northwest corner of Wyoming
NPS Website; Local Website
Yellowstone National Park is a diverse natural wonderland roughly twice the size of the state of Delaware. Because of the Park’s immense size and staggering variety of experiences, we have broken our Yellowstone reviews into three separate entries: the North, Central and South.
WHAT IS IT?The forty-mile stretch of road that travels west to east from the West Entrance of the Park to the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. The Central portion of the Park roughly skirts the northern boundary of the Yellowstone caldera.
The caldera is a remnant of tremendous supervolcanic explosions. It is the depression left behind by the reverse impact of the supervolcano’s debris. The supervolcanoes’ still active magnetic heat is partially responsible for the geyser fields and hydrothermal activity.
This section includes two prominent geyser basins, Norris and Monument. The Norris Geyser Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser. Central Yellowstone is most noteworthy for the stunning Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
BEAUTY (10/10)
The pink canyon walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are astounding. The views of the upper and lower Falls do not seem real, more like a painting. There is a reason the overlook is called Artist point.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (10/10)
In 1872, Yellowstone became the world’s first National Park, the first time land had ever been set aside for public use. Yellowstone NP served as the initial model for the conservation of our precious landscape.
The Museum of the Park Ranger is located in the Norris vicinity. The Museum, staffed exclusively by retired Park Rangers and located in the old Norris Soldier Station, tells the story of an important and often forgotten American educator, law enforcement officer and conservationist: the National Park Ranger.
CROWDS (2/10)
Few hikes exist in the Central area of the Park and the tourist is forced to appreciate the terrain along a crowded auto tour route. The Park brochure warns “Canyon and falls visible only from overlooks along canyon rims.” It does not lie. The overlooks are very crowded. Barreling buses, running children, ongoing roadwork, unmarked centerlines, camera induced tunnel vision tourists and limited parking make the canyon area a nightmare despite its overwhelming beauty.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (3/5)Central Yellowstone can be accessed through the Park’s West Entrance, the town of West Yellowstone, MT. West Yellowstone is 89 miles south of Interstate 90 and Bozeman, MT via U.S. Route 191. The West Entrance is also 111 miles northwest of Interstate 15 and Idaho Falls, ID via U.S. Route 20.
The Central portion of the Park forms the middle bar of the Figure Eight auto tour.
Construction limits access as the stretch of the Figure Eight between Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon Village is closed for construction during all of 2004. It is scheduled to open sometime in 2005.
Once you get to Yellowstone, the Park is very accessible. The Norris Geyser basin can be closely viewed due to an extensive boardwalk system. The Canyon Village area can be dicey due to construction projects.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (5/5)
The Yellowstone Association runs eight different bookstores in the Park. They are a non-profit organization that has served visitors since 1933. They do an outstanding job. Check out the online bookstore. There is an even better selection at the Park. They operate three stores in the Central region, at Madison, Norris, and Canyon Village. For our fellow geek stamp collectors, all three have distinct National Parks Passport Stamps.
There are two restaurants/cafeterias at Canyon Village as well as a diner that adjoins a Canyon gift store. Our waitress at the diner was especially snarly.
When 7:30pm temperatures dipped below 35 degrees, we were thrilled to find a lounge tucked behind another Canyon gift store and next to the Canyon dining room. We huddled next to the fire and enjoyed a moderately priced beer. The lounge was packed with families, other cold tourists and a large number of 21-24 year-old Xanterra and Park Service workers. They made Michael very jealous with their boisterous game of Trivial Pursuit.
COSTS (3/5)A $20 vehicle entrance fee is good for a week’s stay at both Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP, an incredible bargain given the sheer amount of things to in the Parks’ combined 2.5 million acres. Entry is free with the National Parks Pass.
There are numerous camping opportunities in the popular Central Yellowstone corridor. The National Park Service runs the $14 a night, 116 campsite, Norris campground. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Xanterra Parks and Resorts runs both the 277 site Madison campground and the 272 site Canyon campground. Xanterra allows for reservations at their behemoth sites but also reserves the right to assign you your site and ask for exorbitant amounts of personal information. Sites cost $18.50 per night, $5-$7 more than their NPS-run counterparts with no appreciable advantages.
There is a Xanterra lodge at Canyon Village, whose prices range from $44 to $140 per night.
Backcountry camping is free. There is a $20 per trip reservation fee if you wish to ensure your space ahead of time.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (3/5)
The Ranger facilities in the Central pale to their brethren in the North and South. The Canyon Village Visitor Center is just a trailer, dwarfed by the surrounding Xanterra gift shops and restaurants. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? We saw no Rangers at the Canyon overlooks.
The Ranger at the Madison Information Station was very helpful our second time around. The first time we tried to go, it was 8:30am and the Madison Information Station opens at 9:00am, an hour later than the other Visitor Centers.
The Norris Museum was also short staffed and tiny. Only one Ranger was available to answer the many questions aroused by the confusing geothermal exhibits.
TOURS/CLASSES (6/10)During summer months, three Ranger-led talks occur daily at the Norris Geyser Basin and an amazing 14 take place alongside the Canyon. We went on a guided walk through the Norris geysers, but left early because much of the information was the same as what we had learned at Mammoth Hot Springs. We also were eager to explore on our own. This place just beckons, especially when the sky unexpectedly turns blue.
But before we could get to the Canyon, the weather took a turn for the worse. All tours were cancelled and we were left wondering a) will it get better by tomorrow; b) can we wait it out in our tent; c) is it going to snow and d) what can we do in the mean time. We found out a) no; b) yes, frigidly; c) does two inches of freezing rain count? and d) not much at all, and that is the problem.
The Visitor Center at Canyon Village is just a trailer. No exhibits are on display and the videos are shown on a small television surrounded by a few plastic chairs. Because of the weather, the chairs were full and the trailer stuffed to the gills. Yellowstone NP is notorious for its temperamentally bad weather. It is a shame that the Visitor Center in one of its most popular areas is so inadequate.
Our 6 rating was earned because of the sheer strength of the Museum of the National Park Ranger near Norris and located in the old Norris Soldier Station building. The terrific 25-minute film, “An American Legacy”, the story of the National Park System, touched us. Especially when we realized that it was August 25, the 88th birthday of the Congressional creation of our Park system. Go to this Museum. It is off the beaten Yellowstone path but essential to the understanding of where you are visiting.
The Yellowstone Association provides glossy, color self-guided trail booklets for nearly every sub-section of the Park. The guides are terrific and available for a donation of $0.50. You can also use the trail guide free of charge and return it to the trailhead box when you are done. We bought some and recycled others. Few other people used the guides, which is a shame. They are packed full of information and done for you. Free mimeographed day-hike pamphlets are available at every Ranger Station. Yellowstone NP has a wealth of valuable information ready to dispense for free. Take advantage of their terrific service. Few parks do such a great job.
FUN (6/10)The central portion of Yellowstone was not the highlight of our visit. Because of its altitude and geographic location, it is usually colder and wetter than Mammoth Hot Springs. It was no exception during our visit. We can handle being cold and wet, especially since most of our time in the central region was spent in the car auto-touring. But add immense crowds, limited access to overlooks, an overpriced campsite that we couldn’t choose ourselves and road construction around every turn and you can see why we were eager to move on.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (10/10)
Even at its least fun, Yellowstone is still heads and shoulders above other parks and still a must see. The Falls and the grand canyon are still breathtakingly beautiful. The Ranger Museum is still a hidden gem and an inviting place to spend a rainy morning.
TOTAL 58/80
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