West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center — Attraction in West Yellowstone

To preface, this visitor center's staff is very kind and helpful. However, as a warning to late night arrivals, this place's police department can and will write tickets for "camping" in a vehicle here, legally parked in line with everyone else, even if you're awake, sitting in the front seat literally playing a video game with the heat on full blast at 6 in the morning. With the sun visor up, and without the officer having the courtesy to simply knock on the window to make sure he is right in believing you're asleep (when you're not), how is one supposed to notice a local, shady "law enforcer" sneakily place a citation under your windshield wiper? Picture yourself engrossed in Pokémon, looking down at your Nintendo Switch, heater whirling, sunshade blocking your sight in front. Without being alerted to the presence of the officer in the dark, how do you confront him to point out that you're clearly awake? No flashlight to take a peak in the window either? I have multiple save files from the time the ticket was written, but what good does that do me when I live 10 states away and going to court to fight the inaccurate claim the officer makes will likely cost more than the ticket itself? It's a scam. You're allegedly not allowed to even be shown proof by the way of their body cams until the officer provides it at the hearing, whenever that court date might be. And, if he just barely peaked in and only noticed my head was down (staring at my lit up video game screen, not seeing my thumbs moving the controls and the game being played, what's that gonna look like on his chest height body cam anyway? The judge would likely side with the officer, because why would I have a recording of myself playing the game when I'm legally parked, just trying to get the car warmed up? Camping, in the front seat of a Corolla at 0600?! Really? And, come to find out, the officer could have, not only knocked to see if I was awake, but knowing I'm from out of state, he could have simply informed me to move two blocks down the road where, if I had actually been trying to camp, it would have been fine. TWO BLOCKS, and this "good guy" couldn't even knock. What a nice place. It's a scam. Hotels, motels, RV parks, lodges EVERYWHERE, which cost a lot, all paying the city their dues, so of course they'd be writing tickets on top of that, to make sure people instead find accommodations with one of the tourist establishments, without having to provide proof that you're in the wrong, if you are, UNTIL the hearing, which will cost more. It's about the money money money, not protecting the people, environment, or justice. Oh, and, they only take cash, and all of the ATMs in the area charge fees of $3+ to withdraw. Also, all of the campgrounds in the area were full by the time I showed up at midnight, too tired to drive on, which is why I opted to simply not get any sleep, playing Pokémon all night until I could get into the visitor center to find a campground the following morning. The officer knew darn well what he was doing, and he knows he can get away with it, especially against people from out of state who can't exactly drive or fly back just to fight a bogus claim made by the officer whenever the court house decides it wants to hold the hearing in which you'll probably lose anyways, because the judge and the officer are buddies. If you plan to visit, don't wing it. Be prepared to shell out the cash. The government takes a natural wonder, they charge people to see it, and then they set up systems around it to further pull from the wallets of people wanting to see what should be free to everyone. Disgusting. It...

Don't get me wrong, Yellowstone Park was absolutely amazing and the highlight of our 4,000-mile road trip. This review in no way reflects our time there and all of the wonderful things we saw and did during our time inside the park.

However, we stopped briefly before entering at this information center just to ask a few questions and get a map or two. All three employees (female) were speaking together with their backs turned upon arrival and were commiserating amongst themselves while we waited...and waited...and waited. We were the only visitors in there, so we waited patiently and meandered around peeping at the brochures, obviously waiting to speak with someone. They continued their conversation, loudly, complaining about people coming in to ask questions. Isn't that the literal purpose of their job?!?! One even remarked how she couldn't believe how people plan a trip there and would ask her what the best thing was to see or do. "How could anyone possibly drive all the way there and not have a detailed itinerary and know exactly what they were going to see/do while visiting?" Not a very hospitable attitude to be met with to say the least. It's certainly one thing to have that opinion and maybe be jaded by helping tourists on a daily basis. That's all well and good to say when you get home or are talking with friends after a long day but to verbalize it in front of two excited travelers who didn't plan at all and made a spontaneous visit is unacceptable. Finally, after waiting almost 10 minutes while making it obvious we needed assistance, we walked out feeling ignored and, to be honest, downright sad after all that excitement of finally getting there and then being met with disdain and indifference.

Thankfully, the woman at the gate when we entered was so wonderful and helpful when we pulled up. She took her time explaining everything and answering all of our questions. She seemed so happy and eager to help and even told us how we might save money getting an annual pass versus paying at each park throughout our trip. We are so appreciative of her and she truly got us back on the right foot for our journey and visit to the park. To the three female park employees inside the "Info center" though, maybe customer service isn't the right career for you since you are so unwilling to fulfill your ONLY job requirement of giving insight to the...

Yellowstone National Park – 4.8/5 ⭐ A Wild, Smelly, Majestic Wonderland

Nature Overload (5/5): Trees, rivers, mountains—pure natural beauty. Breathe it in… unless you’re near the geysers.

Hiking (5/5): Endless trails for every skill level. If you don’t like hiking, try… hiking again. That’s what you’re here for.

Geysers (4/5): They fart, bubble, and smell like rotten eggs. Science at its stinkiest. Weirdly fascinating.

Wildlife (5/5): Bison crossing traffic like they own the place (they do). Plus wolves, bears, foxes, deer—it's a live-action Nat Geo episode.

Waterfalls (5/5): Powerful, gorgeous, and photo-worthy. Just don’t fall in.

Scenery (5/5): Wildflowers, valleys, steaming earth—every turn is a postcard.

Lodging/Food Prices (3/5): Yes, it’s expensive. But hey, at least you can buy a $6 granola bar in the middle of nowhere.

Accessibility (4.5/5): Well-marked roads and parking, but don’t expect cell service unless a bald eagle is holding a signal tower.

Ranger Programs (5/5): Fun, educational, and sometimes the only way to know what the heck you’re looking at.

The Experience (5/5): Smells, sights, sounds—unforgettable. Worth every penny, every step, and every nose wrinkle.

Conclusion: Expensive? Yes. Overhyped? Not at all. Yellowstone is magical, weird, majestic, and wild. Just bring snacks…...