It's never too late to plan a summer trip to Yellowstone National Park. True, it gets trickier the longer in the year you wait to make your plans, but you're never completely shut out of visiting this incredible park. How do you negotiate the logistics? Let us show you the way.

Getting There

You're either fortunate enough to live within a day or two's drive of the park, or you're going to fly in and rent a car.

Driving is easy, though likely not a short jaunt. Coming from the south, you want to aim for the South Entrance via Jackson Hole. I've spent too many hours driving back and forth on Interstate 80 across southern Wyoming to describe that as a scenic route, but I've always enjoyed the drive north from Evanston on U.S. 89/191 into the Star Valley of western Wyoming, up through the Snake River Canyon, past Hoback Junction, and on to Jackson Hole.

Once in Jackson, if you're continuing on to Yellowstone that day, you might do yourself a favor and take the truck bypass to avoid the heart of downtown. On the other hand, if you're running ahead of schedule or plan to stay in Jackson or Grand Teton National Park en route to Yellowstone, stay on the main drag so you can see the elk-antler arches that anchor Jackson Hole's town square.

(Note: For planning purposes, Jackson to Old Faithful is a couple hours' drive under optimal conditions. Toss in road construction -- always likely in summer -- or wildlife sightings, and the time quickly adds up.)

Once north of Jackson Hole, it's pretty much a beeline up U.S. 89/191 past the Tetons (there are several turnouts to admire these crags and take a few photos) and on to Moran Junction. At the junction you'll turn left and stop at the entrance station to either show your America the Beautiful Public Lands Pass or purchase a $25 seven-day pass that's good in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone. From here it's 21 gorgeous miles to Yellowstone's South Entrance. You'll pass the famous Oxbow Bend stretch of the Snake River, run along the eastern shore of Jackson Lake, and pass into thick lodgepole forest through the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway.

From the west, the ride is a bit more wavering. Coming through Idaho you'll need to travel U.S. 20 up through Island Park on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, past the hamlet of Macks Inn, and over Targhee Pass to West Yellowstone, one of my favorite gateway towns with rich history and some colorful personality. If you're coming through southern Montana and want to reach West Yellowstone, you'll want to get off I-90 at Belgrade, Montana, and shoot down U.S. 191 about 90 miles. Once in West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Avenue leads to Yellowstone's West Entrance Station.

Coming to the park from the north, leave Interstate 90 near Livingston, Montana, and shoot straight south 57 miles on U.S. 89 to Gardiner, beneath the Roosevelt Arch, and into Yellowstone.

Arriving at the park from the east offers two options, and both perhaps are the top two scenic drives into Yellowstone. At Cody you can head west along U.S. 14/16 53 miles to the East Entrance Station and into the park over Sylvan Pass. Or, if you've got the time, are really looking for spectacular scenery, and have booked a room at Roosevelt Lodge or in Cooke City or Silver Gate, head north out of Cody on Wyoming 120 and then veer left 17 miles later onto the Chief Joseph Highway into the Sunlight Basin and on to Cooke City and Silver Gate on the lip of the park's northeast entrance. The highway twists and turns through the soaring Absaroka Range with its towering peaks and plunging valleys. Drivers might not enjoy this route, as the drop-offs along the road's edge can be unnerving, but passengers will gush over the scenery.

If you're flying, your nearest options are the Jackson Hole Airport, which lies within the boundaries of Grand Teton, or Gallatin Field in Bozeman, Montana. There's also Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, and the West Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone, though it only offers seasonal air service.

Where Will You Stay?

There are six lodging complexes and 2,160 rooms and cabins in Yellowstone. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that many of these book up months and months ahead of summer. Still, one concessionaire manages them all, so you can quickly check availability. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates all the lodges, and at their website you can quickly plunk in the dates you'd like to visit the park and quickly see what availability exists.

Where should you stay? What do you want to experience in the park?

Geysers and other thermal features? Look at the Old Faithful complex.

Waterfalls? Canyon Lodge is right near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the Western Cabins here were recently refurbished.

Wildlife? Roosevelt Lodge is the closest you can get to the wildlife-rich Lamar Valley and still be in the park.

Paddling? The Lake complex and Grant Village area are right on the shores of Yellowstone Lake.

The Old Faithful Inn is my favorite lodge in the park, thanks to its rustic log-cabin construction and decor, while Lake Hotel is the best if you're looking to impress your significant other (and can afford a significant bill for multi-night stays). Many swear by the campy facilities at Roosevelt Lodge -- the lodge is for dining only, while the accommodations are in very rustic Roughrider Cabins(heated by woodstove, facilities down the path) and pretty rustic Frontier Cabins (two beds, and a bathroom).

There are three flavors of cabins at Old Faithful -- Western Cabins, which are quite nice and reasonably affordable; Frontier Cabins, which have showers, sinks and toilets, and; Budget Cabins, which have beds and communal restrooms a short walk away. The Western Cabins near the Old Faithful Snow Lodge also offer some accessible cabins with ramps and accessible bathrooms.

At Lake, in addition to the grand hotel, you also have a choice between Western Cabins, Frontier Cabins, and Pioneer Cabins.

Rates in this array of facilities range from a low of $65 a night for the Roughrider Cabins at Roosevelt to $545 a night for the Presidential Suite at Lake Hotel.

Don't be discouraged if you initially strike out. There are always last-minute cancellations, and sometimes group tours that reserved large blocks of rooms back in December failed to book them all and release rooms en masse, so it doesn't hurt to check back on a regular basis for cancellations. Unfortunately, the concessionaire does not offer a wait-list.

