So you are on vacation in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone and it is raining, snowing, windy or just too hot. Don’t let bad weather ruin your vacation. Here is a list of things you can do in bad weather:
Play games in the lobby of the hotel: At first you may find it odd that no lodging facilities inside Yellowstone Park have televisions. However, when you walk through the lobby, it puts a smile on your face to see a family sipping on hot chocolate and playing a game of Clue together. Your vacation is not just about witnessing the awe and beauty of Yellowstone, it’s also about spending time with your loved ones. So, if it is raining, go to the front desk and browse through the collection of board games.
Xantera operates all lodging facilities in the park, so feel free to venture to another hotel to play games. At the Old Faithfull Inn there are tables and chairs on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Although, you may want to bring a small battery operated lamp with you as it can get a little dark. There is also a small spirits and espresso bar on the 2nd floor.
Sit by the fire and read a book, serf the net or listen to music: All three hotels in the Old Faithfull area have huge inviting fireplaces in the lobby. The Snow Lodge is the ONLY hotel in the Old Faithfull area with Internet access (the next nearest place with internet access is West Yellowstone-about 45 minutes away). So if you brought your computer you can keep warm by the fire uploading all your Yellowstone pictures to Facebook.
Or, you can leave all that technology behind and cuddle up by the fire with a good book. If you did not bring a book, you can purchase one at the visitor center.
Attend a free tour of the Inn: Meet in the lobby of the Old Faithful Inn for guided 45-minute tour, discussing the construction, history and other fun facts
Watch Old Faithful from the Lodge or Visitor Center: Just because it is bad weather doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy watching Old Faithful erupt. There is a viewing window inside the Old Faithful Visitor Center complete with bench seats to watch the geyser on bad weather days days. You can also view the geyser from inside the Old Faithful Lodge.
Go to the visitor center: The Old Faithfull visitor center features an educational exhibit, gift shop, short films, interpretive programs and you can talk to a park ranger. You can even drive to all the different visitor centers in the park. Each visitor center concentrates on a different topic. For specific information on each visitor center, click here.
Nightly interpretative programs: Attend the nightly ranger interpretive programs to learn more about the park. A nightly 45-minute lecture is held in the visitor center and at some campgrounds. Topics range from wolves, fires, reptiles and the history of Yellowstone.
Go to a gate city: Just because it is raining in Yellowstone doesn’t mean it’s raining in West, Jackson or Cody. West Yellowstone is 45 minutes form Old Faithful and features the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, IMAX theater, touristy shops and restaurants. Cody, Wyoming is 2 ½ hours from Old Faithfull and is a fun cowboy town with nightly rodeos and the Buffalo Bill Museum. Or you can head toward Tetons and to Jackson with many exquisite shops and the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
Go shopping and send out post cards Kill some time by doing your souvenir shopping at the gift shop. There is a gift shop in every lodging facility in the park and a general store in every major area of the park. While shopping, don’t forget to pick up some post cards to send back home.