grand loop road

8字形环路，一定要好好看地图好好规划，每个叉路口一下就是几十英里，尽量少走回头路吧，路况非常好，各段夏季开放时间也不太一样，两边都是风景和动物

这个八字环线必须自驾，也只能自驾才算玩了黄石。如果坐旅行团大巴，会错过很多乐趣，也许最出名的点都会停，但会缺了在路边看动物的机会。只要看到有车停在路边，基本肯定是有动物，鹿不少，野牛很多，熊也不罕见。而且很多观景台，休息区也是风景很好的地方。必须自驾，不要参团！

This is about 5 hours across and 4 hours north to south but well worth every minute. Everybody drives slow because of all the animals--bison, elk, maybe a longhorn sheep in the distance. When you see cars stopped, you are bound to see wildlife.

I can say enough how beautiful is Yellowstone. Driving Grand Loop Road can enjoy even more of the awesome views. These can take up most of the day if you stop and snap photos.

We have had a cabin in the Yellowstone area for many years and visit the park often, especially when we host guests. The roads are one of our pet peeves - not that they aren't well maintained, they are. And not that they don't take you to all the places that you want to see in the park, they do. The problem is people driving huge vehicles, going slooowww WHO NEVER PULL OVER! Really people? Could you be any more inconsiderate? I swear I am going to make a sign to hold up when I pass these road hogs that says MOVE OVER STUPID!

There were so many road closings / delays on Grand Loop that it increased our travel time significantly. It's amazing what we will put up with to see Yellowstone. We were staying at Lake Yellowstone and Old Faithful would have been an easy trip except for the road closing. Instead we had to go 30-40 miles out of the way. We never did get to go on the west Upper loop because of the closing. Perhaps it was our timing (mid Sept), but when else do you come if you want to avoid the summer crowds?

I went to the park the end of October. This is a perfect time to visit. There are not many people around so getting around was easy. I could stop anywhere and see the bison and elk. Early morning is a good time to enter the park because many of the animals are feeding then. Many roads are closed for repairs this time of year but it wasn't much of a problem for me. I was in and around the park for three days. A nice surprise is the senior discount ($10 for all the national parks forever). I took several of the side roads like Virginia Cavalcade and found an incredible waterfall. The pools around God's Palette are beautiful. It was cool on one of the days an there was much steam over the main pool hiding the view of the colors. It was nice to take my time, with little traffic and enjoy this wonderful natural resource.

Be sure to check the status of road construction---we had to detour to get to Old Faithful--was worth the extra miles and time.

Two main sections closed. Luckily we had made reservations at different locations and so we didn't have as much of a problem as some people who were based in one location. It was good that they alerted us to that but I had to redo our planned drives 2 weeks before we left because of the changes.

If you can see out of your car then you can enjoy this Grand Loop road. Every vista is spectacular. Take your time, use the many pull-offs and watch the bison block traffic. This is a full day drive with stops for food and photos. Don't miss it.

The Grand Loop covers Mammoth Hot Springs, the Old Faithful area, Lake Yellowstone and the Canyon area. An easy, beautiful drive that is only interrupted by bear and/or bison jams, which only add to the excitement.

We spent a week exploring Yellowstone National Park along the Grand Loop Road. Yellowstone is a huge park -- well worth the time and energy to explore it. Stay in two or three areas of the park, and give yourself enough days in each area to adequately enjoy all the park has to offer. Grand Loop Road is not the attraction itself -- it is the means to enjoy all the sights.

Maybe we're spoiled. Other than the interesting features of Yellowstone (e.g. Grand canyon of Yellowstone and the geyser basins) . . . it really just isn't that appealing (compared to, say, Glacier National Park or Rocky Mountain National Park).And it is crowded . . . even when we visited in mid-September. Too many cars. Too much distance to travel.Probably great for people who want to experience nature in small bites . . . drive an hour, walk 30 minutes, repeat.ADVICE: If you like to walk / hike - then hit the Old Faithful area and the Canyon area (and maybe Mammoth Hot Springs on your way out of the park). 2 days is enough.

The Grand Loop really takes you through all the main sites and there are parking lots and restrooms at frequent intervals. We were in the park the first week of September and 2 sections of the loop were shut down for repairs. This meant backtracking to see what we wanted to visit, but it is so scenic that it's no big deal. The south entrance was closed due to a bridge repair, so it took us an additional 2 hours to exit the park into the Grand Tetons. Any time you visit the park we would suggest that you check for road closures and plan your trip accordingly.

So much to see around the Grand loop..lots of animal sitings...and some beautiful basins.. worth the drive!