Secret to Unforgettable National Park Visits | Yellowstone National Park open after historic flood

[@Christionbridges]

Love unity family 🙏🌏🙏

[@lwstarz422]

Wise words. Yellowstone is one of my favorite places.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Same here. Fell in love with Yellowstone years ago.

[@irinavalentino4079]

The best video about the national parks!Thank you.

[@mj-travelon]

I try to go to Yellowstone every year. My favorite is to sit in the Lamar Valley for hours at a time. So peaceful and you never know what you will see.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Amen.

[@dianaholvik2554]

I just subscribed here because I love nature, God's amazing creation. Due to health issues, not to mention money issues my husband and i will likely never visit Yellowstone, though we'd love to. But I so agree with all you said about the crazy rushing, although I had no idea "collecting parks and wild places" was a thing. We have been to Algonquin National Park in Ontario, Canada twice at least (we forget...we're in our early 70s now) and other parks, mostly Provincial over the years and for us it's about soaking up nature. I love that John Muir quote. Even in our own back yard and garden we love to just be. I'd love to spend quality time in places like Yellowstone but for now I'll be content with the beauty and experiences you and others like you share. Thanks for the sharing and the work you obviously put into videos like this. Blessings. 🦋🐾

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

So glad I could take you along. Sounds like you've had some adventures of your own. I need to spend more time in Canada.

[@ThePracticalProgressive]

I’m so happy I found your channel 🙂. Great video content, but even more importantly the advice and authenticity of your narration is a welcome change from the clickbait that’s everywhere. Keep up the great work 👍🏻

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

You are very kind. So glad you’re enjoying the content.

[@russelljackman1413]

Thanks, Mike! Great footage and great advice! Happy Trails!

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Thanks!

[@margaretporkolab7166]

God Bless you . Thank you being there for me. I get to see and learn what I would not have had a chance to learn. 🤗

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

You are so welcome! Thank you so much for watching!

[@thijsvw]

A, I see you are talking about Josh. In my opinion it's up to everybody themselves whether you stay multiple days or just a single day in a park. Like us foreigners, we are financially not able to stay at every park multiple day, although we try. In September we are coming over for a month, which is already close to $10k. That's a lot of money, in my books. If we're staying at every park more than 1 day (at some parks we will, like yellowstone) it will be even more. Anyway, I would like to thank you for the updates and gorgeous footage, I really appreciate it, you are my source for all things national parks. 😊 Greetings from the Netherlands! 🇳🇱

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

To be sure, everyone’s time is their own and there are other considerations as you cited like the expense. And their are many who are very much motivated by collecting parks. So long as they are respectful to the land and their fellow travelers that is what’s most important. But I’ve spoken to many people who have seen and experienced very little of what the parks have to offer because they over scheduled themselves. Ironically, by trying to do it all, they in fact get to experience comparatively little. I hope you have a terrific visit this September. Thanks so much for following my channel. So glad you are finding the value you are looking for.

[@mariapark2374]

I was blessed to work in Yellowstone for a summer and it was incredible. I spent most of my time in the Backcountry. I couldn't agree with you more. ❣️👏👏👏

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

A summer in Yellowstone's backcountry sounds like heaven. Thanks for adding your voice and experience!

[@jonathantitus2629]

Amen! I can say that making multiple visits to places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, the Grand Canyon (both rims) and a few others have allowed us to see more/experience more/love more AND we still haven't seen it all, so more trips are necessary. And my phone never comes out except perhaps at the beginning or end of the day--I wouldn't even carry it if not for use in an emergency, which thankfully we have never had to deal with.

[@justinmcloryd3807]

Couldn’t agree more! My son and I are heading back in a few weeks and we plan on fishing and hiking even more than the previous 2 years. How do you recommend we choose our hiking trails? Cant spend the $$$ on your lenses so I am going with the Celestron spotting scope. Thank you and great video!

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

John Muir once said, "Walk quietly in any direction and experience the freedom of the mountaineer." My best recommendation is pulling out/acquire a trail map, look for features you might enjoy, and striking out. Discovery is one of the greatest rewards for those who explore Wild Spaces and there's nothing quite so sweet as stumbling upon something new and surprising. Just make sure you're prepared, are carrying and know how to use bear spray and travel safely in bear country. I've got a number of videos on staying safe in bear country that I'd advise watching (Decoding record number of bear attacks is the most critical). Also, know your limits. It's easy to bite off more than you can chew. You and your son know best how fit you are for the backcountry. Don't over extend. And thanks so much for watching! Have fun, stay safe, and make some memories.

