Help Visiting Yellowstone

[snagged in outlet 3]

I want to take my family to Yellowstone next summer and I'm planning the trip now. I want to hit the park to sight see and fly-fish the popular spots. Any help about where to stay and what to do would be great. Thinking about flying out there but don't know much about that either, Fire away my friends, I'm taking notes.

SIO3

[flyfishmaster]

SIO3,

You might want to look at this link as well for the Yellowstone area: RockyMtnFly forum

Later,

FFM

[Dutch]

Be sure to stay at the lodge where Old Faithful is. I don't remember the name but it is a great place to stay. Also be sure to see both falls.

[Gavin]

I've been many times.....I'd wait till July 15th if you want to fish Slough, the Y. Stone in the Canyon, or the Lamar...The Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison would be a better bet earlier in the year because they are often closed due to high water temps. Fishing around Buffalo Ford on the Y. Stone is a complete waste of time these days.(No Cutts).

A vist to Y. Stone requires a bit of attention to rainfall, stream closures, and especially ROAD CLOSURES.....Visit the park website and check out the road work schedule before you make any plans.

Its usually cheaper to fly to Bozeman but price it....I usually fly in, rent a vehicle, drive to Livingston, then down through Paradise Valley to the Gardiner Entrance, then to Roosevelt Lodge in the Park.Guess that Roosevelt is about 2-2.5 hours from Bozeman.....Its cheap and they have a passable restaurant and a bar with a nice front porch....Though it might be a bit rustic for some tastes. You will probably want some lodging on the other side of the park if you want to check out the thermal features.......Make your reservations now....it will fill quickly.

There are two good guide books available...One by Craig Matthews, the other by Richard Parks. I'd buy both again.

Shoot me a PM when your plans firm up, and I'll share some favorite spots. Cheers.

[ozark trout fisher]

I went to Yellowstone for a couple week a few years ago. It was pretty much just a fishing trip (didn't do all the sight seeing stuff, so I can't help you out there). Anyway, I hiked up above Yellowstone Lake (its a long hike, and there are no roads) and fished the headwaters of the Yellowstone. That is about the most memorable fishing I've ever had. There are lots of cutthroats, and they're pretty good sized too. And not another person for miles around.

But that doesn't help you much for a family trip. I also had good results on the Gibbon not far from where it meets the Firehole to form the Madison. It's flies only there, and I did well fishing a Prince nymph under a bubble on my spinning rod. There are some good browns there. But that area is almost too road accessible, and the fish are educated.

If the lower Gibbon is too warm, you might do well in the Yellowstone below the lake, or the Gardiner River. Both are pretty good streams. Also, the Upper Gibbon (above Gibbon Falls) almost always remains cool through the summer, and has pretty decent fishing as well, although the fish are generally smaller.

You can also do well on Yellowstone Lake. The cutthroat population is down, but there are still enough to be worth fishing for. The best part is, they generally stay within casting range of the shore all summer long. I caught a few nice trout out of there as well.

[taxidermist]

If you drive, make plans to do a Wild West trip. Rushmore, Deadwood. Wall Drug, Badlands, Devils tower, Big Horn Battle Field, Yellowstone, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Rocky Mtn National Park, Denver Museum of Natural History, Fossil Museum in Kansas, Cabelas at Bonner Springs KS. Makes an awesome 10 day to two week trip.

Rushmore is awesome around the 4th of july with the fireworks, you have to plan for it due to the dates.

Cheyenne Frontier Days in around the end of July.

Old Fatihfull is awesome early in the morning. not many people up and around at the break of day eruption.

You can visit the Denver Museum of Natural History and then the mint.

As long as you are near Yellowstone Cody has some really neat things to see. Buffalo Bill.

The Grand Tetons is just around the corner too.