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Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (Lonely Planet National Parks Guides) by Bradley Mayhew, Carolyn McCarthy 2nd (second) Revised Edition

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Wild, spectacular Yellowstone thrills visitors with gushing geysers and free-roaming wildlife. Grand Teton entices with jagged peaks and glacial lakes. Packed with information for everyone from families with small children to hardcore outdoor adventurers, this guide takes you there.Thermal From world-famous Old Faithful to gem-colored hot springs, Yellowstone's wild thermal features. Bison, elk, bears, moose, wolves, bald eagles - this guide tells you where to spot them. Outdoor The best spots for hiking, camping, rock-climbing, skiing, fishing, boating, and more. Insider Hundreds of places to stay, eat, and play, as well as how to find a wealth of hidden treasures. Beyond the From the Wild West bluster of Cody to the exhilarating ski slopes of Jackson Hole.

Unknown Binding

First published April 1, 2003

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Bradley Mayhew

55 books6 followers

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5 stars
182 (36%)
4 stars
229 (45%)
3 stars
77 (15%)
2 stars
9 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov.
2,125 reviews819 followers
September 3, 2013
Have it on my Kindle. Definitely considering putting in in my backpack for Yellowstone. Detailed hikes and evaluations of trails, venues and alternatives.

If you are only interested in a "tour" this book is probably not the one.
Profile Image for Becky.
164 reviews
Read
April 14, 2022
Full disclosure, I skipped over the Tetons.
Profile Image for Phyllis.
515 reviews24 followers
September 2, 2021
This is a great guide to accompany a trip to both Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Parks.

The number of sites and hikes to see in Yellowstone is almost overwhelming. This book can help you see some of the highlights or visit less-trafficked areas of the park. I also enjoyed some of the well-written (and quirky) descriptive passages.
Profile Image for Lianna.
927 reviews10 followers
September 12, 2010
Lonely Planet has done it again. I had a few extra hours in the parks and this book told me the best spot for photos, wildlife, what to skip, even the best mud pots in Yellowstone. I would have missed 80% of the good stuff without it.
Profile Image for Ashleigh Mattern.
Author 1 book13 followers
August 30, 2017
At its essence, a travel guide is a package of information about where you're planning to go, but this travel guide manages to entertain as well as inform. All of the information is well organized and well labelled, so that I was able to whip it out of my backpack at any given moment on my trip and quickly find the details about the trail or area we were exploring. Reading it at home before the trip, I enjoyed the friendly, casual writing style of the two writers of the book, as well as the tidbits of historical information they shared. The guide really does feel like you're getting inside information about the parks, and I went to Yellowstone feeling as though I was armed with secrets that would improve my visit.
Profile Image for Patrick Tucker.
132 reviews4 followers
August 3, 2018
This is an incredibly well put together book that was super valuable for a trip to Big Sky and Yellowstone. The trail locations were well described and the "what to do"s were super helpful in picking what to do in our brief stay in the Park. I highly recommend using another source for open trail information (many we wanted to do were under construction.) but the non-hiking info was spot on. The history and information section in the back of the book was really interesting too!

The only problem from my perspective was the use of different regions and chopping up activities and regions in odd ways. Not a huge issue because the book is very straightforward about how the regions are separated.
Profile Image for Meg.
456 reviews
August 7, 2018
Very well organized, great pictures, and very informative. These suggestions on which takes to do, and things to see were spot on. My only disappointment was that even though I bought the newest addition, there were some restaurants (like the one at the top of the aerial tram at Jackson hole mountain resort) and suggestions they were no longer in business. Great book, great trip!!
Profile Image for Kandis.
10 reviews1 follower
August 17, 2017
Lots of information, great starting place and reference guide. Planing a longer trip and found myself needing additional resources for more practical information vs the fun facts and blurbs; would have like better maps and guides for getting around.
Profile Image for Jaq.
2,222 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2019
A great introduction to a park I cannot wait to see.
Profile Image for Amy Hotto.
47 reviews
July 21, 2025
Chock full of information. Sometimes a little too tightly put together! Very helpful info on trails and maps were very useful in planning.
Profile Image for Jim Bowen.
1,082 reviews10 followers
December 25, 2016
This book was bought in anticipation of a visit to Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. It's a really good book that gives you clear guidance as to what to do, where to go, what the see, and where to stay if you're visiting the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Park.