[@contentofcharacter]

While I see your point about rushing through multiple parks there is perhaps another perspective you should consider. Many people live nowhere near these parks. I, for example, live in South Carolina. I’m fortunate to be able to take a month to explore the parks of South Dakota, Montana, & Wyoming later this year. For me this is still not enough time but most folks have to experience what they can of an entire region in about 1 week’s time. When we don’t live in that region we often are inclined to see as much as we can in the time allotted while making mental notes of places we may want to spend more time in the future. In my mind it is similar to shore excursions when you’re on a cruise. There’s no way you’re going to get to experience the bulk of what a place has to offer in an afternoon but my wife and I have plans multiple trips to places we got a quick taste of on a short excursion.

[@user-ub1zx7lw3z]

So agree with your KZbin culture not really getting the parks and minimizing them into checklist and influencer videos. Most National Parks take at least 4 days and up to 10 or many visits.

[@mikeandshawnahual4072]

Visiting multiple national parks in a week and thinking you have seen the parks is like going to a movie theater and "visiting" multiple movies in an hour and thinking they have seen any of the movies.

[@olgamarchuk8861]

Ах, как замечательно Вы рассказываете о сложных вещах ! Информационное пространство ускорилось , превратилось в калейдоскоп , но природа осталась размеренной , спокойной и плавной. Спасибо.

[@bryangrotegut3524]

Thanks for taking me back to Yellowstone to see the amazing animals and beautiful landscapes and about your adventures in our National parks

[@patrickhamblin3393]

Agree with your comments but you could have spent less complaining about other videos and just gave us your perspective.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Definitely appreciate the feedback. Always trying to improve.

[@patrickhamblin3393]

@@HomeInWildSpaces I should add, the videos you post are amazing!

[@billybob-ro6qf]

Of course you cannot see every thing the park has to offer in one day or even in a week. Still it does cost a fortune for most people, myself included to visit these parks so nothing wrong in wanting to see as many parks as one can in the short time you have or to see as much of one park in a week or so as you can. I'll soon be 45 & overweight so not much of a hiker, but I still enjoy waking shorter trails to see a waterfall or other things I can't see from my car. And honestly I see more wildlife on the road itself than I ever have trying to use binoculars searching fields for wildlife. Really makes me not want to look in fields anymore LOL. Cause all the animals sooner or later are on or close to the road.

[@LadyYoop]

Dear God, please shrink me to a mini me and please put me in this dude's backpack. Thank you. Amen!

[@LadyYoop]

P.S. Have you been to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior? I email a gent daily, who did his career working out there. He said he believes only about 5% of the island has been explored!

[@LadyYoop]

this just in today: Most of the trails and a lot of the campsites on the island are places where the natives and then the French fur traders stayed and the trails are trails they used.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Thank you and Congratulations! This is our favorite comment so far this year. So glad that you've been enjoying the videos. They're the closest I can get to carrying you around in my backpack. More to come.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

I have not yet been to Isle Royal. Very much want to go. Some day.

[@chuckgmanleyphotos7197]

It’s time to drop the phone 80% of the time and let the endorphin affect occur naturally. Focusing on the small things in nature that support the large requires one to stop and slowly see what is at one’s feet. I dropped Yellowstone reservations to avoid the topic of this video and focus on what’s to the south. Last year it was clear many visitors viewed the park as Disneyland checking off the most exciting rides while looking for a fast pass to the next. As a frequent visitor to Yosemite (close by) visitors go to ridiculous lengths to get their “E” ticket ride. The “me” affect of connectivity impacts everything. “Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.” JM

[@billybob-ro6qf]

I'm always looking for people stopped along the road that seem to be looking at something. The more eyes the better I always say. I may not see an animal but with 1,000's of visitors all looking some are bound to see something. Sometimes people stop just to eat lunch or take photos of the landscape which is fine, but kinda upsetting to stop hoping I can see a bear or wolf or something just to be disappointed they saw nothing LOL.

[@chetthomas]

You've got a great channel but make your point of "don't rush through the park and enjoy it and don't listen to the top 10 videos" and then take us through the park and show us what's great. I was hoping to get that with this video and got none of that...just complaining.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Thanks for the tips! I'm always trying to improve and very much appreciate the feedback.

[@pennyrogers314]

I finally decided to turn off the sound so I could enjoy the film without your adamant preaching.

