Category: National Parks

Visiting Yellowstone National Park During the Summer? Here’s What to Do and What You Need to Know

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Yellowstone isn’t just some name we threw on a label – it’s a name we selected long ago to honor the wonder and spirit of Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone Select Bourbon was first introduced in 1872, the same year President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection law. The bourbon was specifically created to honor the park’s beautiful landscapes, vast wilderness, and the pioneering spirit of those who first explored its interior. We like to think those hardy individuals would have loved sitting back with a glass of Yellowstone Select Bourbon while spinning yarns about their escapades across the park.

Of course, now, Yellowstone National Park is a little more visitor-friendly than it was back in the 1870s — but that doesn’t mean that a glass of Yellowstone Select Bourbon won’t still pair perfectly with a visit to the park (though be sure to do so safely; save that cocktail for when you’re back at the lodge or ranch).

If you’re heading to Yellowstone National Park this summer, here’s what you need to know and how to experience the rugged, historical aspects of this great spot on the map.

See the Top Sights

It’s no secret that Yellowstone can get crowded, and it’s no wonder why. If you’ve never visited Yellowstone National Park before, you’ll want to see the same sights that draw in millions of tourists annually. The top spots within the park include Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. All these will deliver breathtaking views you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

These spots are great, and you should 100% check them out. However, everyone knows about these, and you can find information about them just about anywhere.

So, let’s discuss some other places worth exploring.

The Lesser-Known Areas

To get in some quieter views, visit some of the less-crowded spots in the park if you’ve got the time. With 2 million acres, the park does have them, despite what you might think when you first visit Old Faithful. You may have to strap on your hiking boots and channel your inner sense of adventure to reach them, but the effort will be well worth it.

Try a hike out to Shoshone Geyser Basin. Or, go wildlife watching in the remote Lamar Valley, sometimes called the Serengeti of North America; keep your eyes peeled for bison, elk, bear, wolves, and other animals that call the park home.

Did you pack your swimsuit? Then take a dip in Boiling River, one of the few places where you can legally swim in the park.

Take a Professional Park Tour

The official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Forever, offers a range of programming to experience the park beyond what you can plan on your own. The organization’s private tours cover everything you need — delicious breakfast and lunch in the field, transportation services, equipment like high-powered scopes and binoculars, and more.

Your private tour is planned around what you want to experience most during your visit, whether that be wildlife watching and photography, backcountry hiking, or any other adventure the park offers.

Stay Longer or Come Back Soon

Don’t just stop by the park for a single day and then go on your way. Spending a night (or a few!) in the park will allow you to enjoy the park’s attractions more leisurely. You can’t beat a stay at the Old Faithful Inn, built in the early 1900s and one of the largest log structures in the world.

If you can’t stay, come back and explore more of the park.

Can’t Get Away?

There are still ways for you to support our national park system from afar — like when you add the Yellowstone family of spirits to your bar cart. Yellowstone Bourbon is a proud supporter of and one of the largest annual corporate donors to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), which independently works to strengthen and protect our park systems.

This year alone, we’ve donated $250,000 to the NPCA to aid in the organization’s tireless work.

Whether you’re actively planning your exploratory excursion to Yellowstone National Park this season or have added it to your travel bucket list, when you sip a glass of Yellowstone Select Bourbon, it’s almost as good as being there.

Find Yellowstone Bourbon near you, or visit Limestone Branch Distillery for a tour!

Man hiking Yellowstone National Park

5 National Parks to Explore

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You could visit one national park every week in the United States and its territories, and at the end of a year, you’d still have nine to go. The current roster sits at 61, and all are worthy of a sojourn.

But we thought it might be fun to corral five to spotlight while reminding you of our National Parks Program: For every bottle of Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey sold, we donate $1 to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for its work in preserving some 85 million natural acres for future generations. 

For Hydrothermal Features and Abundant Wildlife: Yellowstone National Park
President Ulysses S. Grant established the first (and therefore oldest) national park in March 1872, the same year Yellowstone Bourbon was created to honor the park. Located mainly in Wyoming, the 3,500 square miles of Yellowstone spill into Montana and Idaho, and millions of people visit the park each year to see such popular attractions as the Old Faithful geyser.  

Some strategy might be in order when visiting; read our guide on how to prepare for your national park trip before setting out. Indeed, the park has more than half of the world’s hydrothermal features, particularly in the Upper Geyser Basin. But the park is also renowned for its abundant wildlife and 900 hiking trails. 

For Bird-Watching and Sunbathing: Indiana Dunes National Park 
Indiana Dunes is the newest national park, so designated in February 2019, though the 15-mile-long and 15,000-acre route along the southern shore of Lake Michigan has been a National Lakeshore since 1966.  

This is going to the beach big-time in summer, with all the swimming, sunbathing, and sandcastling space one could hope for. Camping, fishing, horseback riding, and biking are all park features and Indiana Dunes is a haven for bird watchers and geocachers, with 50 miles of hiking trails to explore — or to cross-county ski on in the wintry months. 

For Breathtaking Vistas and an Amazing Waterfall: Yosemite National Park 
Easily one of the most popular national parks, Yosemite set a record in 2016 when more than 5 million visitors went through the turnstiles to wonder at the many breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada range in central California. Granite icons such as Half Dome, El Capitan, Cathedral Peak, and one of the world’s tallest waterfalls, Yosemite Falls, are irresistible draws to campers, hikers, and climbers.  

Truth be told, a drive through Yosemite is awe-inspiring even if you never step out of the car (but do). Fully 95% of the park’s roughly 1,200 square miles (about the size of Rhode Island) is considered wilderness. 

For Cave Dwellers: Mammoth Cave National Park 
Here’s one to couple with a visit to Limestone Branch. About 70 miles and 90 minutes to the southwest of the distillery, Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest underground cave at more than 400 miles.  

A full menu of underground hikes is available, from easy walks to some serious caving, and that might be plenty for some. But the park’s 53,000 acres also include ample open ground, with 84 miles of trails and 30 miles along the Green and Nolin Rivers for kayakers, canoers, fishermen, and swimmers. 

For Northern Splendor and Fall Leaf-Peeping: Acadia National Park 
Let’s give the Northeast its due for a little geographic diversity. In Maine, Acadia is a 47,000-acre tribute to the highest headlands of the rocky Atlantic Ocean coastline. That makes it one of the smaller national parks but remains one of the most visited.  

It boasts abundant hiking trails (more than 150 miles) and excellent birding, and it’s right by the ingratiating resort town of Bar Harbor. The splendors of New England fall foliage make autumn a great time to go.