Guide to the Top Photo Spots in Yellowstone National Park
From personal experience, these locations in Yellowstone National Park are the best for landscape photography. I also offer my thoughts on when are the best times of the year to be there to capture the best possible photographs.
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Yellowstone National Park Photography
Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park that I did some serious photography in. For that reason, it has a special meaning to me. I have returned to it quite a few times in search of landscape and wildlife images.
If you like photographing wildlife, be sure to bring a long telephoto lens for the best results. It is very much worth renting one for the time you are there if you don’t own one.
Top 4 Yellowstone Photo Locations
1. Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone
There are a couple of different viewpoints to photograph Yellowstone Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It is far better just after sunrise when the sun lights up the canyon and before it gets too bright on the falls. It is good anytime from May through October.
2. Grand Prismatic Spring
Of all of the hot springs in Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic is my favorite because of its size and the variety of colors. I like shooting from the boardwalk into the setting sun to the west. It can be crowded and you may have to wait for people walking to move on by so the boardwalk will quit shaking. Patience is a virtue here.
3. Lamar Valley
The Valley is known for its wildlife, especially in the Winter. Bison, Elk, and Pronghorn can be found here. In the Winter, it has been a place for wolf packs to hunt, but they are elusive and it takes some luck to be at the right place after one of their kills in order to photograph them. The mountains and Cottonwood trees can make for nice landscape subjects.
4. Old Faithful Geyser Basin
A trip to Yellowstone National Park would not be complete without stopping at Old Faithful. Depending on what you prefer for a background, the choice is yours for sunrise or sunset. There are a number of other geysers and colorful steam pots in the area that are fun to shoot.
Other Locations In Yellowstone National Park
The above locations just scratch the surface of what is possible in the Park. There are plenty of guides available for good photography locations. Those that come to mind for me are Hayden Valley, Madison River, Gibbon Falls, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Firehole Canyon, Norris Geyser Basin, and Mount Washburn. It’s probably not possible to cover it all.
Best Times To Be At Yellowstone National Park
Late May and early June are great times to be there for Spring colors and for wildlife. Although there really isn’t any Fall color in Yellowstone, it is still a great time to be there with smaller crowds. For some of the best Winter photography, there is, Yellowstone is the place to be. The roads are closed, but there are quite a few group workshops you can join that will take you on a snow coach to the best locations in the interior of the Park.
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