Yellowstone is the park everyone warns you about for crowds—and everyone is right, and everyone still should go. Doug booked Madison Campground months ahead and treated each day like a logistics mission.

They saw bison stop traffic both ways, watched Old Faithful with a hundred new friends, and photographed Grand Prismatic from an overlook that justified the steep walk. Marla spotted a wolf dot through a scope a ranger shared.

The grizzly near camp at dusk was real, brief, and discussed for days. Doug double-checked food storage; Marla read every bear bulletin twice. They left Yellowstone tired, awed, and already planning a return in a less crowded month.

Silver Trekker verdict: Crown-jewel park—reserve early, rise early, and treat wildlife like neighbors you do not invite inside.

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