Madison River
Madison River
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
55 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
15
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Zoom_Gotti
Henderson, NV1,525 contributions
Sept 2020
Coming in from West Yellowstone you'll follow the Madison in for 14 miles. In this direction it will be on your right and very easy to access the turnouts. If you fish, you'll find many ideal spots. Remember, this is a National Park so you'll need to follow federal regulations and get a permit. You shouldn't just drive through this ecosystem without stopping a few times. The mountain and meadow scenery is dramatic. Buffalo herds and elk abound. You'll probably hit a road jam or two as you're driving. Just be patient and let it play itself out. There are some hiking opportunities along the way, too. You'll find some side roads to your left which will get you out of the traffic for a bit. Riverside Drive is a good roadway to choose and you can also use this access for fun fly fishing. If you're driving east to west you don't have to exit to come back in again. Just before the guard station exit you'll find a trailer turnaround on your right. Use it to return to the road in the opposite direction. Most traffic at the West Yellowstone entry builds mid-morning through early afternoon. Use the right lane if you already have a pass. It might be faster even though the line seems longer.
Written September 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
themolitors
Bothell, WA380 contributions
Sept 2020
The road from the west park entrance hugs the Madison River for quite some distance and in the time you're driving next to it you'll come across a wide variety of scenery and critters (from fish to bison). There are many official and unofficial pull-off areas and I recommend that you take advantage of them and just grab a seat and unwind (you may have no choice, if an elk or bison is blocking the road downstream traffic's going to stop).
Views include the rebounding forest area (burned thoroughly many years ago) along with a smattering of hot springs and mountains. Folks with respiratory issues do need to remember that the elevation here is about 6000-7000 feet above sea level so you need to take care to avoid overexertion. But this is a beautiful way to get introduced to the nation's oldest and still most amazing national park.
Views include the rebounding forest area (burned thoroughly many years ago) along with a smattering of hot springs and mountains. Folks with respiratory issues do need to remember that the elevation here is about 6000-7000 feet above sea level so you need to take care to avoid overexertion. But this is a beautiful way to get introduced to the nation's oldest and still most amazing national park.
Written October 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Benjamin R
Rexburg, ID618 contributions
Jul 2020
Imagine all the water from the geysers, and the Firehole river uniting with the other drainage on the same side of the continental divide, and you can see how this junction of two large rivers that head eventually out of the park and North into Montana. We often see buffalo and elk in this area. There is a restroom as well.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LostInTime
Pittsburgh, PA24,294 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
This is the route in from West Yellowstone. It’s beautiful. Right along the river. In the morning the smoke is rising off the river. At night the elk are out to feed. Also saw a lone bison walking right down the road. A great drive.
Written August 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MyBucketListTrips
409 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
Madison Junction is the entry into the park from West Yellowstone. It is among the most scenic drives we taken during our four days in YNP. Some of our best views of wildlife have been along Madison River. A late drive around 10:30 pm allowed us a rare sighting of a mountain lion crossing the river. The next morning, around 8:00 am, we saw a black bear.
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne O
Kennesaw, GA3,819 contributions
Sept 2021
Madison River follows a portion of the road as it winds its way through the west side of the park. Surrounded by hills, it is what a pure mountain stream should look like. Stop at the pullouts and enjoy the view. You may see fishermen and wildlife on the banks.
Written October 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nyormirror
Bay City, MI2,084 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We enjoyed views of the Madison river along with wildlife as we traveled the West Yellowstone road to go out of the park for a bite to eat. Don’t forget to get pics from the pullouts.
Written September 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dgdssdish d
Charlottetown, Canada1,172 contributions
Aug 2019
Stop and fish or just look out for wildlife. You will see lots of Elk around here. Lots of places to stop and just enjoy the view.
Written October 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olivia Barnes
Camp Hill, PA38 contributions
Aug 2019
We took the west entrance in every day to Yellowstone and drove along the beautiful Madison River. It's so peaceful, especially in the mornings and evenings. There are lots of pull outs so be sure to spend some time spotting wildlife. We saw lots of elk in this area.
Written September 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joseph Robba
Charlotte, NC2,272 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
If you enter Yellowstone through the west Entrance, you're going to drive right alongside the Madison River as you come into the park for a good few miles. We saw lots of Bison and Elk in the 4 days that we came into the park along this road, some very close up!
Written June 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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