Some small books that cover a small area like Yellowstone can sometimes be too narrowly drawn and miss something that lies just outside the "zone of interest" of the book (an example id the Lonely Planet guide to the Grand Canyon, which doesn't mention Monument Valley despite it being a logical place to visit if you're in the ara). This book is different. I've been to Yellowstone a number of times, and don't think that this book misses anything, if you're going to the area under consideration.
Profile Image for Sabrina Hofkin.
Author 1 book8 followers
May 21, 2016
I always enjoy reading Lonely Planet's travel books. This book was just released with updated information. Although I liked the narrative and description of the hikes, I felt the book lacked a good map to show where some of the hikes were that they described. I wish they would include a large map to show the entire park with all the hikes on it. I know Yellowstone National Park is huge and has many geysers and bubbling pots, but I felt disoriented because they would describe them and then not show you where they were on any map.
Profile Image for Kara.
499 reviews53 followers
March 6, 2008
Loved the planning chapter as it gave lots of helpful hints to where/what/how to accomplish the things you should do before heading to Yellowstone. This book is jammed packed with useful information on the historical facts of the sites and what to skip during the busy season. Once we 'use' the book out in Yellowstone I'll add more to this review as to how much the book actually helps guide us through our journey into and around Yellowstone.
Profile Image for Julie.
301 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2013
One of the best travel books I've seen. Easy to follow and cross reference, great tips, and better maps than you get locally at the parks. We never would have known to look for the Firehole Canyon swimming hole without it for example -a very memorable part of the trip. Wish Lonely Planet did more travel books than the few I've seen!
Profile Image for Ellis Atwood.
77 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2020
Great to have this resource while off the grid. Some entertaining sections on the history, geology, and wildlife. Docking a few stars because sometimes it was hard to find what I need (the index doesn’t seem to be comprehensive of all the hikes, places, etc?), and also sometimes I wanted more details, like a Rick Steve’s walking tour style narrative on specific trails.
156 reviews
August 7, 2022
I hated the organization of this book and found it difficult to use. Info was accurate and up to date, recommendations were solid, but navigating the sections was unweildy. Better off downloading the GyPSy traveler app in the parks and getting Frommers Montana and Wyoming. Overall would not recommend.
Profile Image for Jacqueline.
141 reviews
March 28, 2021
Solid guide that gets an extra star for including several possible itineraries, which many guidebooks have inexplicably dropped. I don't follow itineraries in books slavishly, but they're helpful in figuring out timing for your own.
Author 26 books16 followers
March 18, 2009
Admittedly I am biased, but this book was superb the first few years after it was researched. It's still useful, but now a bit dates.
Profile Image for Karen.
1 review
December 23, 2011
Of the various guides I have (so I don't miss anything) this is the one I keep coming back to and continue to carry with me on my trips.
Profile Image for Keith Lane.
52 reviews11 followers
April 9, 2012
Had a number of guidebooks--all good in their own way. This was probably the best of them overall.
1,244 reviews8 followers
September 26, 2012
Lots of great info on what to see in Yellowstone & how to optimize your time, as well as great list of hikes in Tetons. Very useful for my recent trip.
Profile Image for Kaye Dewar.
211 reviews4 followers
July 24, 2014
Great guide book for on of my favorite places.
Profile Image for Jill.
186 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2015
Excellent guide book with so many tips beyond the usual!
Profile Image for Cynthia.
55 reviews
October 12, 2016
This is an excellent guide book and it was our constant reference on our recent trip to these two national parks.
Profile Image for Tara.
Author 5 books33 followers
November 19, 2016
A little disappointing because I found it hard to find the information or suggestions I was hoping for. Just a lot of prose about how great the park is. And other things to visit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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