Yellowstone National Park is the most famous national park in the world. It is also known as the famous US National Park. This is the first-ever national park in world history. The park is most famous for its geothermal features and Bison herds. This is the only national park in the US where Bison herds have lived continuously since prehistoric times.
The Bison jam in Yellowstone National Park is astonishing as the cars wait for the bison to cross the road. The Bisons are treated in a very prestigious manner in the area.
Yellowstone National Park is a jewel among all the other national parks of the USA and the world. The park has been among the favorites of everyone visiting it every year. The park has been a significant part of the attraction to all the tourists.
The park can be enjoyed in various ways by the people. They can indeed plan to visit the park for a trip, or even they can drive by the grand loop road and view the park from the comfort zone of their cars. They can also stop at a nearby picnic spot to enjoy the park’s beauty and activities in a single day.
The active visitors of the park have a lot to see, do, enjoy, know and cherish about the park. There are thousands of miles of trails, from day hikes to backcountry explorations.
The major attractions of the park are located on the grand loop road. Let’s get into the major attraction points without any further delay.
- The US National Park is the first-ever national park in the world, popularly known as Yellowstone National Park.
- The whole park covers an area of 2,219,789 acres of land altogether.
- The variety of wildlife-There are seven species of ungulates,[bison, moose, elk, pronghorn], two species of bear,322 different species of birds,16 species of fish,67 other mammals and of course, the grey wolf is some of the very well known animals.
- Diversity of Plants- There are more than 1,100 species of native plants, more than 200 species of exotic plants and over 400 species of thermophiles.
- Geology- The US National Park has the most hydrothermal and geothermal features. There are more than 10,000 features overall and more than 300 geysers in the park area. The greatest ever known caldera is also located in Yellowstone National Park. The park has the world’s largest petrified forest and more than 300 waterfalls.
- The US National Park Lake, commonly known as Yellowstone Lake, is the largest in North America, covering an area of 132 sq mi. It is also the highest-altitude lake [7,732].
- Among all the most fantastic attractions of Yellowstone National Park, the nine visitor centers are famous places for tourists.
- There are also 12 campgrounds and more than 2000 campsites within the park.
The Month of March in the US National Park is more of a snowy wonderland. The park is still covered with a white cover all around. The wildlife can be mostly spotted in the lower elevations due to the heavy snowfall and temperature decrease in the higher elevations. It is easy for the tourists to watch the wildlife walking around and spend their leisure time. However, several animals are still in their hibernation.
There are various benefits of visiting the national park in March and a few drawbacks. We must also learn some tips and tricks to cope with all situations while visiting Yellowstone. One must also keep in mind that visiting the US National Park in the winter months needs to be a bit flexible about all the situations.
Perks of Visiting Yellowstone National Park in March:
During the whole Winter season, visiting the US National Park and viewing its wildlife from a very close end is the most significant benefit of the tour. The national park is almost covered with snow in March. As a result of it, the animals travel to the lower elevations from the higher elevations to protect themselves from the shivering cold weather.
Yellowstone wildlife is mainly in the valleys during this time of the year. Tourists can enjoy watching the wildlife from the comfort of their couches. The animals like bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, wolves and elk are found in plenty in Yellowstone valleys.
The snow gives travelers a closer and proper glance at the lesser-known wildlife of the US National Park, like the cougars, bobcats, lynx, badgers, etc., which also inhabit the park. The snow allows the footprints of these animals to make evidence of their presence.
For people who like it better in fewer crowds, this is their time. By the beginning of March, springtime has already peeped in Yellowstone, but it still remains chilly and snowy. Yellowstone Park is not a very go-to destination for people in spring. It is unpredictable and unpleasant in the winter months.
Fewer crowds not only mean a calm and quiet environment but also readily available accommodation with some options. The accommodations are also much more affordable during this time than in the Summer.
Finding accommodations in the US National Park during the peak summer months is hard or impossible. All the accommodations get already booked more than a year ago or so. During winters, no such troubles are to be faced. One can easily book a few accommodations just a few weeks of their travel.
