Yellowstone National Park bonus pictures

Last September we visited Yellowstone National Park in a rental travel trailer, shortly after buying our coach (as our 40 foot motorhome was too big to fit in Yellowstone). I did several blog posts about our trip, but Jenn recently processed the photos she took with her big camera, a Nikon D7200. So here’s a bonus post with some really nice pics of a very special place. (The photos are also on her Flickr page.) Enjoy!

Yellowstone

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Yellowstone trip day 9, to Coyote Run RV Park

On day nine of our Yellowstone trip, one last campground on the way home.

We stopped off in a large unpaved parking area for a rest break, near another truck and trailer:

Two trailers

Before long, several other trailers and trucks joined us:

Trailers and trucks

Across the road, a gas station, restaurant, and shops; we visited the restaurant for a tasty lunch, then the gas station to refuel:

Shops

Our destination for the night, the Coyote Run RV Park in Connell, WA; here’s the map:

Coyote Run RV Park map

Our campsite:

Campsite

Right next to the laundry building; the aesthetic kinda fit the fact that the major industry in this town is a big prison:

Campsite

But it was just a quick stop on the way home, with a nice sunset:

Sunset

That concludes our Yellowstone journey in a rental travel trailer. It was a very enjoyable trip; great to see Yellowstone National Park again, and spend more time with family. One last trip before our new motorhome lifestyle.

Yellowstone trip day 8, to Jim & Mary’s RV Park

On day eight of our Yellowstone trip, we started the two-day journey home from the park.

Here’s the west gate of Yellowstone National Park, on the way out:

Yellowstone west gate

As usual for a morning, the traffic was backed up almost all the way through the town of West Yellowstone; glad we weren’t going that way (a tip for anyone going into Yellowstone: go in the afternoon):

Traffic

Our next stop was at Jim & Mary’s RV Park in Missoula, MT; here the map:

Jim & Mary's RV Park map

The rental trailer and our truck in the campsite:

Trailer and truck

This park has delightful landscaping; each site has a large grassy area and a little garden with unique decorations; here was our one:

Landscaping

Our site was on the end of a row, so had extra landscaping on the other side:

Landscaping

Landscaping

Across the driveway, more landscaping:

Landscaping

Landscaping

But as nice as the landscaping was, after a week in Yellowstone without a functioning shower, one of the main attractions of this campground was a shower facility:

Shower

We’ll definitely stay at this campground again in the future.

Yellowstone trip day 7: Canyon and Grand Prismatic Spring

On day seven of our Yellowstone trip, the fourth and last full day in the park, we had a grand time visiting the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, plus a dusk trip to the Grand Prismatic Spring.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Jenn taking photos:

Jenn taking photos

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Waterfall

Waterfall

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Waterfall

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Family pic at Artist Point:

Family at Artist Point

On the way back, spotted some more bison:

Bison

Bison

After dinner, Jenn, Eliza, and I decided to take a sunset trip to Grand Prismatic Spring. On the way, yep, it’s more bison:

Bison

Runoff from Excelsior Geyser Crater:

Runoff from Excelsior Geyser Crater

Eliza and Jenn on the boardwalk; it was nice to have the place almost to ourselves:

Eliza and Jenn on boardwalk

Excelsior Geyser Crater:

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Runoff from Grand Prismatic Spring, in the just-past-sunset glow:

Runoff from Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring:

Grand Prismatic Spring

Reflected moon:

Reflected moon

Grand Prismatic Spring

Jenn and Eliza on the boardwalk:

Jenn and Eliza on the boardwalk

Info signs:

Grand Prismatic Spring info

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Dusk:

Dusk

Dusk

Dusk

Yellowstone trip day 6: Norris Geyser Basin

On day six of our Yellowstone trip, the third full day in the park, we explored the Norris Geyser Basin.

An unintentionally memorable hike, as Jenn tripped on a root and knocked me over, gashing my knee. It looked worse than it was, though; I was able to continue without too much difficulty.

The Norris Geyser Basin map:

Norris Geyser Basin map

Emerald Spring pool:

Emerald Springl pool

The Steamboat Geyser; apparently it hasn’t gone off for months, so we were excited to see it erupting; it continued for the entire time we were there:

Steamboat Geyser

Steamboat Geyser

Jenn’s father was excited to see it erupting, since it hadn’t all the many previous times he’d visited the park over the years:

Jenn's father

Steamboat Geyser

Looking downhill:

Looking downhill

Blue thermal pool:

Blue thermal pool

Orange themal pool:

Red themal pool

Another thermal thingy:

Another thermal thingy

Another thermal pool:

Another thermal pool

Puff ‘n Stuff Geyser:

Puff 'n Stuff Geyser

Geyser valley:

Geyser valley

Steamy:

Steamy

Steamy pool and cave:

Steamy pool and cave

Yellow Funnel Spring:

Yellow Funnel Spring

Geyser basin:

Geyser basin

Pool and vent:

Pool and vent

Muddy geyser:

Geyser

Thermal pool:

Thermal pool

Pool:

Pool

Geyser basin:

Geyser basin

Yellowstone trip day 5: to Mammoth

On day five of our Yellowstone trip, our second full day in the park, we drove up from the Madison Campground to the Mammoth area.

