akeisel's Passport
 | Been to 167 Attractions |
 | 162 Reviews |
 | 106 First to Review |
 | 852 Photos |
 | 105 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
My family and I love road trips. In fact, our annual road trip miles amount to at least 10,000 per year! We love National Parks and any place that is off the beaten path.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, simple, independent, energetic, spontaneous
We Just Got Back From
The road (wherever it takes us), of course!
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
National Parks
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Alaska
Favorite Vacation Memory
There are so many to name. We love Alta Ranch Montana. We have so many fun memories of just staying at the ranch. We never left the place and we were never bored!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
My daughter got car sick on the way to New Mexico. She puked in every state on the way. I sat in the back and caught the puke in a Ziploc bag for about 8 hours. Once we got to our destination, she was just fine and happy to be there.
Websites I Like:
Family Hikes in Yellowstone National Park
There is so much more to Yellowstone National Park than the animals and viewpoints along the road. My family visits Yellowstone every year and this is a list of some of our favorite family friendly hikes. Now get out there and explore!
Yellowstone National Park
4 miles south of Norris Geyser Basin Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 18 2011
"Nature's Art Gallery"
Artist Paint Pots is the place to see boiling mud in Yellowstone National Park. Families won’t witness the large geysers that surround the Old Faithful area, but this hike shouldn’t be missed. Kids will love hiking to the top of the trail's viewpoint, looking down and figuring out exactly why this hike is called the “Artist Paint Pots”. It looks just like an artist’s pallet, with amazing colors of flora, fauna and hot springs intermingling in to an amazing display of natural artwork.This one mile loop hike is perfect for families with small children. In fact, my two year old completed this hike herself, thoroughly enjoying the outing. She did get a little scared of a roaring steam vent because she thought that there was a monster buried below, so we did have to carry past that scary feature.
The Artist Paint Pots are located near the Norris Geyser Basin. The parking area is small with only a few spots for RV parking. There are also no restrooms at the trailhead. However, this area is less crowded than the Norris Geyser Basin and Old Faithful areas.
In summary, this hike shouldn’t be missed. The geothermal features are surreal – one of nature’s best galleries.
North Rim Drive
Canyon Village Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 19 2011
"The best way to experience the lower falls"
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is an iconic picture, beautiful at any vantage point. However, if you want to get the true feeling of how enormous and amazing the water falls are, take the time to hike a few switchbacks to the brink of the lower falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The Brink of the Lower Falls Trail is located at the southern-most viewpoint along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone’s North Rim Drive. There are restroom facilities and parking located all along North Rim Drive. There is also an easy hike along North Rim Drive so families can park and just walk along the rim and enjoy all of the vantage points of the falls. Be sure to look for the osprey nests hidden in the jutting cliffs.
The Brink of the Lower Falls Trail is a ½ mile of switchbacks down a rock face. Which means the return hike is 5 miles back up the rock face (just kidding, it just might seem like 5 miles though). The trail is very well groomed but make sure kids are walking slowly and safely as the roaring water below will definitely peak their excitement. Be prepared with a few fun facts about these falls: lower falls is 308 feet high; it’s twice the height of Niagara Falls; 63,500 gallons/second of water falls during peak runoff. Also look for Crystal Falls during the hike, the small waterfall across the canyon.
In summary, if you have the time to explore the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone there are many wonderful viewpoints along the North Rim Drive. If you really want to experience the lower falls though, hike the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail.
Yellowstone National Park
North East Entrance Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 18 2011
"The road "trail" less traveled"
The hike to Trout Lake is located in the North East entrance of Yellowstone. This is the most isolated area of the park so it is much less crowded the other well-known easy access hikes. That is why my family loves it. The hike to Trout Lake starts with switchbacks with a fairly steep incline. Be sure to ask your kids to try and wrap their arms around the huge tree that you’ll see near the trailhead of this hike. This is a perfect picture taking opportunity. After about a half mile you come to a beautiful mountain lake. Now the fun begins. Walk around the lake and explore, explore and explore. Be sure to wear water-proof shoes because the shore of this lake holds the treasures: frogs, bugs, and baby fish galore – perfect for your budding animal scientists. Be sure to walk around the entire lake – some boardwalks and bridges are provided. My family loves to play in the stream feeding the lake. Build a boat made of natural materials and you’ll find an afternoon lost to great family fun. Your family can also extend the hike and find Buck Lake, which is a few hundred yards from Trout Lake.One thing to note, the north east area of the park is the place to view bears, so always be aware of the area around you. This warning is not meant to scare. My family has hiked this trail several times and never spotted a bear while hiking this trail. Just be smart and safe.
