Tag: #cookecity

Yellowstone National Park

23 June 2018

This is where I stayed in Cooke City just 6 km (4 miles) from the East entrance of Yellowstone.

It’s embarrassing but all I knew about Yellowstone National Park was:

  • Yogi Bear and Boo Boo
  • Smokey the Bear
  • Grizzly bears
  • Lots of people visit

I did not realise this huge park:

  • Is set on a super volcano which has had some recent concerning activity.
  • Has 5 entrances
  • You can camp or stay in lodges or cabins in the park

Some tips which might be of interest:

  • The North East entrance area of Cooke City/Silvergate is a small community with buildings which require to be built with natural products to fit within the alpine landscape
  • When parking at Mammoth Springs go to the upper section up the road. Easier to park and a shorter walk.
  • The West City entrance is more commercial, and in my opinion, not as appealing and more expensive than the East side
  • I recommend entering Yellowstone from the East entrance. There are fewer tourists from that side
  • Even though there were many tourists I didn’t feel overwhelmed.
  • Highly recommend the drive from Red Lodge to Cooke City along the Beartooth Highway
  • Take binoculars
  • Take a chair and picnic to sit and watch the animals
  • Stop and ask people if they have seen animal activity
  • There are traffic jams when someone sights an animal and vehicles stop everywhere
  • Don’t drive too close to the vehicle in front as people people get excited and slam on their brakes when an animal is sighted

Visiting the Norris Geyser reminded me of my visit to the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii which recently erupted.

The Porcelain basin at Norris Geyser is picturesque although the smell of the gas is not pleasant.

This is an album of some of the many faces of Yellowstone.

Beartooth Highway Montana/Wyoming

22 June 2018

I decided to take the scenic road from Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park. How can one road provide so much stunnning landscape and changes of temperature!

Beartooth Highway climbs up to almost 3,300 metres (11,000 feet) with several switch backs in the road for the steep climb and descent.

Driving into Red Lodge I saw the snow on the mountains but had no idea I would be driving through the snow areas. There were people skiing in some spots.

Video of lake. It is summer here but need to remember it is very high up on the mountain.

On the way up this lookout had chipmunks. Another animal I can add to my list of sightings.

I found a room in a quaint cabin in Cooke City which has a population of 90 all year round and is 6.5 km (4 miles) outside of Yellowstone National Park. Because of snow, the road on the east side of Cooke City (which takes you to the North Eastern entrance of Yellowstone) is inaccessible for 5 months. Can you believe Yellowstone has over 4 million visitors in 150 days.

I drove 20 minutes into Yellowstone to have a look at what I might find tomorrow as it was too late to drive around or across the park and explore too much.

In one spot, Lamar Valley, there were people who had huge telescopic cameras set up on tripods. At the moment I arrived you could see mountain goats. Down the road there were some bison.

I saw a moose and a dozen marmots but I was not able to stop to get a photo. But this deer posed for me.