[@jamesallen7381]

So Josh, when my wife & I started watching this latest video from you, we were shocked to learn that the park was partially opened so soon after the horrific flooding that occurred recently. Quite frankly, we were so happy that the park officials said that Yellowstone could be closed for weeks or months in order to do the required repairs. In our opinion, totally closing the park would FINALLY give the animals there a well-deserved rest from the hoards of idiot tourists who mainly go there only to seek a quick photo-op of themselves standing next to a Moose, Elk, Fox, Wolf.., or those idiots who are at the ultimate level of stupidity that try getting of photo of themselves AND THEIR FAMILY standing next to a Grizzly. Then, we hear you inform everyone watching that the park had just announced that the northern route had been reopened and that now was a great time to visit the park because of the massive cancellations that occurred after the flooding!!!!! You seem like a real nice guy who loves & appreciates our national parks, so why in the world would you alert everyone about this today? Aren't you aware that a large majority of the people watching your video are the same people who cram the roads of our parks and create the destruction that you were complaining about in your video?! Good grief buddy! My wife & I do appreciate the message that you were attempting to deliver in today's video: "Hey folks, while in our nat'l parks, please SLOW down and take the time to observe Mother Nature and appreciate all the beauty & wonder that God has created for us." However, this message falls deaf on the majority of people who come to the parks. For the most part, these people are only there because their neighbor, co-worker, family member, friend, etc. went & told them that they needed to go. And when they get there, their idea of a successful visit is how many photos they can post of themselves to some worthless, idiotic social media site of them doing something stupid like standing at the edge of a 2,000 foot drop off, or standing next to some poor distressed wild animal. It's a very sad & sickening dilemma. In your future videos, please do all of us who do respect & love our national parks a big favor and don't make it easy for the idiot tourists population out there to cram into & run rampant all over our beautiful parks. People who know the proper & respectful way to visit our parks also know how to research the proper time for their visit, how to find places to see, things to do, etc., on their own. Thanks & God Bless.

[@vickinathan8777]

I was saddened to read your comments. My husband and I are going to Yellowstone, Grant Teton and Mount Rainer in August and can hardly wait. Even though we had to change a bit of our travel plans due to the flooding in Yellowstone we are still seeing most of what we had planned. We are taking this trip for a variety of reasons; love of our national parks, hiking, sightseeing and just spending time in the great outdoors. Certainly not because a neighbor, coworker, told us to go. These kinds of trips require great planning and we are going at a time that works for us. Coincidentally it will be shortly after the flood and partial reopening, and that is okay. This gentleman who posted this video doesn’t seem to be a park employee, maybe I’m wrong, but he certainly isn’t making the rules. He’s just posting a video for others interest. Give him respect. And finally, I’m wondering, how do you know that wildlife needs a break from the tourists? I’m really saddened to read your viewpoints.

[@HomeInWildSpaces]

Thanks for the feedback James. I very much share your concerns. Your feedback is very much appreciated. And I want you to know I do take it seriously and am continually trying to improve my messaging. I would ask you to consider a few things. My channel is very much focused on responsible exploration. While perhaps not all of my viewers are equally dedicated to being responsible, I’m am confident they are more responsible than most online communities. If they weren’t they would not be very responsive to my messaging. My viewers are more likely to be those to give animals space and be respectful of our parks and are the visitors I would prefer fill vacancies. Also, with the north eastern roadway through Lamar still closed the parks largest wildlife habitat is still enjoying a respite from tourists. It’s not all of the park but it along with the northern range is the section with the highest concentration of wildlife in the park. So the parks wildlife will continue in a significant manner still enjoy a break. Also, 98% of the park is roadless wilderness, providing year round refuge with greatly reduced impact from tourists. Finally, while there are negative impacts, Yellowstone very much needs people who love and have a personal connection to the park. There is no better way to learn to love the park than to visit, responsibly. We very much want to help people make that connection in a safe and responsible fashion so that they will want to preserve and protect Yellowstone and I hope add as I said in this video to our national park portfolio. It’s a balancing act to be sure. And I do not claim to be perfect and that is why I will continue to consider all feedback carefully. I have remained silent for years, thinking that keeping my knowledge to myself would be best. But that silence has been filled by the internet’s very problematic travel culture and my silence did nothing to address the growing problems. I have found that if I am to make a difference, I must go where people go for travel ideas and advice; the internet. I do my best to influence travel culture positively and send responsible people outdoors, and help new comers to become mindful and responsible. That is my goal and I very much appreciate my viewers offering feedback as you have to help me consider whether I am having the influence I desire. Thanks again! Best wishes.