Play

boy hiking in wildflowers
Play, Stay, Trip Reports

Backpacking the Yellowstone River Trail

Here’s what you need to know to hike the Yellowstone River Trail in Yellowstone National Park. Permits, distances. campsites and more.

pink wildflower
Play, Trip Reports

Early Summer Wildflowers in Yellowstone

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. In the last weekend of May 2015, we took a walk along the Beaver Pond Loop, one of our favorite early season hikes. It’s about five miles, and other than a steepish hill for the first 3/4 of […]

yellowstone wildflowers
Play, Trip Reports

5 Yellowstone Hikes for Kids and Families

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. We are lucky to live less than an hour from the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park and even luckier to get to spend lots of time in one of the world’s first national park. It isn’t easy […]

young otters playing on trail
Play, Trip Reports

Trout Lake

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. Trout Lake is one of our favorite summer destinations. Around early July, the cutthroat/rainbow trout hybrids spawn up the inlet creek, with their backs and fins sticking out of the creek. The otters that call Trout Lake home, […]

Trail sign with bison
Play, Trip Reports

Lamar River Trail

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. The Lamar River Trail is a flat, easy trail and a great way to access the Lamar Valley on foot. Heather and I walked about 3.5 miles of it on our spring trip. Animals were everywhere—bison and pronghorn […]

bison backlit in mountains
Play, Trip Reports

Beaver Pond Trail {April 2015}

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. The bison are everywhere in Yellowstone right now! My friend Heather and I spent the weekend in the park and hiked several trails. Ostensibly, we were there to watch wolves, but we didn’t put a lot of effort […]

natural bridge with tree
Play, Trip Reports

Hike to Natural Bridge in Yellowstone

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. Driving directions, trail info, and more can be found at the bottom of the post. We were supposed to go backpacking last weekend, Heather and I. And climb Electric Peak. We had the permit and everything. But, then […]

Kids in hotspring river
Play, Trip Reports

The Boiling River Yellowstone National Park

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure.   The Boiling River is one of only a few hot springs in Yellowstone National Park for swimming. Here’s how you find the Boiling River and everything you need to know to enjoy your time swimming in Yellowstone. […]

lonestar geyser erupting
Play, Trip Reports

One Day in Yellowstone: Boiling River, Lone Star Geyser, Old Faithful

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. It’s easy to feel like you have to see everything on your Yellowstone trip. But, some of our favorite days are ones where to take the time to really enjoy a few special spots. Here’s a great day we […]

Abyss pool
Play, Trip Reports

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. Perched on the edge of Yellowstone Lake, at the heart of Yellowstone National Park, is West Thumb Geyser Basin. Pinks, blues, oranges, yellows, rusty browns, and verdant greens fill the hot spring-pocked landscape before running into the country’s […]

Storm point scotland scene
Play, Trip Reports

Hiking to Storm Point in Yellowstone National Park

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. Driving directions, trail info, and more can be found at the bottom of the post. In August of 2012, I met up with Michele and her family for a hike to Storm Point. Michele and I “met” online. […]

Lower Falls
Play, Trip Reports, Uncategorized

What to See at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure. There is a lot to see and do at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You could spend days–or longer!– exploring the canyon, but most people just don’t have the time. So, here’s what you don’t want to […]