For us, social distancing while in the park is nothing new. We avoid the crowds, for several reasons. First, more of Yellowstone’s magic is accessible when you are not elbow to elbow with other people. Second, we love to watch animals, and people tend to scare them away. Third, with 2.2 million acres to explore it’s easy to have a Yellowstone experience that doesn’t include bison jams and crowds at Old faithful.
Now that the Wyoming gates have opened and the Montana entrances will open by early June, folks from all over the country (at least) will return to Yellowstone. Minimizing contact with others will be important for everyone’s health and safety. The good news is it’s also a great way to see the park! So how do you social distance in a place that gets millions of visitors each year?
Here’s how to socially distance yourself in Yellowstone and still have an amazing trip.
1. Become crepuscular.
Many animals in Yellowstone are “crepuscular,” which means active in the early morning and late evening. If you rise early and stay late, you’ll not only avoid the crowds, but you’ll also find more active animals, fewer cars on the road, and have many of the park’s features almost all to yourself. Plus, how often do you actually watch a sunrise or a sunset? What better place to do it than Yellowstone?
2. Pack a picnic.
This summer it looks like most if not all food in the park will be take out/grab and go. This makes it easy to avoid eating with the masses. If you’re traveling through or staying in a gateway town, stock up at one of the gateway community grocery stores (making sure you practice social distancing, reduce the number of people in your party in the store, and wear a mask).
Either way you’ll be able to enjoy a peaceful meal along a river, meadow, or forest at one of the park’s many picnic areas. You don’t need a picnic area, either! Just pick a spot in a pullout for your own socially-distant tailgate party, or sit in the sagebrush a few dozen yards off the road. Just make sure to pack out all your trash and belongings to keep the view pristine for the next visitor.
3. Hit the trail.
Only a tiny fraction of park visitors venture away from their car except on Yellowstone’s boardwalks. Going for a hike is the surest way to get away from the crowds of midsummer, and let the peace of Yellowstone sink in. Make sure you prepare for changeable weather with layers, carry sunscreen, water, and snacks, and know how to stay safe in bear country. If you need ideas for dayhikes, check out our post Five Classic Yellowstone Dayhikes.
You might also try a backpacking trip to one of the park’s plentiful backcountry campsites. You can reserve many sites in advance, and the rest are held available for visitors to book once they arrive in the park. See the park’s backcountry planner for more information.
4. Try sitting still
Pick a spot off the road or next to a trail and practice sitting still for 30 minutes (or more) and you’ll be amazed at what you will find. When you stop moving, the animals around you become more comfortable in your presence. By stilling your body and mind, you pick up on subtle movements in the distance that you might have missed, and which might turn out to be something really exciting like a bear, or wolf. You’ll also notice the sights, smells, and sounds around you on a deeper level.
5. Reconsider your priorities.
What’s the real reason you came to Yellowstone? Maybe checking the big sights off the list isn’t the most important. If it’s imperative that you see Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and the Grand Canyon, just make sure to do so in the ‘off’ hours. While it can be hard to rise early or stay up late when you’re on vacation, the rewards are soooo worth it.
Don’t try to do it all! With 2.2 million acres, 466 miles of road, and over 4,000 bison (who are frequently found on the roads), it’s hard to get anywhere fast even if you want to. You need several days. If you only have one or two days, then relinquish the desire to see everything. Pick one or two areas and explore them in depth. Trust us! Get somewhere and stay a while – whether it’s in a geyser basin, on a hill in Lamar Valley, or on a backcountry trail.
6. Know the guidelines for health and safety
Most health officials are still advocating staying close to home to prevent exposing yourself and others to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Still, Yellowstone will attract people whether they should stay home or not. That makes it EXTRA important to adhere to CDC and park guidelines for protecting yourself and others from the virus.
Remember that the gateway communities surrounding Yellowstone are small, rural towns without a lot of healthcare capacity. Your actions to protect others will make a HUGE difference for the safety and health of the families and individuals who live here year-round. Your actions will also make a difference to anyone you come in contact with while in the park.
Here are the health departments for each state:
The situation is changing rapidly in Yellowstone like it does everywhere else…check updates regularly on the Yellowstone National Park and Yellowstone National Park Lodges websites.
In Yellowstone, social distancing isn’t such a bad thing. You may just find that instead of rushing around to catch the most popular sights, you gain the true essence of what Yellowstone offers: the kind of silence, solitude, and wildness that’s difficult to experience in our daily lives.
Top photo © Mary Strickroth. Other photos © Jenny Golding.
