To appreciate Yellowstone Park at its fullest, you need to experience the backcountry. Here, you will enjoy a variety of adventures and activities, and be able to see the park in its natural state. The backcountry is where the magnificent scenery can be found in its purest form. Most people that come to Yellowstone Park head to the backcountry where they camp, raft, snow ski, snowboard, hike, swim, fish, and truly enjoy all this beautiful park has to offer. The information contained in this section all pertains to the “backcountry” of Yellowstone Park.
For horseback riding, you will find hundreds of miles of trails, making this a great place to ride horses. By taking trails in the backcountry, you will see hot springs, geysers, wildlife, vegetation and flowers, birds, and other amazing things. The experience on horseback is very rewarding and since you can take a guided tour from a number of locations in the park, you get different perspectives. With these tours, you can choose to ride in the park or outside of the park, both offering a special experience.
Camping is another popular activity in the Yellowstone National Park. Camping in Yellowstone Park is an adventure of its own. This park offers 12 campgrounds. Seven of these are run by the National Park Service, which includes Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Falls, all that are first come, first serve. The remaining campgrounds are run by Amfac Parks and Resorts, which include Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant Village, Madison, and the Fishing Bridge RV Park. Unlike the first seven, you can make same-day or future reservations through Amfac. The RV Park offers electrical hookup, sewer, and water but is available for just hard-sided vehicles, (no tents, or tent trailers allowed).
If you love to boat, canoes, kayaks, motorboats, powerboats, rafts, and sailboat are allowed on the Yellowstone and Lewis lakes with the exception of Shoshone Lake where only paddled boats are permitted. Regardless, all private boats are required to have permits or you can enjoy taking a charter or scenic cruise. If you plan to boat on Yellowstone, Lewis, and or Shoshone lakes, you will need to stop by the Bridge Bay Marina, Grant Village Backcountry Office, Lake Ranger Station, Lewis Lake Campground, or the South Entrance for permits.
Then you have fishing, a favorite at Yellowstone Park since this region has an abundance of native Cutthroat Trout found in both the lakes and streams. A fishing permit is required and can be purchased for in one of two ways – $10 for 10 days or $20 for the entire season. Just as with the boat permits, fishing permits can be purchased at the local ranger station. The fishing season in Yellowstone Park begins sometime around Memorial Day and runs through the first part of November. The exact dates vary so you will need to check with the ranger for the exact dates. In addition to fishing on your own, you can take a number of guided tours.
Finally, river rafting and float trips are amazing in the Yellowstone National Park. You will find a number of wonderful things to do. For this reason, the entire family would have a great time. One of the favorites is all the activities surrounding the water. The Yellowstone River is the longest free-flowing river within 48 states, offering exciting for the entire family. As you make your way down the river, you will be challenged with various areas, each with unique names and characteristics. To give you an example, you can take the Gardiner Town Stretch, slamming over and through waves and navigate through excellent rapids such as Pickets Wave, Sleeping Giant, Creighton’s Hole, and Man Eater. The scenery down the river is gorgeous, passing Devil’s Slide and Electric Peak.