Over the summer, we took a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It was the first time I've ever been and I brought my daughter. We both enjoyed it very much. Read on for photos and deets...

Super-Volcano

Did you know that Yellowstone is actually the largest active super-volcano in North America?

This is actually what fuels all the geysers, hot springs, and other geothermal activity throughout this ecosystem. The good news is, it probably won't erupt again during our lifetimes, and when it does erupt, it will reverse global warming. The bad news is, when it does erupt again, all life as we know it on North America will be destroyed. Geez.

Geysers and Hot Springs

But due to the active volcanic ecosystem here, there are several geysers and hot springs to view all throughout the park. There are tons of signs everywhere warning visitors not to step off any approved walkways due to risk of burning death, so make sure to follow the rules here!

Some of my personal photos are below:

Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.

Grand Prismatic

Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States, and this one is especially unique due to it's colors.

I don't have any personal photos from the Grand Prismatic. This was the last stop of our first day and it was getting quite crowded with people, and I'm not my best self in large crowds. So I didn't get my camera out and try to angle for a good shot because I was too busy being disgruntled instead. But it was quite fabulous to see in-person, and here's a good picture of it that I found online.

So if I had to give you any advice, it would be to schedule this stop to be your FIRST stop of the day, and beat the crowds. Because you'll want to take your time here and enjoy taking your photos in peace and quiet.

Grand Prismatic / Image Source: Grand-Prismatic-Spring-Yellowstone-National-Park-2.jpg (1600×1071) (pre-tend.com)

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is probably the world's most famous geyser. It's mostly famous due to the predictability of it's eruptions. It's timing is so accurate that you can easily find the daily eruption schedule and you can time your visit to coincide with it.

There are actually larger and more impressive geysers throughout Yellowstone, but due to their unpredictability, they are not as popular. People aren't very inclined to sit around a smoking hole in the ground and wait for it to erupt, without some sort of expectation of how long their wait could be.

But because Old Faithful is so predictable and famous, it was also very crowded. (See above for how ornery I get in large crowds.) There were alot of seating areas set-up here, as well as a resort hotel in this area, and gift-shops and restaurants. It is definitely a tourist-trap if you enjoy that sort of thing.

I'm not very happy with my personal photos of Old Faithful since I prefer my pics to not have other people in them, but this is the best shot I could get due to the crowd.

Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.

Waterfalls

We spend another day at the park hiking the canyon trails and viewing the waterfalls. These trials are definitely physically challenging since there are elevation changes of hundreds of feet. And not much space to stop for rest if you need to. So just be aware of that before embarking on these canyon trials.

I thought the hiking was difficult, but also worth it to see the waterfalls up-close and personal. My photos won't do them any justice by far. You'll definitely want to see them for yourself instead.

Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.

Bison and Wildlife

Yellowstone is also very well-known for the wildlife in the area. Of course, it's not safe to get close to wildlife ever, and there were a few instances where we were probably too close for our own good. But we were lucky and nothing bad happened! Below are some photos of the wildlife and the bison that we were able to see...

Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.
Yellowstone National Park / Image Source: Pepper V.

Anyhow, I think I've left you all with a decent summary of how the trip was. I would recommend a visit and I would enjoy going back in the future.

Have you all visited Yellowstone before? What did you think of it?