June 2023

We spent our last night in Colorado at Williams Fork Reservoir near Parshall. This first-come, first-served campsite was a great find and a good place to relax before beginning our swing through several National Parks.

The next day, we continued west and stopped at the Dinosaur National Monument near Jensen, Utah. This park has a rich and interesting history. To make a very long story short, millions of years ago there was a drought in this river valley that led to the demise of thousands of animals, including dinosaurs. When the rains returned, the remains of these animals were swept away in the torrent and log-jammed in the walls of the canyon downstream.

In 1909, Earl Douglass, a paleontologist on a mission from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, found the first bones in this quarry.

Some of the bones were removed and sent to various institutions for study and display.

However, the massive quarry wall containing thousands of bones remains. The museum is built around it.

Visitors can walk along the wall and touch actual dinosaur bones.

How the scientists were able to reassemble the skeletons from this jumble of bones is an amazing feat.

We spent the night at Fossil Valley RV Park in Vernal, Utah – a city that takes its dinosaur connections quite seriously.

Flaming Gorge

Our drive the next day took us through Flaming Gorge, for a surprising dose of red rocks and canyons.

The Grand Tetons

In the Tetons, we camped within the park at Signal Mountain.

Snow-capped mountains, blue skies, and cold, clear lakes made for a memorable visit. The high elevation means that the mountains often have their heads in the clouds and rain showers can pop up unexpectedly.

Jenny Lake is the centerpiece of the park. We managed to arrive early in the morning to catch the shuttle across the lake, and then we hiked up to Inspiration Point.

Yellowstone

Everyone wants to come to Yellowstone.

It takes some planning to beat the crowds, but we visited sights during off-hours and avoided sight-seeing on weekend afternoons. We stayed at four different campgrounds inside the park, and one in Gardiner, MT, just north of the park. Being in the park gave us more flexibility in planning our sight-seeing.

The park, for the most part, is configured like a large figure eight, with one center road connecting the east and west sides of the park. The road to the Lamar Valley, which is a spectacular place to see roaming wildlife, shoots off to the east. It’s a good day trip on its own.

The bison are on their own schedule. The park is theirs and everyone waits while the bison make their way down or across the road. Traffic can come to a stand-still for hours during a “bison jam.”

Bison and elk grazed their way through our first campsite at Bridge Bay. We had to keep our distance – the park is very strict about this, and for good reason, but we were able to watch the bison from the safety of our van.

The park’s features range from thermal features to canyons with stunning waterfalls.

We were surprised that there were so many thermal features – hundreds.

Some were gushing and erupting, like Old Faithful whose eruption schedule is posted on the bulletin board near the visitor center. Others were steamy springs or boiling pots of mud. The water temperatures are scalding and the Ph of the water is close to that of vinegar. Not good for a dip in either case, but amazing to see.

The earth way beneath our feet is still very active. Yellowstone records seismic activity every day. And future large eruptions are expected – eventually.

There’s a Grand Canyon within Yellowstone, as well. Not as dramatic as “the other one,” but pretty dynamic in its own way. The Yellowstone River is flanked by sandstone canyon walls and waterfalls.

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, WY

We made a day trip outside the park to visit this center. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn more about wildlife and see bears and wolves up close.

The animals here are no longer able to live in the wild, for one reason or another. Their outdoor areas are designed for them to have plenty of space for roaming and activity.

Through one-way glass, guests can view the wolves moving through their space and interacting with their family.

Craters of the Moon, Arco, ID

A long day’s drive from Yellowstone took us into Idaho and Craters of the Moon. This National Park held great interest for us, especially having traveled from Yellowstone to here. One doesn’t necessarily think of Idaho as having been volcanic, but this park and the miles and miles of basalt-strewn roads paint a different picture.

The park has an excellent educational center. From the displays and videos, we learned that the underground magma that’s fueling the thermal features of Yellowstone, began its eastward journey from here.

The camping area actually sits on a large lava bed. A paved road weaves through the small park and the campsites are separated by piles of volcanic rock.

I can imagine it being pretty uncomfortable in August when the temperatures soar well over 120, but it was pleasant for us in mid-June.

Wildflowers were in bloom, against all odds it would seem. But there they were, blooming between the rocks and across fields of cinders.

We drove the scenic loop through the park and hiked several trails into the lava fields. We looked down into the mouth of an old spatter cone, which once belched hot lava. Today, the base has a layer of snow at the bottom – much different from its active times.

Our swing through these parks was terrific. The Tetons were a great build-up to the major production of Yellowstone. If you’re planning to visit, that’s the order we’d suggest. If you want recommendations for specific campgrounds and sights, just let us know. Each of the four campgrounds was quite different. Here’s hoping that you have the opportunity. This was worth the wait!