Father of the National Parks of the United States of America John Muir said, "A thousand Yellowstone wonders are calling, 'Look up and down and round about you!'" And people have listened. Over 4 million people visit Yellowstone National Park annually. And though there is plenty of land for everyone to see - Yellowstone National Park is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined - campgrounds and roads can be cluttered.
"The camp sites in the park can be pretty close together. We have good size sites made for large rigs," says Vickie Barta, manager of Yellowstone Holiday RV. Yellowstone Holiday RV is near West Yellowstone, Montana on the western side of Yellowstone National Park. It is 15 minutes away from the west entrance of Yellowstone.
"It is a resort atmosphere here," says Barta, who came over to Yellowstone Holiday RV from being a forest service concessionaire for campgrounds in Montana, "The campground is right on the lake. We have a marina, boat docks and rental boats." Hebgen Lake is more than 16 miles long and can be as wide as 4 miles. The lake is great for dry fly lake fishing, with good size rainbow trout and brown trout. A recent review says, "This place was amazing! Check in was easy and seamless. Views are world class. Fished with our 2 children on the docks and kept them busy with 26 fish on the hook! Beats staying at other super busy RV parks. It’s a must return for me. Thanks for the Hospitality." People also sail, waterski, canoe or kayak and swim from the campground.
RV campsites with a spectacular view at Yellowstone Holiday Resort [Photo/Yellowstone Holiday]
"The majority of our clientele use Yellowstone Holiday Resort as a homebase to explore Yellowstone, though we do get some folks that just come here, put their boat in the water and just stay for the week at the resort," Barta says.
If one does leave the campground, heading a bit northwest of the campground is the lake known as Quake Lake. The lake was formed in 1959 by the strongest and deadliest earthquake in Montana history. The earthquake caused an 80-million ton landslide, killing dozens of people and formed the lake. There is a visitor center that goes into the fascinating elements that came together to make the picturesque lake. One reviewer says, "Just absolutely gorgeous here. Such a tragic event that created the lake, but the dead trees still standing in the lake make for a very beautiful canoe ride. There are also submerged cabins and roads that might make for an interesting scuba trip at this lake."
A bit further northwest is Virginia City, a former gold mining town said to be frozen in time. According to the Virginia City website, “When the gold ran out, there was still enough left so that homes and businesses were occupied, but there was not enough wealth to remodel the buildings. So it froze, and now represents the whole Victorian era. Virginia City is the true and original Old West. It is a gem, held within an incredibly rich area of natural beauty, recreation and history.”
If one heads towards the west entrance of Yellowstone, the first stop is the town of West Yellowstone. One of the premier attractions of the town is the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. The center is home to grizzly bears and wolves that are unable to survive in the wild. Often the grizzly bears became too comfortable with humans or were orphan bears. At the discovery center, people can see wolves and grizzly bears in their natural habitat at the center and it is open 365 days a year, even on Christmas!
One review of the discovery center says, "This place was so amazing. They had staff that was knowledgeable about each bear and there story. When they unleashed 3 bears, it was beautiful and mesmerizing to see these glorious creatures roam around so close to us. They hid food in various areas and it was a treat to see them go look for it and unravel everything. The wolf's were stoic and magnificent. They were resting on top of a rock unhinged."
And, of course, there is Yellowstone National Park, the oldest National Park in the United States. Yellowstone has everything the west and the National Park Service symbolizes - wild rivers, lakes, bears, wolves, canyons, forests, hot springs and more. It is an incredible place, one that could easily be considered one of the best experiences of a lifetime. There are so many landmarks, including Old Faithful, Yellowstone Caldera and Yellowstone Lake, that there is plenty to do and see for everyone.
All of these places, activities and more are right at your doorstep at Yellowstone Holiday RV in West Yellowstone, Montana.