards away from a bear or wolf and 25 yards from any other animal.
Please respect these guidelines as they both keep humans and animals safe.
Mistake #4: Not wearing walking shoes
While it is true that you can explore a lot by car and there are a lot of boardwalks in Yellowstone, it still requires you to walk a fair bit.
Also, some of the trails are not paved so it’s important to wear good shoes.
I personally recommend closed-toe shoes, they don’t have to be hiking boots but still something comfortable and with good soles.
Mistake #5: Not going to the ranger-led activities
All the national parks in the US offer ranger-led activities and they are honestly amazing. They can be wildlife talks, demonstrations, guided walks… all sorts.
They are free to attend and you can find the schedule in the newspaper you get at the entrance as well as in the visitor centers.
A lot of visitors don’t bother going to them but they are amazing and they will help you learn more about Yellowstone.
Mistake #6: Staying in the car and not going on hikes
Yellowstone was clearly built for cars. The roads are very well maintained and can take you to all the highlights in the park.
That said, there are also a lot of hiking trails in the national park and they are fantastic.
Going hiking means you get to discover hidden gems, beautiful views and also stay away from the crowds.
A lot of people stick to their cars and only get off at the lookouts but it’s worth exploring some more and go on the hiking trails.
Mistake #7: Not walking on the boardwalks
A lot of the trails in Yellowstone are boardwalks. While you may think that they were built for comfort, they were actually built for safety.
A lot of the places you will visit are geothermal features and it would be very dangerous to walk around them.
The boardwalks are there so you stay on them which insure your safety as well as the protection of the hot springs and geysers.
This is very important and if you think an accident can’t happen, it can. As a matter of fact, when you look at the hot springs, you might see that some of them have bones in them.
These are baby bison bones. A ranger told me that fact when I visited the upper geyser basin and I thought it was very sad but also a good reminder that the boardwalks are here for our own safety.
Mistake #8: Not packing layers
The weather changes quickly in Yellowstone (even in summer) and the climate varies depending on where you are in the park.
It’s not uncommon to experience the four seasons in one day in Yellowstone so make sure to pack / wear layers so you can dress accordingly.
Mistake #9: Not taking binoculars
Not taking binoculars is one of the things people regret the most while visiting Yellowstone.
With so many animals around, it’s an absolute paradise for wildlife watchers and since very often the animals are far, it’s very handy to have binoculars.
While you might not consider yourself as a bird watcher and think you don’t need the binoculars, it does actually come in very handy for many other things.
For example, the bears are usually quite far away and even if they are not, you have to keep 100 yards distance so having binoculars will allow you to watch them.
Mistake #10: Not booking accommodation in advance
There is very limited accommodation available in Yellowstone so if you want to stay inside the park, whether it’s in one of the campgrounds or lodges, make sure to book in advance.
If you don’t, you might not be able to stay in the park, sometimes not even in the towns near the entrance like West Yellowstone or Gardiner and no matter what, you will have to pay a lot more.
Planning in advance in key!
Mistake #11: Taking your dog
Listen, technically dogs are allowed in Yellowstone. As in, if you have a dog in the car, it’s no problem, and they can go to some of the public places.
But the reality of things is that Yellowstone is not dog-friendly!
There has been accidents in the past and with all these geothermal features and animals, dogs are not allowed in pretty much all places of interest in the park.
This means that your dog will have to stay in the car all the time and knowing how hot it can get in Yellowstone, I promise that’s not something you want.
You won’t enjoy the experience and nor will your dog so it’s better to visit without your dog.
I hope this article has helped you understand the most common mistakes while visiting Yellowstone and hopefully you won’t make them!
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