If, despite your best efforts, you can't land a room in the park for your desired dates, make a blood oath to start earlier next time and then turn your sights to the gateway communities. West Yellowstone and Gardiner are the closest to the park; both actually share a boundary line with Yellowstone.

West Yellowstone, though, has more than 2,000 rooms in summer and, if you prefer geysers over wildlife, is closer to the geyser basins so you might want to look here first. West Yellowstone to Old Faithful and its geyser basin is 30 miles and will take about 45 minutes, maybe longer if you stop along the way. You easily could spend a day with stops at the Firehole Canyon Drive, Fountain Flat Drive, Fountain Paint Pots, the Midway Geyser Basin, and the Upper Geyser Basin along with Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin. And that's without taking any hikes.

If you prefer wildlife watching and have your sights set on scoping out the Lamar Valley for wolves, bears, bison and elk, then Gardiner is closer than West Yellowstone ... but not as close as Cooke City or Silver Gate. Though decidedly smaller and less commercial than any of the other gateways, Cooke City and Silver Gate are so very colorful and charming that a night or two here wouldn't be a mistake if you don't mind not having a Starbucks or Domino's to deliver.

Cooke City to Roosevelt is a flat drive right through the Lamar Valley. Again, much to see. While the distance is only about 30 miles, you'll want to take your time stopping here and there to look around or to take a hike.

Jackson and Cody are so far away (56 and 53 miles, respectively), that using them as a basecamp for a Yellowstone visit would not be the Traveler's first, second, or third recommendation.

If you've somehow managed to be shut out of all indoors accommodations, campgrounds and RV parks are your remaining options. Yellowstone has a dozen campgrounds, but reservations are accepted for just five campgrounds: Madison, the Fishing Bridge RV campground, Bridge Bay, Canyon, and Grant Village. The other seven -- Mammoth, Norris, Tower Fall, Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, Indian Creek and Lewis Lake -- run on a first-come, first-served basis. To check availability in the five where reservations are accepted, you can call 307-344-7311 for same-day reservations, or 866-439-7375 for future dates. You'll find RV parks in all gateway towns.

(Note: A major road reconstruction project between Madison Junction and Norris will create delays of varying lengths this year, so factor that into your lodging decision. Also, road work across Sylvan Pass will also lead to some delays if you're coming into, or existing, the park via the East Entrance.)

Getting Around the Park

Yellowstone is sprawling, at 2.2 million acres, so you're not going to walk if you plan to explore as much of the park as possible during your visit. While having your own car is nice, taking some of the congestion off the roads by utilizing some of the tours can be relaxing. Let someone else drive while you enjoy the views! Xanterra, the lodging concessionaire, offers day tours around Yellowstone in historic "yellow jammers," open-air buses that long ago were the primary mode of tourist travel in the park.

Along with straight-forward tours of the park, you can find photography-oriented tours, wildlife tours, geyser tours, sunset tours, and, well, you get the picture. For schedules, rates, and tours, check this site.

What Can You Do In Summer?

There are more things to do in Yellowstone in summer than most visitors have time for. For example, you can hike, go birdwatching, explore geyser basins, paddle into the backcountry, hike into the backcountry, go fishing, look for wildflowers, look for wildlife, work on your photography skills, take a class from the Yellowstone Association Institute, go on a horseback ride, attend a Western BBQ, have your kids attend a Junior Ranger program, attend a campfire program, go on a ranger-led hike, or study geology.

The new Old Faithful Visitor Education Center is slated to open this August (the grand opening is August 25). Stop by there to learn about the park's geothermal features and volcanics.

What Do You Need to Pack?

Summer is a wonderful season, weather-wise, in Yellowstone. Warm, not-quite-hot, days are followed by wonderfully cool nights. Thunderstorms are always possible.

Due to the high elevation (7,000+ feet), be sure to have sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Hiking boots, hiking sticks, and a daypack will get you through most, if not all, days. Be sure to drink water throughout the day. The elevation and atmosphere can dehydrate you quickly. You'll know if you're not drinking enough when a headache strikes.

Dining is casual -- though in the somewhat prim Lake Hotel dining room a nice pair of slacks and nice shirt would fit in quite well. To make life easier, when you book your lodging reservations, also make your dining reservations. If you wait until you reach the park you might find yourself eating at 9 p.m.

If you drive your own rig, consider adding a large cooler to your gear and plan to hit groceries to pick up picnic fixings so you can stay out in the park during the day (and lower your overall vacation bill). If you fly and rent a car, either pack a collapsible cooler or look for a Styrofoam cooler (that can be recycled on your way out of the park) for the same purposes.

Worthy Sidetrips to Consider

* The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody arguably is the Smithsonian of the West. Inside this complex you'll find museums dedicated to one of the world's best collections on firearms, Buffalo Bill Cody, Western art, the Plains Indians, and "Humans and Nature in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem."

* The National Museum of Wildlife Art just north of downtown Jackson. The incredible collections inside this building read like a who's who of Western masters, with artworks of George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, Peter Moran (Thomas Moran's youngest brother), James Browning Wyeth, and John James Audubon among the more than 300 artists represented.

* Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. While you might not see a grizzly bear or wolf in Yellowstone during your stay, you will if you visit this not-for-profit educational center. This is not a roadside tourist trap, but rather a great facility that takes in trouble grizzlies that otherwise might be put down.

Helpful Websites

Yellowstone National Park: www.nps.gov/yell

Grand Teton National Park: www.nps.gov/grte

Xanterra Parks & Resorts: www.travelyellowstone.com

West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce: www.destinationyellowstone.com

Gardiner Chamber of Commerce: www.gardinerchamber.com

Cooke City/Silver Gate Chamber Bureau: www.cookecitychamber.org

Cody Chamber of Commerce: www.codychamber.org

Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce: http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/