I was excited to see the famed Yellowstone National Park! After my experience at the many other national parks along the way, I was surprised there seemed to be hardly anyone here on the roads or in the line at the entrance. The park was gorgeous with beautiful rivers along the route. I saw hot springs and waterfalls.
And buffalo! Or rather bison, but they look like buffalo to me! The first herd was fun, they were walking (and shitting) all over the roads with not a care in the world for the vehicles.
After the fifteenth herd of often a hundred or more, it got old. The stopped traffic irritated me. The large dumps of buffalo doo-doo all over the roads and covering the fields were ghastly. The grass is eaten down to nothing. I wondered if the park culls the herds and sells the meat to restaurants? I decided I've seen enough buffalo to last me a lifetime until I came across a massive buffalo right on the side of the road...with a baby buffy!! It couldn't have been more than a day or two old! And blonde! Ooohhh!
Then I encountered the most obnoxious buffalo! He was in front of a car in front of me for the longest time, finally moved off the road so we start traveling again, and he does a little hop skip right in front of my van! With his butt facing me, he just stands there...on purpose, I'm sure. He looks back at me once like it's a game. Believe me when I say, I wanted to run him over, but I patiently waited. He slowly starts to walk to the side of the road and I drove around him.
Never saw any bears...darn.
The southern entrance is currently closed for winter for another week. I didn't want to wait. I meticulously researched the route, or so I thought. My plan was to go in the west, tour the northern routes that according to online were open, out the northeast entrance and on to Cody, Wyoming. It was destined to be a long day anyway with seven hours of driving and who knows how much time taken to look at sights, walk trails, and eat lunch. I was right on schedule all the way reaching the northeast entrance at around 4pm. It was suspiciously unmanned.
I get to the first town four miles east of Yellowstone called Cooke City. Strangely misleading, it is NOT a city but a cute little town. On the other side of the town...the highway through the mountain pass is CLOSED!! The sun is going down and I am nearly out of gas. I have no option other than to turn around and drive all the way back across the park and hopefully I can get out the northern entrance. There is no internet so I can't confirm if that highway is also closed so I take my chances. It's not closed, however, with no internet, how do I find a place to stay??
Luckily, at the last campground in the Tetons, I met a woman who gifted me a BLM Campgrounds book! She had an extra one! Thank god! I found this spectacular campsite at Capella in Montana! I arrive and there is a sign that says "Fee Area". Hmmmm...this is supposed to be BLM land and free. I've noticed many of the campsites they are changing to fee-based camping. The posted sign in the campground says camping costs $15! Well, it didn't in my book! I see the camp host and ask if there are free campsites in the area. He says, "Why do you want to go to some place else when this one is free?" I tell him all the signs say it costs! He says that doesn't start until May 15th! I am so relieved. It's a beautiful place right next to the Yellowstone River.
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