Plans

The nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI) will offer the new Lamar Valley Wolf Week program December 2010 and March 2011 at its Buffalo Ranch field campus. The program will feature YAI’s signature combination of classroom learning and in-field observation led by Institute naturalists and guest speakers.

There is no doubt the dedication of the new Visitor Education Center at Old Faithful was the biggest event of the Yellowstone National Park calendar this year, as dignitaries both local and national showed up to hail the opening of a building afforded a prime location next to some of the most historic and noteworthy landmarks in America. Does the new building measure up to its august company?

It's never too early to begin planning for that winter trip to Yellowstone National Park, as the nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute announced its lineup of winter Field Seminars.

A reader writes: I am planning a trip to Yellowstone in August and curious about the roads on the northern loop. Are there any “cliff-hugging" roads I should be aware of?

Yes. Many.

Looking to combine education and lodging at Yellowstone National Park? The Yellowstone Association Institute is now offering a variety of packages combining accommodations in Gardiner with educational tours run by expert naturalists.

We are between seasons in Yellowstone National Park; the winter season has ended and the spring season won't be here until April 16, when some of the Yellowstone Grand Loop Road is expected to open. But you can still visit Yellowstone in this offseason, albeit in a limited fashion: On bike.

There's always a big challenge every summer in Yellowstone National Park: planning around the realities of road construction. Here's a glimpse at what to expect this summer.

 
A visit during the winter season shows a completely different -- and refreshing -- side of the Park. Parts of the Park are dormant, as many species retreat into dens and nests for hibernation. But other parts seem even more majestic than during the summer months.

A reader writes: I am looking for a good plan while in Yellowstone, entering at the West Entrance. We are staying two nights at Old Faithful Inn, two nights at Canyon, and heading to Jackson for two nights. We would like a plan that is not totally hectic, would like to do some easy hiking, a boat ride on the lake, horseback riding. Can you help?

A Yellowstone Insider reader called our offices the other day with a simple request: What activities would we recommend for her upcoming trip to Yellowstone National Park, a trip with both grandparents and grandkids in tow? Her main criteria: a list of activities that would please both ends of the age spectrum. We never turn down a reasonable request for information, so here's our response.