yellowstone trip?

Question

i am headed to yellowstone in june,old faithful,geysers,etc.-there is a fee to enter the park,but can i pay it ahead of time- or does it have to be paid when you arrive at the park?-(and is the place you buy the pass open 24hrs.) can not get an answer on their website.
also if a person could only get to2-3 attractions in the park-what are the most interesting to see?

Answer 1

I was over there in July 2005. From what I remember, it's not a problem to pay when you get in. The pass is good for 7 days, and it sounds as if you're not going there that long. There's no facility to buying ahead of time. If you plan on going to a bunch of national parks during the year, however, the Interagency Annual Pass they talk about on their website might save you a few bucks in entrance fees. I think you can buy that pass at the gate, too, if you request it, and that applies at any participating national park.

If I had to pick out specific sites, Old Faithful (obvious), Grand Tetons to the south, Mammoth Hot Springs to the north. But that would shortchange you to some of the other interesting sites like the Canyon, the bubbling paint pots, the Continental Divide point, Yellowstone Lake, and others. Drive around a bit and you'll run into bison and elk and the occasional bear at night. There are several bald eagle nesting areas, too, and don't be surprised if you happen to fall into a traffic tieup near such a nest.

The thing that I always reminded myself as I toured the area was to observe the signs that this area is a giant caldera, that the Yellowstone area is inside the bowl of a once and future active supervolcano. You'll also see signs of the Yellowstone fire of 20 yrs ago or so, in the form of charred trees. What's fascinating is to see the growth that is taking its place. Circle of life thing, if you will.