Thinking about eloping in a National Park with some epic mountainous views during the summer? Maybe even driving around watching all the wild animals roam? Yellowstone National Park is the perfect place with epic views, wild animals, hiking, fishing, camping and more! Here are some tips for a Yellowstone west entrance elopement!
Yellowstone West Entrance Elopement
Brittany and Tyler’s Yellowstone west entrance elopement in mid June couldn’t have been more stunning with the epic mountain views!
When to Elope
We can’t be surprised that Yellowstone National Park has a season when to visit. The park is opened all year round but only the north entrance (Gardiner, MT) and depending on snow level depends on how far you can go inside the park. The rest of the Park entrances open late April and close around September or October. July and August are the most popular months to visit. If you are wanting to elope with fewer crowds, April-May and September-October have less tourist because of weather.
Tips for Visiting
There are five entrances to Yellowstone National Park. There is the North Entrance, Northeast, East, West, and South. The West entrance tends to be the most popular entrance too Yellowstone with the attractions of Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic. The airports that are the closest to the park are Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), Cody, Wyoming (COD), Jackson Hole (JAC), West Yellowstone Airport (WYS). The largest airport is Bozeman just about two hours north of the park.
Here are some tips when visiting inside the park:
- Make sure to bring bug spray
- Wear the appropriate travel gear like hiking boots, clothes with layers to take off, etc.
- Bring food and water inside the park! There are not many places to stop once inside the park for food.
- Make sure to have gas in your car. Yellowstone is bigger than two US States combined!
Things to do in Yellowstone
Yellowstone is one of my favorite National Parks for all the outdoor activities! Here are just some activities to do when exploring on your elopement day together!
- Horseback riding
- Picnic in the park
- White water rafting
- Hiking
- Hot Springs/Geysers
- Biking
- Exploring the park
- Watching the wild animals roam the park
- Fishing
Where to stay
There are a lot of different hotel accommodations around Yellowstone. The bigger chain hotels will be near Bozeman and Jackson Hole. You can even rent a condo or a house if you are planning on visiting for a longer period of time through airbnb or vrbo. During the summer months, hotels tend to book out early so plan accordingly for busy season. Here are my recommendations for places where to stay.
- Under the Canvas
- Big Sky Resort
- Bell Tents for Luxury Camping
- Anvil Hotel
- Romantic A-Frame Cabin
- Mountain View Cabin
- Island Park Cabin
- Container Cabin
Wedding Venues Near Yellowstone’s West Entrance
Eloping doesn’t mean it has to be just the two of you. You can still invite your friends and family to a reception or party. These are a few wedding venues ideas for a Yellowstone west entrance elopement if you wanted to have a party after your day exploring the park taking epic pictures or saying your vows somewhere special.
- 320 Guest Ranch
- Collective Yellowstone
- Big Sky Resort
- Moonlight Basin
- Elk Horn Ranch
- Rainbow Ranch
- The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon
Want to check out some other National Park Elopements? Click on these other links!
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