About

Hi! I’m Mel!

When a professional writer and naturalist (me!) marries a documentary-style filmmaker (you’ll get to know, Henry), we naturally pursue our passions of playing outdoors and traveling while documenting it as we go.

We’ve led an outdoor adventure life raising two energetic and intuitive boys in Yellowstone’s backyard.

family standing in snow at Yellowstone National Park entrance sign in Gardiner, Montana

We live at the northern end of Yellowstone National Park in Livingston, Montana (and previously lived south of Grand Teton National Park) and have spent half my life exploring this area and falling in love with it.

If you want to plan a Yellowstone area vacation but need suggestions and recommendations from someone who lives here, works here, and has an insider’s perspective to Yellowstone, you’ve come to the right place. There is nothing quite like planning your dream vacation to the world’s first National Park.

I know how to escape the crowds, the best places to see wildlife, where to find the most gorgeous trails, types of family-friendly programs and tours, and where to stay in or near Yellowstone.

In addition to experiencing Yellowstone with my family, friends, or alone, I have had several jobs that put me in the park.

I worked as a natural history and wildlife-watching guide, taught outdoor education, and wrote numerous articles about Yellowstone. It’s my backyard and I want to share it with you.

Here are some of the places you can find me sharing my expertise:

Speaker at the Yellowstone Summit about things to do beyond Yellowstone’s borders.

Author of A Local’s Guide to Yellowstone on Samantha Brown’s website.

Front Range Outdoors podcast talking about the 2022 flood and how it affected Yellowstone.

Author of the Yellowstone section of Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West

And I write all about Montana, Wyoming, and the world at my other site: TravelingMel.com.

I talk about the “Original Gateway to Yellowstone’” on Locals Know Best Podcast: Livingston, Montana

I know just how overwhelming planning a vacation to Yellowstone, be it your first or fifteenth, can be. There is so much to see and do!

That’s why I started YellowstoneTrips.com – to help you make the most of your Yellowstone vacation. Whether you want to “see it all,” experience the “must-sees,” find quieter parts of the park, or just slow down and fully immerse yourself in Wonderland, I want to make your trip planning easy.