What’s your favourite holiday destination in the world? The United States ranks in my top three, and it’s for two contrasting reasons – the energy of its big cities and the great outdoors. Almost every time I’m here, I end up exploring one of the country’s legendary outdoor destinations or National Parks. Of all these fabulous parks, there’s one place that occupies a special place in my heart – Yellowstone National Park. I was barely eight when I resolved to visit Yellowstone. There was no Instagram or Google search back then. It was a series of out-of-focus images (shot by my aunt) that sparked this resolve.
And then there were three
En route to Yellowstone Ashwin Rajagopalan
It’s not easy to get to Yellowstone. That’s one reason why the reunion I planned with my school buddies dwindled to just three of us. Las Vegas would have been an easier sell. It was the era of expansion, the time of fearless explorers who headed towards America’s Wild West. It was also the time when the US federal government designated Yellowstone as the first National Park on March 1, 1872. In many ways, Yellowstone was the foundation for America’s National Park Service. Yellowstone is spread over three states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho) and covers an area of 2.2 million acres. The rendezvous and start point of our camping adventure was the Bozeman Airport in Montana, one of the closest airports to Yellowstone.
‘Leave no trace’
The campsite — leave it as you found it Ashwin Rajagopalan
It’s not just Yellowstone, seasoned campers will tell you that you need to leave the campsite exactly the way you found it. This is easier said than done and requires a lot of pre-trip planning. Every camping group needs at least one veteran who’s been there, done that. I wasn’t that expert, my friends will tell you that I’m more a ‘glamper’ than a camper! We made a customary stop at an outdoor store in Bozeman, but most of our equipment was already sourced by our resident expert – tents, sleeping bags and an assortment of freeze-dried meals.
Backcountry paradise
The view from the campsite ‘Icy Lake’ at dusk Ashwin Rajagopalan
Yellowstone is one of America’s ultimate backcountry camping destinations. There are close to 300 designated backcountry sites around Yellowstone National Park. A backcountry camping trip entails carrying everything you need in a massive backpack (our backpacks weighed close to 30kg) and making your way to your campsite by foot. You will need basic fitness levels to make this trek. We lucked out with our allocated campsite – Icy Lake, on the edge of a serene lake that was about 5km away from our parking lot. The perfect trail for newbie backcountry campers like myself.
‘Bearly’ there
A campfire, and the night sky Ashwin Rajagopalan
Every backcountry trip in Yellowstone starts at one of the many park offices. The maximum stay per campsite varies from one to three nights per trip. Group size limits range up to 12 people You don’t just need to secure your camping permit but also watch a video presentation that prepares you for any bear interactions. Yellowstone is home to a large population of grizzly and black bears. The numbers might comfort you – approximately one bear attack per year since 1979; 3.29 million people visited the park in 2022. But you still need to be prepared for the occasional bear visit to your campsite. You don’t need to be a ‘quick draw’ shooter from the 1880s, but it’s good to keep bear spray holstered to create a quick cloud to divert the bears. We also practised playing dead with our backpacks (as a shield) to trick the bears. Our only bear encounter was a grizzly that we spotted on our drive back. We’re still not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed that we missed out on a dramatic bear encounter.
Yellowstone trails
Old Faithful erupts every 75 minutes approximately Shutterstock
It’s probably the world’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful (named for its frequent and predictable eruptions) has hardly missed a date since it was first discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition. It erupts approximately every 75 minutes with eruptions that vary between 100 and 180 feet in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin. It’s also one of the most crowded spots with busloads of tourists; that’s one reason I’d recommend getting there before noon.
The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring National Park Service
My favourite spot within the park is the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring. It’s the third largest spring in the world with multicoloured layers that get their hues from different species of thermophile (heat-loving) bacteria living in the progressively cooler water around the spring. There’s also Mammoth Falls that’s a popular photo spot but Yellowstone is more than just a series of attractions that are good for the gram. If you ever plan to visit Yellowstone, don’t jump on a bus or drive in to the park for the day from one of the many nearby towns. There’s no better way to embrace these great outdoors than a backcountry trip. You might get luckier than I did with the bears!
