It took us about 15 minutes to enter the park from the Hotel. There was a line of cars, but it moved well. All 4 lanes were open. It was freezing cold out and there was some ice around, but the roads were safe. After we entered the park, we drove for 14 miles to an intersection. Where do you want to go? Plan this in advance. We headed to the Prismatic springs and Old Faithful. Then we would go on to Yellowstone Lake and have lunch. We packed a picnic and snacks for an all day outing. This picture is of Pronghorn outside the park on the drive into West Yellowstone.
Prismatic Springs- I needed my walker. A powered chair would have been nice, but too wide for the boardwalk. You can only have 1/2 of the width you know so that people can get by. There is a boardwalk that climbs the hillside. I stopped at the first platform. It was totally fogged in from the hot water hitting the cold air. And the boardwalk was frozen over. Very Dangerous conditions for the mobility challenged. But I could see enough color and experience the pools. We decided to return later in the afternoon.
There were about 4 handicapped designated parking spaces. The doors on the outhouse toilets were wide enough for a wheel chair or walker, but not a power chair. Would not be able to turn around your vehicle. Sidewalks and ramps were OK. I am glad I brought my own chair. There was one small, wet bench that could seat 2 on the walk and a couple of places at the bottom where you could sit and rest.
Old Faithful- great access. Lots of benches. Good walkways. Get there a bit early for a front row seat. Lots of disability parking. Need to stroll or walk a good distance but not a long way. There is a nice walkway around the viewing area. Suitable for motorized wheel chairs or walkers. A lovely area. Toilet facilities had ramps and flush toilets. We were there about an hour and had a great time. Eduard ran around taking pictures and I sat and took pictures.
The south part of the park, Prismatic Springs and Old Faithful did not have a lot of sulfur smell. Lots of animals on the side of the road to watch. Seemed to have a traffic jam for every Bison. A pretty drive.
Around the Bend- at the junction in the south end you can head down out of the park or continue east to the Yellowstone Lake west Thumb area. We found a nice place to have a picnic on that side. We are now about 60 miles into the park and the lake is lovely. The road climbs up and over the divide a couple of times. If you have altitude issues it is good to be warned that Yellowstone, or most of it is above 6000 feet. My limit is now about 6500 ft and I had to struggle sometimes with breathing. Half way around the lake we headed back to the Prismatic springs for a warmer, clearer view. We found wild animals and some pretty little springs. The parking situation at the Prismatic Springs was awful. Long wait to get in but there was a parking spot. Hubby took photos for an hour and I sat in my chair and enjoyed the springs again.
Time to return to the hotel. We spent 7 hours driving around and looking at stuff. Most of the toilets were out house style. No water or concessions. Be prepared to pack most of what you need. There was toilet paper and sometimes hand sanitizer.
This ends day one and I have not got the pictures in yet. I will write more tomorrow and add the pictures into this post.
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