The Worst Thing About Yellowstone National Park (and how to avoid it)!

[@stevemattson4863]

This is true,doing something with expectations will always lead to failed experiences

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Thanks for watching!

[@helok9]

Yes, traffic is horrendous. But ya know what’s worse? Idiots who think it’s a petting zoo and end up getting launched every year. Not only that, disobeying clearly marked areas you are not allowed to walk but doing it anyway!

[@DirtInMyShoes]

All of the above :(

[@billbeverly2864]

During the past few summers I have been working in Yellowstone, this summer I will be working at the Lake Lodge. The issue I see is that people do not realize how BIG Yellowstone is and they don't allocate enough time (days) to visit the park. I don't know how many times someone has asked, 'if I only had a day, what should I see?" The other thing I see is that people are too dependent on their phones, they don't do research and learn where everything is, they never look at the paper map they are given when they enter the park. I could go on and on...

[@rafaelakayuco9042]

I’ll be working at that lodge too. See u there.

[@billbeverly2864]

@@rafaelakayuco9042 What will you be doing? I will be front desk

[@DirtInMyShoes]

You can make a pretty long list of ways that people mess up when it comes to Yellowstone LOL!

[@rafaelakayuco9042]

@@billbeverly2864 custodian. Cleaning up the place. And some housekeeping maybe. I start may 30th.

[@moistpineapplepizza]

Going middle of June, hoping to hit the entrances as early as possible

[@DirtInMyShoes]

It's a good plan!

[@larrydraper4451]

I camp inside the park so I don't have to sit in those long entrance lines. I also stay away from the "hot spots" such as Grand Prismatic and Norris from 9-5. I don't even drive by them due to traffic. That time of day is great for a picnic lunch in another part of the park, especially Hayden or Lamar valleys. I enjoy your great information about our National Parks.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Solid plans all around!

[@briananderson7497]

After a week in the park and seeing 1000's of Buffalo, having to stop/park because one car is blocking the road to record a single Buffalo on the side of the road is maddening. I wanted to yell, "You'll see plenty more, trust me. Keep moving".

[@Laannabanann]

agree...there are so many. Was just there this past weekend.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Haha yes! We call it the "Great One Buffalo" that always creates giant traffic jams!

[@DirtInMyShoes]

@@Laannabanann it is so fun to see them without all of the crowds!

[@misha4422]

This is pretty much what I was expecting. We'll be there for a week starting the end of May (it's been 40 years since our last visit). As a hiker who photographs, getting out before sunrise and ending the day after sunset hits the golden hour/blue hour lighting for photography, instead of the harsher, flatter light of mid-day. For the middle of the day (9-3), the plan is to be out hiking, away from the crowds, where 1/2 mile from a parking lot thins out the crowds substantially.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Yes, photographers really keep the best schedules for places like this!

[@ConnorHudak-wg6cg]

Thanks for making this video I am visiting this really cool park in September and I am really exited I have heard it’s a very special place

[@DirtInMyShoes]

It is! You're going to love it!

[@robertbailey3024]

I enjoy your Yellowstone videos because you're enthusiastic and helpful to potential visitors to the park. Like you, I once worked in the park (not as a ranger but in the various concessions and a long time ago - back in the late 1970s and early 1980s). These days, I go back every couple of years. The advantage is that once one has visited the traditional tourist spots, it allows one to skip the crowds and enjoy the wonderful Yellowstone wilderness and the wildlife that inhabits it. My advice: arrive very early (sometimes I've arrived before rangers are even at the entrance stations) and spend the bulk of the day hiking into this vast unique wilderness. In the evenings, you can relax at your favorite tourist spots or head to a spot along the road where you might find others watching wolves or bears feeding on a carcass, such as in Lamar or Hayden Valley. My 2 cents.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Hiking in Yellowstone is so magical...I agree!

[@rafaelakayuco9042]

I’ll be working there this summer. Thanks for the tips. I almost didn’t want to go cuz I hate crowds of people. I’m glad I’ll be able to escape the crowds a bit.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Working in a national park is the best! Have fun!

[@motarted1735]

I won't be going back to yellowstone for at least another decade and it's only a few hours away for me. Last summer i made a trip and the crowds are miserable, you'll be pushed and shoved around by people trying to get their pictures in the crowded walkways and the traffic one buffalo causes blows my mind. Someone not paying attention wrecked into our car, and the best part was when i stepped 3ft off the hiking path I was yelled at by a California resident for "destroying the ecosystem," this was on grass btw, no where near the thermal areas. As a wyoming resident I prefer to spend my free time as far away from people and as close to nature as I can, and yellowstone just isn't the place for that like it used to be.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

I am sorry to hear that. You need to try visiting in the off-season next time!

[@BillBlackwell-u1f]

I lived in Jackson for 9 years , just outside Yellowstone, I went all the time, it's some of the best fishing in the world ,if you get the chance to go, then don't pass up the opportunity

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Nice!

[@jordancook1668]

Thank you as always for your advice. I’ll be visiting for the first time right after Labor Day, which I hope will mitigate the crowds. Staying at Madison for four nights, then down to Colter Bay for 3. Looking forward to it, but have honestly put off going for years due to my fear of the crowds.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Very cool, and you made the perfect lodging choices. If you're still worried about crowding, my itineraries will help immensely: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/

[@SundayOrmond]

Your channel has been invaluable in planning my 3 month road trip that includes Yellowstone, Glacier, Voyageurs, etc. National Parks!

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Thank you! Sounds like you have big adventures coming your way!

[@genreartwithjb5095]

Or camp on-site? It’s really crazy the traffic defeats the main reason for going

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Staying in the park definitely helps, but traffic can happen anywhere in the park!

[@MrLineMan100]

Great information thanks for sharing I will use this information next time I go to Yellowstone.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Glad it was helpful!

[@genreartwithjb5095]

Banff we were in and out no problem. Just go to Banff

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Oooh you must have hit Banff at a lucky time, because it is CRAZY now!

[@kevinbranford2631]

When we were there a couple of years ago we decided to eat picnic dinner out in the park near a viewpoint and stay away from the restaurants at dinner. We were able to see more and saved lots of time as people were leaving the crowded spots then.

[@DirtInMyShoes]

Such a great strategy!

[@kevinbranford2631]

@@DirtInMyShoes thanks! We are going on our Utah 5, Grand Canyon and Monument Valley loop coming up end of May. Will use this strategy as much as we can. Also using several of your guides as well!