In summary, if your family wants to hike, and avoid the crowds – this is the place to hike. Just keep it a secret, because my family loves this hike’s isolation in Yellowstone as well.
Norris Canyon Road off Hwy 89
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 20 2011
"Geothermal Features Galore"
Norris Geyser Basin is a great family hiking spot because hikes can be customized to any level. Families can walk the entire boardwalk system of trails, or visit only some of the geothermal features. Families can even just sit back and enjoy the viewpoint and take pictures near the parking area. Norris Geyser Basin is worth exploring no matter which trail you decide to follow. Prepare your children for two important things though: first, the geothermal features in Norris Geyser Basin have a strong sulfuric scent; and second, stay on the boardwalks while hiking as the ground is delicate and you can fall through to the hot water below.
There are several loop trails that are perfect for families wishing to see the most features in the area. Steamboat Geyser, the tallest in the world is one of the most famous features in Norris Geyser Basin. However, this geyser does not erupt in any predictable pattern. Each geothermal feature is marked with a unique name. However, my family likes to come up with our own creative names for each feature as we walk along the trail. This is a fun game to keep the little ones going strong.
Norris Geyser Basin is a popular tourist attraction in Yellowstone National Park. There is a large parking area with special RV parking provided but in peak season this parking area can fill up quickly. There are also restrooms, a book store and a small visitor center here.
In summary, Norris Geyser Basin is a great place for families whether they take a few hours or a few minutes to explore.
¼ mile east of Lava Creek Picnic area
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 19 2011
"Perfect hike for families with young kids"
Wraith Falls hike is perfect for families with young children. This is an easy ½ mile one way level hike to a very pretty 90 foot cascading waterfall. This hike can be accessed about 5 miles east of Mammoth Hot Springs. There is a small parking area near the trailhead on the south side of the road, but no restrooms are available.The trail meanders through Lupine Meadows where families will enjoy the wildflowers along the pathway. Wraith Falls isn’t as large as other famous Yellowstone waterfalls and its water flow varies by season, but nonetheless this is a great hike for families. My kid’s enjoyed running ahead of us trying to be the first to spot the cascading falls. Be sure to look for pine martens on the way, sneaky critters that like to hide in the trees along this hike.
In summary, if you are looking for an easy hike in Yellowstone for small kids, this is the place to be. The pathway is pleasant and the waterfall is unique.
Upper Geyser Basin
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
reviewed on: June 20 2011
"Crowded geyser - but of course you have to go"
Of course you have to see Old Faithful if you are in Yellowstone National Park. The problem is, every tourist will be there so hiking around the boardwalk isn’t exactly peaceful. My recommendation is to take your family once. Take a picture of the kids standing in front of Old Faithful erupting. Then go inside the Old Faithful Inn, order some coffee and/or ice cream and sit out on the Inn’s huge deck. Enjoy Old Faithful from a distance, away from all of the crowds. In my opinion the Old Faithful Inn is really the thing to see at this location.There are some nice hikes along the upper geyser basin that begin at Old Faithful. If your family has the time, it is worth it to walk around and see some of the other geothermal features. Warn your kids about the stinky smell of sulfur that they will experience. Also be sure that the kids keep to the boardwalk as to avoid any injuries from falling through thin ground.
In summary, Old Faithful is an iconic place to visit. Every tourist to Yellowstone National Park should get a picture of this famous geyser erupting. But keep in mind that this place is full of tourists, so hiking here won’t really feel like getting away from it all.
