Yellowstone National Park

If you would like to take your family on a fun camping adventure, Yellowstone National Park is a must-see. This is an active park, which means you need to pack your hiking shoes or you will miss out on a lot of what this park has to offer. Yellowstone is the very first National Park, created by President Roosevelt in 1872. It continues to draw millions of visitors each year because of the variety of things it has to offer. Traveling through Yellowstone means you will need a car or you will need to book a tour on one of the buses. This is how most of the tourists get around the park, others prefer to get around via biking or motorcycling. The park is open from May to mid October. There are a few roads that stay open year-round, but generally most are closed due to the heavy winters. Snowmobling and snowcat tours are available and they run about $100 or more per person. Seeing Yellowstone in the winter is a treat as the crowds are much lower and you have the opportunity to see this vast wilderness in a new way.

The busy season is June through August. Many of the visitors tend to come in July and August more than June because more animals are out during this time of year and the park is a bit warmer. To truly experience Yellowstone, book a camping reservation. They cost about $16 per night. You can also stay in one of the hotels or cabins for about $70-$200 per night. The weather is typically warm during the day, averaging around 85 degrees and cold at night dropping to the 50's or below. Bring some warm clothes for the night and some hiking shorts for the day. Here are some of the sites you need to see when you head to Yellowstone:

• Old Faithful. Perhaps the most well-known geyser in the park is Old Faithful. Just over 2.5 million people come to watch Old Faithful erupt each year. Old Faithful erupts every 90-120 minutes and the height of the eruption can be anywhere from 90-184 feet in the air. Grab a seat on the boardwalk next to Old Faithful to snap a close-up shot of this magnificent geyser. There are also seats available on the deck of the Old Faithful Inn. Watch the crowds to judge when the geyser will erupt next. Within about 20 minutes of the next eruption, the crowds will start to gather on the benches so you need to be quick if you want a seat. Take time to visit some of the other geysers around the Old Faithful area like.
  

• The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is a breathtaking and magnificent site to see. There are two waterfalls you need to view when you head to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Upper Falls and Lower Falls. Both are extremely powerful and absolutely awe-inspiring. Take time to hike "Uncle Tom's Trail." This hike will take you down 300 stairs to get an up close and personal look at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Lower Falls. The hike is hard to get back up so stay hydrated and take your time.
  
• Mammoth. This is the capital city of Yellowstone. In the early 1900's, many of the visitors would actually soak in the hot spring here. Because of this, the body oils and fluids damaged Mammoth and some of the hot springs have dried up. Visitors are no longer allowed to soak in the springs, but you can gaze upon the magnificent rock formations and colorations from the hot springs. Take a drive through Mammoth and stop for a nice afternoon picnic.
  
• Yellowstone Lake. Nothing is more inspiring than gazing upon Yellowstone Lake. This enormous lake is deep blue with black sandy beaches. You can go fishing, but you will need to obtain a permit. Bridge Bay is where you want to head if you would like to rent a boat to fish on or if you would like to take a boat tour.
  
• Fishing Bridge. People are no longer allowed to fish on Fishing Bridge but the bridge itself is gorgeous. Walk the bridge and look below to see some of the fish gathering around the posts. Head down to the store and get yourself some bargain items while you are there. Take a drive to the east entrance and you will view some of the original tall pine trees that survived the fires of 1988 that almost burnt down the entire park.