How to Have a Picnic in Yellowstone National Park
- 1). Drive into Yellowstone National Park. As you enter, the staff person at the gate will give you a bundle of printed matter that should include a National Park Service map of Yellowstone. Note the little picnic table symbols scattered around the map, and next to the roads. These are the picnic areas, of which there are 49 in the park. The park service only allows fires at those picnic areas with fire grates, and they never allow camping here. They do allow you to cook with gas stoves.
- 2). Buy food and supplies. You can do this before you enter the park; that is the less-expensive option. There are also stores at all the major locations (Old Faithful, Grant Village, Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village, Tower/Roosevelt and Mammoth Hot Springs). You can also buy pre-made lunches to go from the company that runs the hotels, Xanterra Parks and Resorts.
- 3). Decide where you want to eat. Be aware that some of the picnic areas at higher elevations will be cold during the spring and fall, and during the spring, some have more than their share of mosquitoes. Insect repellent with DEET is a good idea, during May, June and early July especially.
- 4). Note that the picnic areas are often near major destinations, so you can plan a visit to one of these, and also plan to picnic there. For instance, most people miss the picnic area at the back of the east parking lot at Old Faithful, where you will also find a pair of fire grates.
- 5). Plan your picnic around the sights you want to see. If you want to see Yellowstone Lake, there are a number of fine picnic areas there. If you want to eat next to a creek, try the Norris Meadows picnic area near Norris Junction, the Sheepeater Cliff area south of Mammoth, or the Nez Perce area between Madison and Old Faithful. There are many options, and you may do what most people do--stop when you get hungry.
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