West Yellowstone Montana Travel Tips

What should I Bring?

Bring your warm clothing and rain shell. Have you heard the saying "if you want the weather to change wait 5 minutes"? The weather here can change on a dime and you don't want to be caught in windy rain storm just because you thought the weather was going to be sunny all day. When visiting in the Summer you will want to bring both your long and short clothing! You will find yourself much more comfortable when you have that needed change of clothing when temperatures change from hot to cold or cold to hot. Plus the mosquitoes can be fierce so having a skin cover-up is a must!

Is there baby sitting in West Yellowstone?

Yes. Little Geysers Child Care Center at 406-646-7011

When is the Park open?

The Park is never entirely closed, although many roads do close for certain periods. The road between the Northwest entrance (Gardiner, Montana) and the Northeast entrance (Cooke City, Montana) is always open in order to serve Cooke City which would otherwise be totally isolated during the winter months. When an entrance opens it remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (weather conditions permitting).

When do they turn Old Faithful off?

The only control on Old Faithful, as on any other natural feature of the Park, is Mother Nature.

When do they let the animals "out"?

All the animals within Yellowstone (and a great share of those outside) are wild and living in their natural habitat. There are no cages or other means of restricting their movements.

What time does Old Faithful erupt?

Old Faithful erupts on the average of every 70 minutes. The length and strength of the preceding eruption is used to calculate the next expected eruption. Most public locations within the Upper Geyser Basin (which is where Old Faithful is located) post that time as soon as it has been calculated giving a +/- time within 10 minutes.

Are the animals dangerous?

All animals in Yellowstone National Park are in their home and they treat it as such. We are the visitors. EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED when animals are near by. Trust us when we sayyou cant outrun them! It is considered animal harassment when you approach closer than 25 yards to an elk and 100 yards to a buffalo. Bears, of course, demand even greater distance.

What is the caldera?

Simply described, a caldera is a volcano that has collapsed in part, or wholly. When Yellowstone last erupted, approximately 625,000 years ago, it blew off nearly 100 square miles. By comparison, Mount St. Helens in Washington blasted about one square mile.

How close is West Yellowstone to Yellowstone National Park?

Immediately adjacent

When do the deer turn into elk?

Deer never turn into elk. They are two different types of hooved animals.

May we feed the animals?

No. The animals are wild and to encourage them to seek food from humans can result in death from inappropriate food or dependency.

Is there a speed limit in the Yellowstone Park?

The maximum speed limit is 45 miles per hour, with many areas posted below that.

How long will it take to see Yellowstone?

Some would say, a lifetime. To give yourself a fair overview of Yellowstone, plan to spend at least two days. One day for touring the Northern Loop and one for touring the Southern Loop. Both are easily accessible from West Yellowstone. See the itineraries in the Planning section.

What if I want to visit in the winter?

Come along. What a great time to plan to explore YELLOWSTONE and beyond! Snowmobiles, snow coaches, cross-country skis and snowshoes are all popular means of doing so. You can even experience a dog-sled adventure. Visit our winter activities in our Eat, Sleep, Play section. Bring your warm clothing.