LITMIR.BIZ

Bathers Beware

      Soaking directly in thermal waters is not officially allowed in Yellowstone, so as to protect both bathers’ skin and the park’s unique thermophilic microbiological resources. Swimming is allowed in a few places where thermal runoff mixes with cold-water sources, such as the Boiling River (Trail 2) and the Firehole River Canyon near Madison Junction.

      In 2016 a parasitic amoeba was found in Kelly Warm Springs and Huckleberry and Polecat Springs in Grand Teton National Park. Dubbed the “brain-eating bacteria,” the amoeba can enter the body through nasal cavities and cause fatal meningitis-like symptoms. The park has closed all springs to the public.

      See page 49 for the full list of our favorite Greater Yellowstone hot springs where soaking is allowed.

      Free Wi-Fi is available in Yellowstone at Mammoth’s Albright Visitor Center and in Grand Teton at Craig Thomas Visitor Center in Moose, Colter Bay Village, Signal Mountain gas station, Jenny Lake Lodge, and Jackson Lake Lodge. Paid Wi-Fi is available ($5 per hour) at several of Yellowstone’s lodges, including the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Lake Hotel, Grant Village lodges, and Canyon bar.

Park Entrance Fees

      The park entrance fee ($30 per car, $25 per motorcycle/snowmobile, $15 per hiker or bicyclist) is valid for seven days’ admission to either Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park. A seven-day pass to both parks is also available ($50 per car, $40 per motorcycle, $20 per hiker or bicyclist). The annual National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Pass ($80, $10 for US citizens ages 62 and older, free with proof of permanent disability) grants entrance to federal recreation sites for one year from the date of purchase. Yearlong, park-specific passes ($60) allow entrance to a single park, so you are better off with a federal pass if visiting both parks.

Camping

      Myriad camping opportunities exist throughout the Greater Yellowstone region. The challenge can be securing a spot, as the most popular campgrounds fill to capacity early in the day during the summer, especially on weekends. Where available, reservations are strongly advised between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

      In Yellowstone, the National Park Service runs seven first-come, first-served campgrounds ($15–$20 per night). Call 307-344-2114 for details. The concessionaire Xanterra manages four reservable campgrounds ($23.50–$28 plus tax per night) and the Fishing Bridge RV Park ($50 plus tax), which can be booked online. Call 307-344-7311 or visit yellowstonenationalparklodges.com for details. With the exception of Slough Creek, all campgrounds have a few first-come, first-served hiker/biker sites ($4), which camp hosts might offer to car campers late in the day. The National Park Service sites are much smaller and less developed, most with basic vault toilets and prohibitions against generators. The more developed sites allow generators and have flush toilets, dump stations, and showers and laundry nearby. Campgrounds at Canyon and Grant Villages include two hot showers in their site fees. There is a 14-day limit on camping June 15–September 15 everywhere except Fishing Bridge, and a 30-day limit the rest of the year.

      In Grand Teton, there are five first-come, first-served frontcountry campgrounds ($24–$25 per night) with hiker/biker sites ($10–$11 per night). There are also concessionaire-operated “trailer villages” (reservable RV parks with showers, laundry, and full hookups) at Colter Bay Village and at Flagg Ranch, between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Download the Backcountry Trip Planner at tinyurl.com/yellowstonebackcountry for details on current reservation procedures.

      Beyond these two parks, plenty of private campgrounds afford ample opportunity for primitive and dispersed camping in the nearby national forests and wilderness areas.

      Signs at the entrances to both parks will tell you which campgrounds have spaces. Check nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm for live information on which campgrounds are open and at what time they filled, and plan your arrival accordingly. For Grand Teton campground status, visit gtlc.com/camping.

Backcountry Permits

      Permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry of Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Backpackers can stay only in fixed campsites in the back-country. Fees are also charged for mandatory boating and fishing permits. Permits are not required for day hikes in either park.

      In Yellowstone, advance reservations for the more than 300 backcountry campsites are accepted (for a $25 fee) only by mail or fax or in person, starting April 1. Fortunately, several backcountry sites in each area of the park are left open for in-person reservations, which can be made not more than 48 hours before the first date of the trip. For a full rundown of the extensive regulations, contact Yellowstone’s Backcountry Office at 307-344-2160 to request a free Backcountry Trip Planner, or download a copy at tinyurl.com/yellowstonebackcountry.