Four Itchy Feet

June 2, 2025. Yellowstone National Park. Day 12 of 170

We couldn’t have driven so close to Yellowstone and not paid a visit. The park is 85 miles from our Airbnb, a three-hour round trip, so it warranted some consideration. We started our day with the obligatory oil change that always seems to be due in the middle of a road trip (2,750 miles so far). Once the maintenance was done, we decided not to bypass this great natural attraction.

By 9:00 AM, we were southbound on State Road 191, running parallel with the beautiful Gallatin River. The drive from Bozeman to the park’s west entrance alone is an attraction itself, as it cuts through the mountain range, passes by the beautiful ski resort of Big Sky, and descends to the town of West Yellowstone. We entered the park there and immediately found a picnic area by the river to eat the sandwiches Barbara had prepared while I was getting the oil changed on our car.

After lunch, we headed to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I find this place to be one of the most underrated natural wonders in the United States, and it was as beautiful and awe-inspiring as I remembered it. We decided to hike the north rim of the canyon, which provides a number of viewpoints and, through a system of boardwalks, brings you down into the canyon for closer views of the roaring waterfall on the western end of the canyon.

To complete our loop through the park and back to Bozeman, we headed towards the north entrance, the Mammoth area. Mammoth is a unique geological phenomenon, with its most prominent feature being the travertine terraces. Unlike the silica deposits found in other geyser basins, Mammoth’s hot springs rise through layers of limestone. The process of superheated water rising from the ground forms these intricate and ever-changing terraces. The park has done a superb job of building a system of boardwalks around the terraces, giving visitors a very close perspective of this ongoing geological spectacle.

It was late in the evening when we headed north back to Bozeman, this time on State Road 89. This road brings you through flatter land, but now you travel parallel to the great Yellowstone River. We felt so blessed to have made the decision to drive down to Yellowstone; we were rewarded with animal sightings, including bison, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, black bears, beavers, and elk, among others. We were also rewarded with incredible views of Yellowstone, with snow still covering a good amount of the mountains. Although this was a short visit, Yellowstone did not disappoint and was well worth the drive.