Coming to the nature and landscape of Yellowstone National Park during March, the whole park is covered with snow, and the view is more than what we can call mesmerizing. The US National Park is commonly seen as a colorful place mostly clothed in green and brown. But, during this time, the newly covered snow has made everything snowy white and the view a serene one to look at. The view is such that people who love watching landscapes can spend hours seeing them.
Hitches of Visiting Yellowstone National Park in March:
While visiting a place, the condition and availability of the roads that lead to our destination come first to our minds. So, the most significant drawback is that most of the roads are closed or are either blocked due to the heavy snowfall.
The only entrance through which tourists can enter the national park during this time is the Northern Entrance at Gardiner and the Northeast entrance at Cooke City.
In March, the US national park goes through a significant transition period in terms of Season. The weather changes from Winter to Spring. Many accommodations and activities open during the winter start closing up by the beginning of March—the two main accommodations open within the park throughout the winter close by this time.
Though there are other accommodations, too, like the ones in Gardiner, West Yellowstone and Cody, which are open the year round.
Activities like snowshoeing, ski rentals, etc., are stopped at the beginning of the month. One can still avail of these facilities at the West Yellowstone and Gardiner as they continue these services for tourists visiting in mid or end of March.
The park starts preparing for the big time, the peak summer season. All the necessary arrangements are made for the grand opening. Hence, tourists might face a bit of trouble while renting snowshoes, cross-country skis, etc.; it may also get a bit difficult while traveling by the snow vehicles like snowmobiles, etc., as the majority of the roads are blocked due to the heavy snow coverage all over the park. By this time, the whole park gets busy with summer preparations.
Another disadvantage that we need to consider regarding a visit to Yellowstone National Park in March is the falling temperatures of the park. The temperatures are primarily below zero at night, and the heavy snowstorms and harsh winds can make it even worse for people who are not habituated to enough cold weather.
Tourists visiting the US National Park during Summer do not require such precautions. Proper clothing and a rain jacket and some boots are enough to cope. But March can be dangerous for people not carrying enough layers of clothes, shoes, etc.,
In a situation, people might be unable to access and enjoy the park well. It even becomes worst when people fall under Hypothermia or Frostbite. So, it is highly recommended not to visit Yellowstone during this time of the year if you are not well accustomed to nature and its happenings.
Things to do and watch in March:
There are various things to do in the US National Park in March. Several trails are there in the low elevations of the park, which remain open during this time. It is fully covered with snow, giving tourists an excellent opportunity for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Before visiting Yellowstone, planning the tour well about when to visit which place and when to go for the activities is excellent. Booking a snow coach or snowmobile tour can be a good idea if one needs to see and enjoy the landscape. If you are planning to visit little early like January you can check this out.
Wildlife viewing can also be fascinating during this time as all the animals can be seen from a very close end due to high snow coverage. Though a distance of 100 meters must be kept between the animals and the people as animals are always unpredictable. Some of the less-known animals in the national park are bobcats, wolverines, mountain lions, lynxes, etc., which also inhabit the area but are rarely seen. They can sometimes be found if people are lucky enough. They can even be addressed as unique attractions of the park.
Indoors can be enjoyable if the weather doesn’t permit the tourists to spend enough time outdoors. Board games like chess, business, etc., are good options if one wants to play games. But if one is interested in knowing about the national park, then the museum and the visitor’s park can be great places of knowledge and astonishment.
There are also various beautiful places, such as eateries, where people can go and enjoy meals with their loved ones. One can even try out Bison burgers in one of the unique eateries near the Gardiner.
Major Attractions of Yellowstone in March:
Yellowstone is a great place to see, know, enjoy its beauty and access its activities. But the views, activities and everything else changes from time to time of the year. It is always beautiful over here in various ways.
Almost everything is covered in March, and the snowy landscape has a charm not definable in words. An ample amount of wildlife viewing is possible; also, many pictures with great memories can be captured during this time.
Must Visit these Place:
- The Old Faithful Geyser [accessible only by snow vehicles within mid of March]
- The Mammoth Ho springs [can be accessible throughout the winter by car and snow vehicles too]
- The Lamar Valley [can be accessible all the time in winter by car]
- The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone [it is accessible by only snow vehicles by the 15th of March]