Bison near the road in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Lisa EVans
In this episode of Big Blend Radio's Journey Jukebox travel podcast, travel writer Lisa Evans continues her Western adventure — picking up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off — with a trip into Yellowstone National Park, America's very first national park.
Celebrating 110 years of the National Park Service, this episode also gets refreshingly honest about what it takes to keep Yellowstone's wildlife wild.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE:
Old Faithful Erupting in Yellowstone. Photo: Lisa Evans
📌 Exploring Yellowstone's Wild Side
1. Getting There: Cody to Cooke City
Lisa's group left Cody early on a Friday morning by small chartered bus, driving up through Shoshone National Forest in northwest Wyoming and entering the park through the Cooke City entrance. Of the drive alone, Lisa says the scenery is "to die for." They spent Friday night inside the park and were back in Cody by Saturday afternoon — proof that even a day and a half is enough to hit the highlights, though Lisa's advice is to budget two full weeks if you really want to see it all.
Lamar Valley - Bison herd along river. Photo: Lisa Evans
2. Wildlife Watching in Lamar Valley
Lamar Valley is Yellowstone's best-known wildlife corridor, and it delivered immediately — a moose sighting within minutes of entering the park.
A full-grown male bison decided to lie down in the middle of the road, backing up an estimated fifty cars until park rangers arrived to move him along.
A black bear in its rarer "cinnamon" color phase, easily mistaken for a grizzly at first glance.
Bighorn sheep climbing a mountainside on the way out of the park.
3. Mammoth Hot Springs
The terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs are a study in contrast — white terraces next to pools of vivid orange — with mud volcanoes nearby and a walking path where one side is scorched by thermal activity and the other is green with flowers.
4. Old Faithful & Old Faithful Inn
Old Faithful is the park's most-visited spot for a reason, but don't trust the posted schedule too closely — Lisa's group waited a half hour past the predicted eruption time. The historic Old Faithful Inn, built in 1904, is worth visiting in its own right for its three-story fireplace.
Inside Old Faithful Inn. Photo: Lisa Evans
5. Grand Prismatic & the Midway Geyser Basin
The Midway Geyser Basin — home to Excelsior Geyser Crater, Grand Prismatic Spring, Opal Pool, and Turquoise Pool — was, in Lisa's words, simply amazing. The walk up reveals the steam and color of Grand Prismatic; the walk back down passes the striking blues of the Opal and Turquoise Pools.
6. Mud Volcanoes
Less photographed but just as memorable — Lisa compares the bubbling mud pots to a witch's cauldron.
7. Yellowstone Lake & Dinner at the Historic Hotel
Lisa's group stayed at Canyon Lodge but had dinner at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel, overlooking Yellowstone Lake — the largest freshwater lake in North America at its elevation. Dinner came with an unexpected bonus: a meal with the general manager overseeing the park's lodging and dining, who started in maintenance roughly 40 years ago and worked his way up through nearly every department.
Black bear in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Lisa Evans
Know Before You Go: Respecting the Wildlife
Yellowstone's beauty comes with real risk when visitors ignore the rules. A few real examples from the episode:
Visitors stepping over barriers at Mammoth Hot Springs to get closer photos of bubbling thermal pools.
Tourists walking up to a resting bison for a better shot, prompting rangers to intervene directly.
People removing a safety fence from their photos at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone overlook — a straight drop if you lose your footing.
Actor Pierce Brosnan's own 2023 citation for stepping off a designated boardwalk into a restricted thermal area at Mammoth Hot Springs, resulting in a $500 fine plus $1,000 in restitution to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund.
The takeaway: stay on marked walkways, keep your distance from wildlife, and let rangers do their job. It's not just about following rules — it's what keeps the parks, and the animals in them, safe for everyone.
Inside the Map Room at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Photo: Lisa Evans
🗺️ Yellowstone Travel Planning Resources
Turquoise Pool in Midway Geyser Basin. Photo: Lisa Evans
🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist
🎧 Listen on Spotify: Journey Jukebox Spotify Playlist
Continuing the Journey: This trip started in Cody — catch Lisa's previous stop here: Cody, Wyoming: Western Art, Cowboy Culture & the Old West
Follow the Writer: Lisa Evans Travel Features | Substack
Listen & Subscribe: Journey Jukebox on Podbean
Music Companion: Journey Jukebox Spotify Playlist
Read the Issue: Journey Jukebox Podcast Magazine