On the way, a stop at Gibbon Falls:

Gibbon falls

Gibbon falls

The Gibbon River below the falls:

Gibbon river

Sheepeater Cliff:

Sheepeater cliff

Sheepeater cliff

Sheepeater cliff

Arriving at Mammoth, we saw some elk lazing by a building:

Elk at Mammoth

While eating lunch on some grass, the rangers started getting excited about elk moving nearby, telling everyone to give them space. A female and young elk wandered through the grass where we had been sitting:

Elk at Mammoth

Followed by a bull, who was trying to get them to go back to the others:

Elk at Mammoth

Elk at Mammoth

The elk back by the building:

Elk at Mammoth

The Mammoth terraces:

Mammoth terraces

A nearby bridge and valley:

Bridge and valley

On the way back to the campground, we encountered a bison jam; just a bison slowly wandering down the road, followed by a line of cars:

Bison jam

Bison jam

Yellowstone trip day 4: Bison, Midway Geyser Basin, Old Faithful

On day four of our Yellowstone trip, we drove down from the Madison Campground to Old Faithful, exploring the Midway Geyser Basin on the way.

With a little detour for bison by Fountain Flat Drive:

Bison

Bison

Bison

Midway Geyser Basin:

Midway Geyser Basin

Boardwalk:

Boardwalk

Runoff:

Runoff

Blue thermal pool:

Blue pool

Blue pool

Jenn:

Jenn

Green thermal pool:

Green pool

Boardwalk and geysers:

Boardwalk and geysers

Geysers:

Geysers

Then on to the Old Faithful area; here’s the visitor center:

Old Faithful visitor center

Old Faithful lodge:

Old Faithful lodge

Old Faithful lodge

Old Faithful lodge

Old Faithful lodge

Old Faithful geyser, with a crowd watching it erupt:

Old Faithful geyser

Old Faithful geyser

Back at the campground, and the nearby Madison river:

Madison river

Madison river

Yellowstone trip day 3, to Madison campground

On day three, we went from Jerome, ID to Yellowstone National Park.

Very flat in Idaho:

Flat

Looking back at the trailer in the side mirrors, including an extended mirror to account for the wider trailer:

Mirrors

An interesting building in a rest area in Firth, Idaho:

Rest area

Rest area truck and trailer parking:

Rest area parking

At last, we reached Yellowstone! Here’s the entrance road:

Yellowstone entrance road

Our campsite in the Madison campground within Yellowstone:

Campsite

An amusing result of the higher elevation; puffed up bags of chips:

Puffed up chips

That evening, a pleasant fire and conversation with the family:

Fire

Tomorrow, we explore some of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone trip day 2, to Twin Falls / Jerome KOA

Continuing the journey to Yellowstone, on day two we went from La Grande, OR to Jerome, ID. Each leg was about six hours driving.

We spent the night in the Twin Falls / Jerome KOA:

KOA

Here’s our campsite:

Campsite

Campsite

The trailer:

Trailer

The messy side of RVing: power, water, and sewer hookups:

Hookups

The KOA office:

Office

The pool and playground; we enjoyed a swim in the pool to help cool off:

Pool and playground

This campground also had a nearby pond:

Pond

Including some ducks:

Duck

Mini golf (we didn’t play):

Mini golf

Next time, arriving in Yellowstone.

Yellowstone trip day 1, to Grand Hot Springs

Continuing from yesterday, here’s day 1 of our Yellowstone trip.

To make the drive there and back less painful, we had decided to take two days each way. The first leg was from home (in the Portland, OR area) to La Grande, OR.

Here’s the trailer and truck at a view point stop:

Trailer and truck

La Grande viewpoint:

La Grande viewpoint

We checked in to Grande Hot Springs RV resort for the night:

Grande Hot Springs

The trailer and truck in the campsite:

Campsite

Campsite

A super-fancy Mac and Cheese and hot dogs for our first dinner of the trip:

Mac and Cheese and hot dogs for dinner

Some art in the driveway:

Art

Pond and fountain:

Pond and fountain

An adjacent pond:

Pond

Pond

The RV park:

RV park

A hot water stream:

Hot stream

Hot pools (of which we didn’t partake, though probably should have):

Hot pools

Stay tuned for day 2!