By Saul Schwartz
My wife Fern and I drove into Montana from Idaho Falls. Our first stop was for lunch in West Yellowstone. We then traveled to Gardiner where we stayed for three nights. This was our first trip to Montana.
Lodging – Although there are many hotel options, we chose a Vacation Rental By Owner property within walking distance of the town and the northern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The property had an amazing deck overlooking the Yellowstone River.
Gardiner the town – Gardiner is right at the edge of Yellowstone Park’s north entrance. As we walked around our first night, we saw several elk wandering into the park from the town. The town has a population of just under 1000 residents, not counting tourists.
Yellowstone National Park (North): From Gardiner, we went into the northern part of Yellowstone National Park. We first stopped at Roosevelt Arch, at the north entrance to the park. Its cornerstone was laid in 1903 by President Théodore Roosevelt. The top of the 52 feet high arch is inscribed with a quote from the 1872 legislation which created Yellowstone, reading “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
We spent several hours at Mammouth Hot Springs, which is about a 15-minute drive from the north entrance. Two boardwalks gave us access to a host of geothermal features. Some of the steaming hydrothermal springs are colorful. Cupid Spring, Canary Spring and Grassy Spring were easily accessible from the upper terraces. After the walk, we stooped in at the Albright visitor center within a part of what was Fort Yellowstone. This historic structure was built in 1909 by the Army. At the visitor center, the rangers gave us helpful information about the park.
We then drove about one hour to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This impressive 20-mile-long canyon is about 1000 feet deep. The canyon was carved by the Yellowstone River. The best and most popular viewing point is at Artist’s Point, where the Lower Falls crash into the Yellowstone River below. From the large parking lot, it is a short walk to Artist’s Point. We drove to several other overlooks along the south rim to see slightly different views of the canyon and the falls. The Upper Falls viewpoint had very scenic views of the canyon and the river below. Nearby in Canyon Village, there is a visitor education center where rangers again provided valuable park information. We particularly enjoyed a 20-minute ranger talk right by Artist’s Point.
On the next day, we traveled east to the Lamar Valley. Thanks to a reliable water supply and lush vegetation, this valley is home to easily visible wildlife populations. We saw many bison and pronghorns. Pronghorns look like deer but are related to goats and antelopes. The Lamar Valley has great panoramic vistas. It is known as “America’s Serengeti.”
In the northeastern portion of the park, Tower Fall is easily accessible on a short path from a parking lot and location that includes a Yellowstone General Store. The Tower Fall plunges 132 feet into the Yellowstone River. A famous painting of Tower Fall by Thomas Moran in 1871 was one of the inspirations for the creation of the national park in 1872. The unusual rock formations behind the Tower Fall were created by lava flow. Because of erosion, you cannot hike to the bottom of the waterfall. It is located about 2 miles from the Tower-Roosevelt junction.
Petrified trees – Yellowstone is home to a large collection of petrified trees. Near Tower Fall, a large, petrified tree stands within a protective enclosure. This Redwood is from more than 50 million years ago when a series of volcanic eruptions preserved the tree under ash and rock.
Food options – Food prices are higher in Gardiner than average. We purchased food to take into the park from Gardiner Market, located at 701 Scott Street West. Although the market is not huge, there were plenty of options.
For one dinner, we purchased vegan breakfast burritos from Sagebrushers & Savages, located at 206 Park Street. This was one of the few vegan options in Gardiner. For another dinner, my daughter Danielle had another vegan option – a baked potato bowl from Big Sky Baked and Loaded Potato Bowls. This food truck specializes in baked potatoes with toppings. Although expensive, these potatoes are a meal by themselves.
We had dessert at the Snack Shack, a cute little option for ice cream and shaved ice. The shack closed for the season during our stay.
The proprietor of Cinna Bear Bakery and Deli, at 401 Scott Street West, was so friendly to us. He handed out – without charge – bakery items at the end of the day that he did not want to keep for the next day!
Very nice coffee and tea options were offered at Yellowstone Perk. Located at 208 Park Street, this informal restaurant has very friendly staff and food options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Take away tea and coffee drinks were quite good from Eddy Out on the Yellowstone, Located at 603 Scott Street, this little shack is easy to miss!
For refreshing sorbet, we enjoyed Yellowstone Ice Cream, a food truck on 202 Park Street.
Within the park, there are several locations of the Yellowstone General Stores. There are Yellowstone gifts and locally made items, such as Huckleberry jam. The stores are a good stopping point for a drink or informal food items.
Girts and such – For Yellowstone gifts and sweets, Garinder Gifts on 108 South Second Street offers a good selection.
Yellowstone is a very large park. Fern and I were happy to spend two full days going into the park from the Montana side to explore features less accessible from the Wyoming southern entrance. We then drove to the Bozeman airport to fly home!
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