Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by springtime grizzlies and dominated by the watery wilderness of Yellowstone Lake.
Here you'll find lakeshore accommodation and a marina at nearby Bridge Bay.
The Grand Loop Rd skirts the lake's northwest shore to West Thumb Junction, then
heads west over the Continental Divide to Old Faithful in the heart of Geyser Country,
home to the park's richest collection of geothermal features.
Turning north from Old Faithful, the Grand Loop Rd follows the Firehole River past
several beautiful geyser basins to Madison Junction (6806ft) and the popular fly-fishing
stretches of the Madison and Gibbon Rivers. From here a road leads west out of the park
to the gateway town of West Yellowstone. The Grand Loop Rd continues northeast up the
Gibbon River canyon to Norris Junction, home to the park's second most impressive col-
lection of geysers. From here the road heads north past views of the snowcapped Gallatin
Range to the west back to Mammoth Hot Springs.
The Bechler region, in the far southwest, is only accessible by road from Ashton, Idaho,
from the John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway to the south of Yellowstone, or by a
four-day hike from the Old Faithful region.
Park Policies & Regulations
» It is illegal to collect plants, flowers, rocks, petrified wood or antlers in Yellowstone.
» Firearms are now allowed in the park under valid state or federal laws but are prohibited
in park or concessionaire buildings.
» Swimming in water of entirely thermal origin is prohibited.
» Permits are required for all backcountry trips (
Click here
)
and activities like boating (
Click here
)
and fishing (
Click here
)
.
» For a list of campground regulations
Click here
.
Dangers & Annoyances
Yellowstone is grizzly country. Bears that associate humans with food quickly become a
problem, a danger and then a target, so keep all your food packed away in campgrounds or
strung up on a bear pole in the backcountry. We suggest carrying bear spray on all back-
country hikes. Two male hikers were killed in separate incidents in summer 2011 - one in
the Canyon region, the other on the Geyser Country side of the Mary Mountain hiking
trail. These were the first bear-related fatalities in the park for 25 years. See the Health &
Safety chapter for more on bears and the Activities chapter for advice on hiking safely.
